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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Applications are now open for our new creative incubation program offering 4 emerging creatives workspace and support to develop their creative idea over an 8-month period! for more info visit our website (link in profile)
Sep 6
We are very excited to announce a brand new project we have been working on called “Design Your Life”
An international collaboration between The Design Salon which we are a partner of alongside Karishma Kusurkar and Kylie Chan Illustration Design Your Life will feature an interactive installation at AIRSIDE Hong Kong and a series of design-led workshops to imagine, explore and create new habits and beliefs.
Design Your Life has been selected to be a part of the British Council’s SPARK 2024 Festival in Hong Kong which will take place this October.
More info coming soon!
Sep 5
NURTURE CREATIVE INCUBATION PROGRAM
An 8-month program to help 4 emerging creatives in Belfast establish their creative practice. Providing bespoke business support and free shared creative workspace in our new South Belfast studios. Each program participant will have 24/7 access to their own dedicated deskspace as well as use of shared communal facilities throughout the program. In addition they will benefit from the following support:
Monthly one-on-one mentoring sessions – for accountability with Blick founder Christine James
Monthly peer-mentoring group sessions with the other program participants – for peer support, learning, inspiration, community and accountability.
Quarterly finance mentoring sessions – to help with financial planning and advice with Blick and freelance finance manager Rosy James
Monthly industry specific skillshare training workshops for program participants – with current and past Blick residents and team members, sharing their skills and experiences with the program participants
Monthly online business resources, worksheets and exercises – to help you refine your idea, improve your skills and knowledge and for accountability and to establish your creative practice
Quarterly creative talks – by local creatives sharing their creative journey for inspiration and peer learning
Quarterly industry specific skillshare workshops – by local creatives sharing their expertise to improve skills and knowledge
Showcasing and promotional opportunities – on our website and social media and through presenting your work at a showcase event at the end of the project
Program dates:
1st October 2024 – 31st May 2025
For more info visit our website (link in profile) or get in touch!
Sep 4
NURTURE CREATIVE INCUBATION PROGRAM
An 8-month program starting this October providing bespoke meaningful business support within a nurturing creative environment to help 4 emerging freelance or self-employed creatives to successfully establish their creative practice.
Participants on the program with benefit from
- Free shared creative workspace in our new South Belfast studios. Each program participant will have 24/7 access to their own dedicated deskspace as well as use of shared communal facilities throughout the program.
- Monthly one-on-one mentoring sessions – for accountability with Blick founder Christine James
- Monthly peer-mentoring group sessions with the other program participants – for peer support, learning, inspiration, community and accountability.
- Quarterly finance mentoring sessions – to help with financial planning and advice with Blick and freelance finance manager Rosy James
- Monthly industry specific skillshare training workshops for program participants – with current and past Blick residents and team members, sharing their skills and experiences with the program participants
- Monthly online business resources, worksheets and exercises – to help you refine your idea, improve your skills and knowledge and for accountability and to establish your creative practice
- Quarterly creative talks – by local creatives sharing their creative journey for inspiration and peer learning
- Quarterly industry specific skillshare workshops – by local creatives sharing their expertise to improve skills and knowledge
- Showcasing and promotional opportunities – on our website and social media and through presenting your work at a showcase event at the end of the project
This program is aimed at emerging creatives who aren’t yet generating a full-time income from their creative practice. To be eligible to apply for the program you must have an idea for a creative business or be a self-employed creative, or creative freelancer established for less than 6 months.
Please note that due to the nature of the funding, screen and technology based businesses aren`t eligible to apply for more info visit our website or get in touch!
Aug 30
We have been a bit quiet on here for the last few weeks as we have been busy getting our new South Belfast space ready and working on a few new projects behind the scenes, one of which is a new program of support for emerging creatives in Belfast called Nurture, which is kindly part funded by Belfast City Council!
Nurture will feature an 8 month creative incubation program starting this October providing free workspace and bespoke business support including mentoring, peer mentoring, workshops, talks, training sessions and different exercises and resources to help 4 emerging creatives establish their creative practice.
There will also be an ongoing program of talks and workshops and online content to provide support and inspiration for self-employed and freelance creatives within the broader creative community in Belfast.
We will be sharing more info in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, you can find more information on our website (link in profile)
Aug 28
In this month’s Meet the Resident we get to know self-employed digital marketer Syed one of our newist creative residents in our Hill St studios
Aug 13
Some photos from the 3rd NI Creative Hubs Meetup, hosted this time in Bangor, where we visited the following Creative Hubs
- Boom Studios @boom.studios
- Seacourt Print Workshop @seacourtprints
- The Courthouse @courthousebangor
Aug 9
In our latest Meet the Resident we get to know self-employed digital marketer Syed M. Noman one of our newist creative residents in our Hill St studios.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your creative work?
My name is Syed M. Noman, and I am a self-employed digital marketer. I specialize in using a variety of platforms, including Google Ads, Facebook, and Instagram, to effectively promote and sell my clients’ products. Through strategic and creative campaigns, I help businesses reach their target audiences, increase brand visibility, and drive sales. My expertise in digital marketing allows me to craft tailored solutions that meet the unique needs of each client, ensuring their success in the competitive online marketplace.
What was the biggest hurdle for you starting out and how did you overcome it?
The biggest hurdle for me when starting out was transitioning from being an employee at well-known companies like TRG, Axact, and IBEX Global to launching my own venture. Leaving a stable job to start my own business was daunting, but I was determined to pursue my entrepreneurial dreams. I took the risk and invested significant effort into building my business from the ground up. Through relentless hard work and dedication, I gradually overcame the initial challenges, and things became easier over time.
How do you stay inspired and motivated?
