Leading journalist to headline Mount Stewart Festival

Leading journalist to headline Mount Stewart Festival

17 July 2019

MARK Austin, the award-winning journalist and Washington correspondent for Sky News, is to headline the Mount Stewart Conversations Festival in September.

On one of the two days of the festival, September 7-8, Mark will regale audiences with tales from his 35-year career, spanning war zones from Iraq to Afghanistan and Kosovo, and major sporting events including four Olympic Games and four World Cups. 

He will be in conversation with BBC correspondent Stephen Walker at the event which attracted an audience of 6,000 last year.

Mark said: “I’m extremely excited to be speaking at this wonderful event, in such a beautiful and historic setting.

“I’ve been to Northern Ireland many times, but this is my first visit to the Ards Peninsula, and I’m very much looking forward to my own conversation with Stephen Walker.”

The National Trust, in partnership with Open House Festival, will  welcome visitors for free to the grounds all weekend so that people of all ages can join the debate and talk about the things that really matter to us today.

New for this year is the partnership with Open House Festival, an independent music and arts charity which runs Bangor’s successful Open House and Seaside Revival Festivals.

Mount Stewart’s general manager, Jon Kerr said: “Over the years this estate, under Edith, Lady Londonderry, was famous for welcoming a glittering line up of leading political and literary guests as it played host to magical debates and discussions.

“The festival celebrates Mount Stewart’s heritage as a historical nucleus of creativity, individuality and influence and encourages this legacy of conversation to continue today.

 “Mount Stewart Conversations Festival 2019 will lead from this remarkable history but will feel truly contemporary; intimate and participative, relevant and challenging, dynamic and fun. It will be embedded in the local community and the arts in Northern Ireland, in line with National Trust’s strategic aim of offering our visitors experiences which move, teach and inspire, but we are confident it will also have international appeal, drawing guests and audiences from beyond our borders.“

 More details on the fascinating line up of speakers, the exciting programme of events and tickets will be available soon. Visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/mount-stewart to find out more.

Access to Mount Stewart will be free. Selected talks will carry a ticket charge and will be available to book in advance. 

The two day festival is supported by both Ards and North Down Borough Council and Tourism NI.