Humanist Society NI

Humanist Society NI For the People and the Planet!

Humanist Society NI have been deeply saddened to see hate and violence on the streets of Northern Ireland once again. As...
11/06/2026

Humanist Society NI have been deeply saddened to see hate and violence on the streets of Northern Ireland once again. As humanists, we believe in treating all our fellow humans with kindness, tolerance and respect, no matter their story. We will always advocate for peace and safety for everyone, and our compassionate community are determined that even when hate feels unbearably loud, love and humanity must be louder ❤️

How many Humanist Society NI members can you fit on a bench?!As it turned out, just 2! On this one anyway, because this ...
07/05/2026

How many Humanist Society NI members can you fit on a bench?!

As it turned out, just 2! On this one anyway, because this bench was reserved for stars of the wonderful touring production of ‘The Bench’, Julie and Maria ⭐️

Maria and Julie’s humanist connection goes way back - Julie officiated Maria’s wedding, and then Maria trained under Julie to become a humanist celebrant herself! Now, they’ve combined their shared passion for live drama by setting up their own theatre company, Jaq in the Box Theatre, and they’ve just completed a successful run of ‘The Bench’ to rapt audiences across Northern Ireland.

Lots of our members were lucky enough to see this fabulous production at the Grand Opera House in Belfast, and they experienced all the emotions as they followed characters from all walks of life experience everyday interactions on one bench. We absolutely loved this show and all the heart behind it; is it any wonder the audience were jumping to their feet at the end? 😍

Now that the tour is done, and the Bench is now nestled quietly in Julie’s back garden, Julie and Maria reflected on their experience of working together on this production.

Julie said, “We had such a great time producing, rehearsing and performing the show. Maria and I laughed from start to finish. Our audiences were very appreciative and took time to meet us after each show to tell us how much they enjoyed it. We had comments such as, ‘It was brilliant - I loved every minute,’ ‘A real rollercoaster of a show,’ ‘That was fantastic - and, by the way, where did you get that umbrella?’!”

And Maria added, “The Bench was simply class to work on, especially with my partner in crime Julie. Getting to know her as a Humanist and as a celebrant then taking a leap of faith and setting up a theatre company together has been a whirlwind and a dream come true. The journey with Julie has been very special - our audiences across the tour have been absolutely amazing and having our gang cheer us on is the absolute icing on the cake. Here’s to the bench - may you appreciate a moment to yourself every time you take a seat.”

Congratulations ladies, we’re so inspired to be in the presence of such talent! 💚

Do you read with your head or your heart? 🤓❤️Our last two picks had the Humanist Book Club divided, as we dove into Hamn...
21/04/2026

Do you read with your head or your heart? 🤓❤️

Our last two picks had the Humanist Book Club divided, as we dove into Hamnet’s poetic embrace and Orbital’s cyclical rhythm - and came out the other side a mixture of captivated and irritated!

We love chatting about why stories make us feel certain ways, and because we try to vary our reads as much as possible, not everyone is going to love every choice! Our post read discussions are always thought provoking and hilarious, and we’re loving reading all kinds of wonderful things that help us examine different aspects of our humanity.

Our next read is a the debut novel from local author Stephen Daly, The Last Death Poet, which is “a gripping LGBTQI+ YA novel set in Belfast, where the theme of q***r identity intertwines with the ghosts of the city’s political past and the dark forces of Irish mythology, creating a gripping and unforgettable story with a paranormal twist”. We’re intrigued, are you?

If you’d like to join our bookworm ranks, the Humanist Book Club would love to welcome you! Drop us a DM for more details ☺️

✨ Member Spotlight - Cathy Brennan Bradley ✨As Women’s History Month draws to a close, we’re spotlighting the fantastic ...
30/03/2026

✨ Member Spotlight - Cathy Brennan Bradley ✨

As Women’s History Month draws to a close, we’re spotlighting the fantastic work of our member Cathy, who alongside her work as a humanist celebrant can often be seen treading the boards or lighting up a screen near you!

Cathy recently performed in a moving production of Catriona Cunningham’s ‘The Marian Hotel’, a “searing portrayal” of a dark time in the history of women in Ireland. The play, produced by Sole Purpose Productions, is based on the playwright’s lived experience of being in Marianvale Mother and Baby home in Newry, and is described as “a call to all impacted to come forward and raise their voices so that they may never again be silenced and shamed for being human.”

The piece had a profound impact on both its audiences and the actors who performed it; Cathy says, “I’ve never experienced anything like it as a performer.” Echoing truthfully the tragic events many women throughout Ireland endured over decades of institutionalised abuse, a frequent piece of feedback Cathy and the team heard about the play was “This story needs to be told.” And it was told with bags of heart and plenty of Northern Irish humour, too!

Fellow Humanist Society NI members Julie and Maria went to see The Marian Hotel, and Julie had this to say about the experience:

“We sat in a packed audience and, from the first minute, we were drawn into the quite shocking world of this mother and baby home. It was sometimes a difficult watch but humour played a key role in the telling of the story so the audience were laughing one minute and blinking away tears the next. A tour de force by an excellent cast who fully deserved their standing ovation at curtain call.”

The Humanist Society NI wishes Cathy and the team all the best as they prepare to tell this important story to more audiences. We’re very proud of our Cathy using her wonderful artistry to amplify the voices of those who weren’t always able to. Bravo, Cathy!

This quote from American tennis player Arthur Ashe might have been intended as motivational sports advice, but we think ...
26/03/2026

This quote from American tennis player Arthur Ashe might have been intended as motivational sports advice, but we think it can apply to anything you need a bit of encouragement to take action on today. Even the smallest of actions can have a big impact - doing what you can is always better than doing nothing ☺️

(And remember, ‘using what you have’ might look like leaning on the support of your community, like we do all the time at Humanist Society NI!)

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