Creative Roundup
Our latest roundup of funding, support, opportunities, events, exhibitions and festivals for NI creatives.
Closing date: 1st June
The Design Academy is developed in collaboration between VORN – The Berlin Fashion Hub and Zalando with the aim to use the power of community to foster positive, long-lasting transformations within the fashion industry. This third edition of the Design Academy will focus on developing creative and fashionable solutions for the disabled community.
The educational program consists of sixteen weeks of remote and in-person training split into two phases: during the first eight weeks, 100 selected talents will delve into themes such as sustainability, branding and business modeling with emphasis on inclusivity and accessibility.
In the second phase, the 10 most outstanding designers will be awarded with a scholarship for an eight-week design sprint with two weeks in-person residency in Berlin, where they will be mentored by industry experts in adaptive fashion design, sustainable design systems and digital technologies with emphasis on 3D design and manufacturing.
The journey will culminate at the Berlin Fashion Week 2025, where the finalists will have the opportunity to present their creations in a showcase exhibition.
Deadline: 10th June 2024
Designed specifically to help micro, small and medium-sized local enterprises, Ambition to Grow supports businesses to create good jobs, innovate their processes and sell their products or services outside Northern Ireland.
Successful applicants can receive up to £45,000, broken down as follows:
Up to £30,000 towards creating new employment.
Up to £10,000 towards market, product or skills development.
Up to £5,000 upon completion of an Export Health Check, Export Marketing Plan and Innovate NI Self-Assessment.
In the aftermath of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the city of Kharkiv is facing the daunting task of rebuilding its urban fabric. Now, an international architecture competition is offering a glimmer of hope for the city’s recovery.
Student Invent is an annual pitching competition sponsored by Ulster University and SU Enterprise at Queen’s Student Union, with headline partner Bank of Ireland where ambitious students pitch to win a cash prize and accelerate the development of their innovative idea.
As a part of Catalyst’s INVENT competition students will have the opportunity to be showcased to the world on an international platform at the INVENT 2024 awards. Student’s have the opportunity to win a share of the £2,500 prize pot.
NI visual artists invited to apply for artist residency in Frac Grand Large/ Hauts-de-France Dunkirk, as part of Magnetic 3
Deadline: 15th July
Northern Ireland Screen is now seeking feature film scripts to develop for its New Writer Focus scheme 2024-2025.
The scheme is only open to Northern Ireland resident writers new to feature film. They are not taking applications for TV drama or comedy, this is for feature film scripts only.
Deadline: Midnight, Sunday 23rd June 2024.
Northern Ireland Screen has been awarded Lottery Funds through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and BFI NETWORK to support the production of Short Film at both Individual and Company level.
Funding is available at individual and production company level to produce live action, factual and virtual reality short films normally up to 15 minutes in length.
The call for company applications closes on Friday 7th June 2024
The call for individual applications closes on Friday 19th July 2024
Funding Levels
Individuals can apply for a funding award of £6,000.
Companies can apply for a funding award of either £12,500, £17,500 or £22,500.
August Craft Month is a unique celebration of craft across the island of Ireland, offering exciting opportunities for the public to experience, participate in, purchase, and learn about craft. Supported and promoted by Craft NI and Design & Crafts Council Ireland, August Craft Month is a collaborative effort to showcase the best of craftsmanship found across the island.
The deadline for entry is Friday June 14th
Craft NI is the sector lead body for Craft in Northern Ireland. Our Gallery is located on Royal Avenue in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter and showcases a wide range of quality craft and applied art by local designer-makers.
Deadline: June 5, 2024
The RHA School in partnership with Áras Éanna are delighted to offer a residency on Inis Oírr for the month of July.
Applications are welcomed from artists to come and live and work on Inis Oírr and with up to ten residencies provided each year. Each residency includes an on-site private apartment and a self-contained studio, and access to the centre’s galleries and theatre. The successful applicant will receive a €1000 stipend funded by Ealaín na Gaeltachta.
Deadline: June 9, 2024
Are you an artist and passionate about sustainability? Apply now for one of our residencies and collaborate with experts to tackle water challenges through art and technology.
Deadline: June 26, 2024.
Budget: 40.000€ per residency.
The RUA Annual Exhibition is open for applications. The exhibition provides a unique platform for acclaimed artists and emerging talent to showcase their artwork. The 143rd Annual Exhibition will run at the Ulster Museum, Belfast from 18th October 2024 to 6th January 2025.
