Body & Soul introduce new Library of Progress stage

Ireland’s biggest boutique festival Body & Soul is bringing back a little of its original ethos with a new stage this year.

Curated by Naoise Nunn, founder of Kilkenomics Festival, the Library of Progress stage promises to “celebrate all that is good about our inquisitive nature, the scientific method and open critical thinking.” Highlights of what’s planned include:

Blindboy Boatclub of Rubberbandits will host Faction, a political debate that promises to “separate fact from fiction, and science from the snakeoil.” Guests include Professor Luke O’Neill, Chair of Biochemistry, and Professor Aoife McLysaght, Professor of Genetics, both of Trinity College Dublin.

Actor, writer and performer Emmet Kirwan hosts Beats and Rhymes, a blitz of spoken word and hip hop performances from Ireland's hottest performers including Mango and Mathman, John Cummins, Abbey Oliveira, Stephen James Smith, Sian Ni Mhuiri, Lethal Dialect, and Denise Chailia.