I stay inspired and motivated by my genuine passion for digital marketing. I love what I do, and this intrinsic enjoyment drives me to continuously improve and innovate in my work. This enthusiasm not only fuels my creativity but also keeps me motivated to tackle challenges and achieve my goals.
Where can people find you online?
Instagram @nomasays
Threads @nomasays
Aug 7
We finally got the keys for our new South Belfast space! Now, for the fun bit of transforming the space!
Aug 6
Creative Hubs Meetup #3 Bangor
This is the third meetup for creative hubs in Northern Ireland to come together, connect, share ideas and support each other. This time in sunny Bangor where we will be visiting:
-Boom Studios @boom.studios
-Seacourt Print Workshop @seacourtprints
-The Courthouse @courthousebangor
If you are involved with running or working in a creative hub in Northern Ireland, we would love for you to join us at this our third meetup.
Meetup Details
Date: August 6, 2024
Time: 2.30pm
Location: Boom Studios 80 Main Street Bangor BT20 5AE
Book your ticket on our website (link in profile) ✨️
Aug 5
Friday was our last day in our beautiful Malone studios. We have been there since 2007 and have had over 15 amazing years in the studios, but due to our landlord selling the building, we are now relocating!
We have a new property in South Belfast lined up and will be announcing details shortly. We have loved our time in Malone and are very grateful to have had the opportunity to enjoy such a beautiful building over the years, but change is good and we are excited for the future and opening our new space and announcing some exciting new projects in coming weeks!
After a busy week of moving furniture and finishing things off, we are happy to be taking a well-deserved break for a few days before getting properly stuck in on all our exciting new projects!
Jul 28
Another chance to see some of the pics from our @womenfolk.co JUNIOR.SENIOR event we hosted last month!
Jul 23
Here we meet and get some advice and insights one of our newist creative residents at Blick video editor Ben O’Neil
Jul 22
Due to an insanely busy period of work and travel, this is a very belated post on some of the key lessons from our last Blick Academy Creative Talk on 5th June with Saul Duffin founder of @yeomagazine
We have a full event writeup on our blog with lots more tips and insights from Saul and lessons he has learned throughout his creative journey! (Link to blog in profile) ✨️
Jul 16
Here we meet and get some advice and insights one of our newist creative residents at Blick video editor Ben O’Neil.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your creative work?
I’m a video editor who predominantly works in non-scripted television. Currently working on a two part documentary series for Amazon Prime
What was the biggest hurdle for you starting out and how did you overcome it?
Getting in the door. I didn’t know anyone in tv so the biggest hurdle was getting my name about and then getting hired to work on something. I made lots of tea for years then convinced someone to let me edit a small thing.
How do you stay inspired and motivated?
Watching good stuff
What do you wish you had known before starting out?
Everyone is faking it a little bit.
What’s your top tip/piece of advice for anyone wanting to follow a creative path?
Be prepared to fail and then get back up and try again. Also practice your craft as much as humanly possible.
Do you have any regrets or anything you wish you had done differently on your creative journey?
Too many to list probably. Still working on that part.
Where can people find you online?
I’m thoroughly offline but my email is mebenoneil@gmail.com
Jul 8
NI CREATIVE HUBS MEETUP #3 BANGOR
This is the third meetup for creative hubs in Northern Ireland to come together, connect, share ideas, and support each other. This time in sunny Bangor, where we will be visiting:
Boom Studios @boom.studios
Seacourt Print Workshop @seacourtprints
The Courthouse @courthousebangor
If you are involved with running or working in a creative hub in Northern Ireland, we would love for you to join us at this our third meetup.
This series of events is a collaborative project between Blick Shared Studios and Boom Studios
�Book your ticket on our website (link in profile) ✨️
Jul 2
Some pics 📸 from our @womenfolk.co JUNIOR.SENIOR event on Saturday 15th June with @wee.nuls and @majukooo sharing their creative stories ✨️
Jul 1
Happy Friday! It`s almost the weekend... some lovely light in our Cotton Court Studios earlier this week! Let`s hope we see more of it over the weekend 🌞 ☀️ 🌤
Jun 28
Last week I was very lucky to get to attend this year’s Hubs Meet Up Bautopia 4 Metamorphosis organised by the European Creative Hubs Network with the support of STPLN , the hosting hub in Malmö, Sweden.
This year’s Hubs Meetup was exclusively for European Creative Hubs Network members and was a three day event focusing on creative hubs and their current topics of interest and challenges. This year, it was all about delving into the transformations of our communities, the built environment around us and the impact of creators on designing how we live where we live. As well as the amazing opportunities for peer learning from and connecting with other creative hubs here are a few of the things I found interesting from the meetup talks:
Collaboration - is key, but people need to learn how to collaborate as it`s not a skill that’s traditionally taught in schools, colleges or universities.
Unlearning - we need to unlearn old ways of working to relearn new ways of working.
Cross-sector collaboration - will have a role to play in green and social transformation and future innovation, bringing together artists, creatives and industry. Creatives have different ways of thinking, methods and processes and are capable of shaping something new in lots of different ways.
CITY ECOLOGY WALK
We also got to take part in a city walk organised by Feral a creative studio and research platform for ecology in urban spaces which was a lovely way to get some fresh air, find out a bit more about the city, it’s heritage and ecology.
Some of the places we visited on the walk:
1. Traditional Herring Shacks
2. Traditional Herring Fishing Boats
3. Turning Torso
4. Redeveloped Industrial Seafront Area
SOCIAL IMPACT WORKSHOP
I also took part in an amazing social impact workshop, which I will share more on in coming days. Giving me lots of new tools and methods for measuring our impact here at Blick. I especially loved the advice that it`s ok to include anecdotal evidence including stories and observations, to build a broader picture of the real human experience and impact of your organisation. I`m looking forward to going through the process properly for Blick in coming months!
Jun 27