The Royal Ulster Academy welcomes submissions from emerging and established artists across the disciplines of the visual arts. Initial Submissions should be made online.
Deadline: July 13, 2024
The summer Belfast Potter’s Market will take place on Saturday 10th August at 10am – 5pm in 2 Royal Avenue.Up to 40 Of Ireland’s top potters and sculptors will be gathered together to exhibit and of course sell their beautiful pottery!
Deadline: 10th June at 11.59pm.
These awards enable individual artists and established music groups (up to 2 members) to travel from Northern Ireland to develop their skills and expertise.
Deadline: Rolling programme
- Northern Ireland Screen Writing for Readers – Screenwriting with Steve Brooks via Zoom
To help writers prepare their application for the New Writer Focus Fund, Northern Ireland Screen will run an on-line screenwriting seminar.
Mr Brookes is a freelance script consultant whose career has focused on working on British independent feature films. He worked for the British Film Institute for many years and has had a long association with Northern Ireland Screen.
Date: Wednesday 29th May
Time: 12pm- 2pm
RSVP: Chloe@ northernirelandscreen.co.uk
Make something happen THIS MONTH If you’re a creative doer who would like accountability from great humans to do the damn thing, this goal planning party with Groove is for you!
Date: May 30, 2024
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM EDT
Location: Online
You’ll leave this FieldTrip with some new considerations to help you start building a safer experience on social media.
Date: Jun 3, 2024
Time: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM EDT
Location: Online
Saul Duffin founder of YEO magazine will share his story.
Date: Wed 5th June
Time: 7pm
Location: Blick Studios, 46 Hill St
An introduction to creative captions and how to create them. As well as being an accessibility tool, captioning can also serve as an artistic tool to enhance the world you are creating within your performance or artistic practice. You will learn how to use free software such as PowerPoint and Canva with great impact.
Date: 6 June 2024
Time: 10.30am – 4.30pm
Location: Ledger Studio, University of Atypical, 109-113 Royal Avenue, Belfast BT1 1FF
Don’t miss Catalyst’s latest “The Circle” session. This free session, led by expert facilitator Sandra Lee, will dive into Imposter Syndrome, its origins, and strategies for overcoming it. Connect with others who share similar experiences and expand your professional network.
Date: Wednesday 12th June
Time: 6 – 8pm
Location: Oh Yeah Centre
Date: Thursday 13th June
Time: 9:30 am – 11:30 am
Location: Innovation Factory Forthriver Business Park, 385 Springfield Road, Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
Set up your own creative online platform and learn how to monetise it! The Masterclass will boost your confidence in creating a prominent creative profile online. This Masterclass will present a safe space for you to explore this experience and how to tackle this new challenge. Before you know it, you will be creating content for your platform like a pro.
Date: 13 June 2024
Time: 10.30am – 4.30pm
Location: Ledger Studio, University of Atypical, 109-113 Royal Avenue, Belfast BT1 1FF
Talks for creative women
Date: Sat 15th June
Time: 11.30am
Location: Blick Studios, 46 Hill Street
The event will also be an opportunity to find out more about the Executive MBA at Ulster University; your gateway to becoming a high-performing leader.
Date: Wednesday, 19 June
Venue: Ulster University, York Street, Belfast
Time: 5:30pm – 7:00pm
Dates: 23rd May to 2nd June
Location: The Naughton Gallery
This exhibition is an ongoing body of work by Chad Alexander. The series was created in Belfast and centres on people, predominantly men, and urban spaces the artist knows personally or has encountered by chance.
Dates: 2nd May to 29th June
This group exhibition features sculpture, installation, painting, photography, audio and film made in the past six years that represents some of the most exciting contemporary practices in Northern Ireland today
Dates: 26th April – 21st July
Location: The MAC
Dates: 7th June The 175 Degree Show Opening Night
8th – 22nd June The 175 Degree Show
Dates: 6 to 13 June
Dates: 25 July to 4 Aug
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Today`s finance resource for emerging creatives is a budget template that you can download from our website as an excel document and complete for your creative business. �Putting together a budget for your creative business will help you to understand your costs, plan out your expenses and reach your goals. It`s also not as complicated as it seems, we have included a downloadable excel budget template on the resources section of our website to help you to put one together for your business (link in our bio or below):
��https://blickstudios.org/resources/useful-finance-resources-links/
Nov 20
�Today for our finance resources for emerging creatives we are sharing what you need to include on an invoice, something that seems obvious, but really isn`t when you are starting out!
