Kevin Cunningham, founder of Doing and Learning based in Holywood, has been announced as a speaker at BarCamp Belfast 2025, taking place on September 26 at the Oh Yeah Centre in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter.
Building on Andy McMillan’s 2009 success, organisers Marty Neill (of AirPOS Pay & Retro Rooms) and Jennie Wallace (Beyond Skin) have brought the captivating day to fruition alongside the event’s headline sponsors Options Technologies, AirPOS Pay, Infinity 21, The Alchemists Forum, Morrow Communications and media partner Excalibur Press.
This year’s BarCamp will feature 17 sessions across two stages, covering topics as diverse as how to retire in ten years, using AI in PR, accessibility in design, generative coding, neurodiversity and email marketing.
Kevin’s talk, titled “From Scripts to Systems: Teaching Developers Through Real Work”, will explore how messy scripts and real projects can become powerful tools for teaching others. Drawing on his experience as a developer educator, Kevin will show how real-world examples and storytelling can transform technical learning into something more effective, engaging, and memorable. The session will be part talk, part roundtable discussion, with audience contributions encouraged.
The session will give audiences the chance to learn how to choose teaching examples that resonate with developers, structure compelling technical stories, embrace imperfect code as a teaching tool, and use storytelling to turn technical insights into lasting understanding.
Kevin said: “The informal, community-first spirit of BarCamp is exactly the kind of event I love. No gatekeeping, no egos, just people sharing what they’ve learned. It’s one of the few events where genuine curiosity and grassroots learning are front and centre. I love how open it is, everyone’s a participant, not just a spectator.”
BarCamp Belfast co-organiser Marty Neill welcomed Kevin’s contribution. Marty said: “With tech and entrepreneurial culture now very much shifting towards working from home we felt it was more important than ever to get the community together and Belfast Tech Week looked like the perfect time to do it.
“We are hoping that some of the older heads from the original events will rub shoulders with the new generation of makers and builders, transferring knowledge, making contacts and hopefully sharing some collective wisdom over a pint or two.”
Following last year’s success, BarCamp Belfast has returned with an eclectic mix of founders, developers, creatives, and industry experts sharing their knowledge in an open, informal environment.
Admission is free, with attendees encouraged to drop in throughout the day, listen to talks, or even deliver one themselves.
For more information about #BelfastBarCamp2025 and to register for the September 26 event, go to barcampbelfast.com.