�You can download an invoice template as a word or PDF document from the `Resources for Creatives` section of our website (link in bio or below) that you can then customise for your creative business!
��https://blickstudios.org/resources/useful-finance-resources-links/
Nov 19
After a hectic few months, we are back to sharing out useful resources for creatives starting their own business/ practice.
This week we will be sharing some different financial resources. Starting today with some useful financial links for creatives starting their own business
Let us know if you can think of any we have forgotton or anything that was helpful to you when starting out that we can add to the list!
HMRC what does it mean to be self-employed? – https://www.gov.uk/working-for-yourself
Registering as self-employed – https://www.gov.uk/set-up-sole-trader
Registering for VAT if your turnover exceeds £85,000 – https://www.gov.uk/vat-registration/when-to-register
Link to a cashflow template – https://www.startuploans.co.uk/cash-flow-forecast-template/
HMRC free payroll software – https://www.gov.uk/basic-paye-tools
View on our website link in bio or
https://blickstudios.org/resources/useful-finance-resources-links/
Nov 18
We have 1 dedicated deskspace coming available in our Hill St studios from the start of December!
- £165 per calendar month all inclusive (rent, rates, utilities,
broadband etc)
- 3 months minimum contract then on a month by month basis
- 24 hour access
- City centre location
Email christine@blickstudios.org for more info or to arrange a viewing or visit our website:
https://blickstudios.org/locations/hill-street-belfast/
Nov 15
Thanks again to everyone who came along to @stephaniesaloli`s creative talk last Wednesday evening and to Stephanie for giving such a great talk with so many insights and lessons for emerging creatives, as always we will be doing a wee event write up over coming weeks of the key lessons!
Nov 14
This week we have been thrilled to have been able to help with @belfastdesignwk and @the_design_salon `s Sustainable Pop-up Design Museum as part of the RE(act) Festival by the @linenquarter in the Europa Hotel today and tomorrow!
If you are attending any events at the festival or just passing by you can pop by to take a look at the Pop-up Design Museum on the 2nd floor!
The Pop-up Design Museum feature 5 local designers incorporating sustainability into their work
- Sam Lynas Co-founder of @get.haru @helpandreuse a tech startup focused on circular fashion
- Azhar Murtuza Founder of @born_maverick a food innovation company
- Stéphanie Heckman @stephaniesaloli a graphic recorder and visual facilitator focusing on working on climate and sustainability events
- Lee Robb founder of Positive Carrickfergus and Co-founder of Carrick Greengrocers @carrickgrocers
- Emily McIlwaine @emtextiles Woven Designer and Horticulturalist
You can also read fab interviews with each of them on sustainability and their design practice over on the Belfast Design Week Website www.belfastdesignweek.com
Nov 12
Thanks to everyone who joined us last Wednesday evening for our final creative talk of the year with the wonderful Stephanie Heckman sharing her creative story!
Nov 11
We are so excited through our @the_design_salon collab as part of the �@linenquarter `s �RE[act] Festival 2024 to have Learning Experience Designer Peter Worth join us for a workshop on November 13th, 3-4.30pm in the Europa Hotel.
Peter works at the intersection of design thinking, professional learning, leadership, and culture change. Consulting globally and based in Northern Ireland, Peter’s work focuses on helping teams to elevate local brilliance and use the mindsets of human-centred design to create change so their users can thrive. In recent years, he has worked closely with the Stanford d.school and Catalyst.
Informed by his background in education, Peter has developed a design practice that balances analytical and creative problem-solving. His belief that great progress can be made by taking the time to listen first has positioned him to guide people through their initial discomfort with design to discover skills they did not know they had and to help educators recognize their power in the transformation of schools as a part of a larger story of impact. In addition, Peter works with K12 schools, universities, businesses, and non-profit organizations to promote local innovation.
Spaces are limited so find out more and grab your free ticket on the events page on our website (link in profile)!
Nov 8
## NEW SOUTH BELFAST STUDIOS ##
We have recently moved our South Belfast Studios and our new studios at 65 Great Northern Street are now open!
Located off the Lisburn Road in a great location with lots of natural light it offers a mix of private and shared studio space.
We only have a couple of dedicated desks left, if you would like more information or to arrange a viewing please get in touch with christine@blickstudios.org or visit our website (link in profile)
Nov 6
Pollen Studios + Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of “Palette Perspectives” by Blick resident Emanuela Mae Agrini @emanuela_mae_agrini_art
The event will take place on November 7, 2024, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, at Pollen’s gallery space located at 7 North Street, Belfast. As part of the Belfast Late Night Art event, this evening will showcase a collection of portrait paintings and fashion illustrations, exploring creativity and individual expression through various subjects and styles.
Nov 5
Last chance to book for tomorrow night`s creative talk with Blick Hill St resident Stephanie Heckman sharing her creative story as a graphic recorder and visual facilitator who translates real-time conversations into hand-drawn visual summaries at events and conferences globally including UN climate change negotiations!
Book through our website (link in profile) 🌟 🌟 🌟
Nov 5
Another chance to check out the interview we did with Stephanie @stephaniesaloli who is sharing her story at our next Creative Talk on Wednesday evening!
Sign up on our website to hear her story in-person!
Nov 4
Ahead of her creative talk next Wednesday evening we thought we would re-share this interview we did with Stéphanie Heckman one of our Hill St residents earlier this year! You can read the full blog on our website (link in profile)
Stephanie will be sharing her creative story next Wednesday 6th November at 7pm in our Hill St studios, you can sign up for your free ticket to hear her story on our website (link in profile)
Nov 1
Just 1 week until our next creative talk with Blick Hill St resident Stephanie Heckman sharing her creative story as a graphic recorder and visual facilitator who translates real-time conversations into hand-drawn visual summaries at events and conferences globally including UN climate change negotiations!
Book your free ticket through our website (link in profile)
Oct 30
As part of our work with @the_design_salon we have been helping to curate the 3rd Pop Up Design Museum on the 12th & 13th November at The Europa Hotel as part of the RE[act] Festival @linenquarter this November 12th-14th to create a more sustainable Belfast.
The Pop Up Design Museum will themed on "Sustainability." You`ll learn about 5 local designers incorporating sustainability in different ways into their practices and we hope you`ll leave inspired and full of ideas for your own life and work.
We also have a very special workshop - "Design thinking (and doing) for sustainability" - with Learning Experience Designer Peter Worth.
We`ll be sharing more information about the pop up museum and workshop in the lead up to RE[act] and you can visit reactfestival.co.uk to discover the full programme of events.
#reactfestival2024
https://blickstudios.org/projects/pop-up-design-museum/
Oct 30
First in person meeting in our Great Northern Street Studios with our fab Nurture Program participants @kitschsistersbelfast @bethanysmillican and @verahylands who we will introduce you to properly over the coming weeks! Looking forward to working with them all on their creative ideas over the next 8 months!
Oct 29
Just over a week until our next creative talk with Blick Hill St resident Stéphanie Heckman a graphic recorder and visual facilitator sharing her story!
Stephanie will be sharing her journey as a creative entrepreneur and how she came to do the work she does. She will share the highs and lows of her journey and what she has learned along the way. She will also share her advice for others on a similar path and for artists and creatives on how to generate an income from their creativity. Stephanie will also share with us some examples of her work including her work for UN Climate Change negotiations.
Event Date(s): November 6, 2024
Event Time: 7.00 - 8.00pm
Location: Blick Shared Studios, 46 Hill Street, Belfast, BT1 2LB
Cost: Free
For more info and to sign up, visit our website (link in profile)
Oct 29
Our next creative talk is on Wed 6th November at 7pm in our Hill St studios with graphic recorder and visual facilitator Stéphanie Heckman sharing her story.
Stephanie will talk about how she set up her creative business. Her journey so far as a creative entrepreneur, the highs and lows, what she has learned along the way, advice for others on a similar path and for artists and creatives in general on how to generate an income from their creativity.
There`s more info about Stéphanie below!
Stéphanie Heckman - @stephaniesaloli
Graphic Recorder & Visual Facilitator
Stéphanie Heckman, Dutch originally but based in Northern Ireland, works internationally at conferences as a graphic recorder and visual facilitator. In this role she translates in real-time collective conversations into hand-drawn visual summaries that distill the essence of both content and undercurrent. Her visual summaries transcend language and accessibility barriers, and communicate key takeaways of complex discussions in an engaging, visual way to a much larger audience than those originally present.
Active since 2018, Stéphanie has worked with close to 200 organisations, but focuses on supporting those advancing climate action, peace and reconciliation and leadership development. Since 2020, she collaborates regularly with UN Climate Change and numerous NGOs in the global climate space. She has trail blazed a way for the field of graphic recording to support climate negotiations at the highest level and has led teams of graphic recorders to cover sessions during three consecutive COPs (annual UN climate summits) and related events. In recent years she has trained up two cohorts of graphic recorders through her Visual Practice Apprenticeship Programme, focusing both on the craft of visual practice and business skills as a creative professional.
https://www.stephanieheckman.com/
EVENT DETAILS
DATE: Wed 6th Nov
TIME: 7PM
VENUE: Blick Studios, 46 Hill Street
You can book your free ticket on our website (link in profile)
Oct 28
Our next creative talk is on Wed 6th November at 7pm in our Hill St studios with graphic recorder and visual facilitator Stéphanie Heckman sharing her story.
Stephanie will talk about how she set up her creative business. Her journey so far as a creative entrepreneur, the highs and lows, what she has learned along the way, advice for others on a similar path and for artists and creatives in general on how to generate an income from their creativity.
There`s more info about Stéphanie below!
Stéphanie Heckman
Graphic Recorder & Visual Facilitator
Stéphanie Heckman, Dutch originally but based in Northern Ireland, works internationally at conferences as a graphic recorder and visual facilitator. In this role she translates in real-time collective conversations into hand-drawn visual summaries that distill the essence of both content and undercurrent. Her visual summaries transcend language and accessibility barriers, and communicate key takeaways of complex discussions in an engaging, visual way to a much larger audience than those originally present.
Active since 2018, Stéphanie has worked with close to 200 organisations, but focuses on supporting those advancing climate action, peace and reconciliation and leadership development. Since 2020, she collaborates regularly with UN Climate Change and numerous NGOs in the global climate space. She has trail blazed a way for the field of graphic recording to support climate negotiations at the highest level and has led teams of graphic recorders to cover sessions during three consecutive COPs (annual UN climate summits) and related events. In recent years she has trained up two cohorts of graphic recorders through her Visual Practice Apprenticeship Programme, focusing both on the craft of visual practice and business skills as a creative professional.
https://www.stephanieheckman.com/
EVENT DETAILS
DATE: Wed 6th Nov
TIME: 7PM
VENUE: Blick Studios, 46 Hill Street
You can book your free ticket on our website (link in profile)
Oct 21
We are very excited to announce our speaker for our first Nurture Creative Talk on 6th November - Stéphanie Heckman @stephaniesaloli - Graphic Recorder & Visual Facilitator.
Stephanie will be sharing her journey as a creative entrepreneur and how she came to do the work she does. She will share the highs and lows of her journey and what she has learned along the way. She will also share her advice for others on a similar path and for artists and creatives on how to generate an income from their creativity. Stephanie will also share with us some examples of her work, including her work for UN Climate Change negotiations.
ABOUT STEPHANIE:
Stéphanie Heckman, Dutch originally but based in Northern Ireland, works internationally at conferences as a graphic recorder and visual facilitator. In this role she translates in real-time collective conversations into hand-drawn visual summaries that distill the essence of both content and undercurrent. Her visual summaries transcend language and accessibility barriers, and communicate key takeaways of complex discussions in an engaging, visual way to a much larger audience than those originally present.
Active since 2018, Stéphanie has worked with close to 200 organisations, but focuses on supporting those advancing climate action, peace and reconciliation and leadership development. Since 2020, she collaborates regularly with UN Climate Change and numerous NGOs in the global climate space. She has trail blazed a way for the field of graphic recording to support climate negotiations at the highest level and has led teams of graphic recorders to cover sessions during three consecutive COPs (annual UN climate summits) and related events. In recent years she has trained up two cohorts of graphic recorders through her Visual Practice Apprenticeship Programme, focusing both on the craft of visual practice and business skills as a creative professional.
https://www.stephanieheckman.com/
EVENT DETAILS:
DATE: Wed 6th November
TIME: 7 - 8pm
VENUE: Blick Shared Studios, 46 Hill St, Belfast, BT1 2LB
For more info and to book your FREE ticket visit our website (link in profile) 🌟 🌟
Oct 4
