- - THE BLICK STORY PART 3 - 2020 - 2025 - -

Part 3 of our story at Blick taking us from 2020 - 2025

This period took us through the stress of rebuilding following the pandemic, but also wonderful experiences like:

- Womenfolk DIg Deep which allowed us to support 27 young women to start and grow their creative businesses over a 9-month period

- Our Time is Now video podcast series which told the stories of 4 successful Belfast creatives

- A fabulous trip to Hong Kong to put together a design installation

-A bittersweet studio move from our first proper studios on the Malone Road to Great Northern Street just off the Lisburn Road.

Currently we are busy working on Belfast Design Week 2026 among other things

You can read our full story on our website: https://blickstudios.org/the-team/the-blick-story/

- - SHARED CREATIVE WORKSPACE AVAILABLE - -

We have dedicated deskspaces available in our beautiful Hill St studios
– £165 per calendar month
– All inclusive prices (rent, rates, utilities, broadband) no VAT
– Minimum 3 months contract then on a rolling monthly contract
– 1 months rent required as a deposit
– Cathedral Quarter location

Email christine@blickstudios.org for more info or to arrange a viewing or visit our website for more info (link below and in profile )
https://blickstudios.org/locations/hill-street-belfast/

Our latest roundup of opportunities for NI creatives

01. Techstart Regional Innovation Challenge

Deadline: 5pm, Tuesday 17th February 2026

02. Belfast Buildings Trust Creative Belfast internships

Deadline: 20th February 2026

03. Arc’teryx x Ori Women’s Creative Grant
Deadline: 14th February 2026

04. Jerwood Foundation 2026 Funding

Deadline: 2pm, 18th March 2026

05. Atypical Generation Fund

Deadline: 10th March 2026

06.Bank of Ideas Funding

Deadline: 5pm, 23rd March 2026

07. Dragons’ Den: Social Enterprise Edition

Deadline: 5pm, 16th February 2026

08. QEST Grants for Makers and Conservators

Closing date: 18th February

09. Belfast Photo Festival Call for Submissions

Deadline: 2nd March 2026

10. Call to Enter Cinemagic’s ‘On The Pulse’ 2026 competition For Young Filmmakers

Deadline: 20th February 2026

Full details including links on our website (link below and in profile

https://blickstudios.org/blog/13483/

What`s coming up at Blick over the next couple of months!

Intermediate Poetry Workshop
Event Date(s): February 3rd
Event Time: 6.30 - 8.00pm 
Location: Blick Shared Studios, 65 Great Northern Street, Belfast, BT9 7FL
Cost: £40

Womenfolk Peer Mentoring
Event Date(s): February 24th
Event Time: 7.00pm
Location: Blick Shared Studios, 46 Hill Street, Belfast, BT1 2LB
Cost: Free

Belfast Writers Group – Creative Writing Workshop
Event Date(s): February 28th
Event Time: 12.00 - 4.00pm
Location: Blick Shared Studios, 46 Hill Street, Belfast, BT1 2LB
Cost: £12
Arts Council of Northern Ireland Personalised Financial Advice Sessions Derry/Londonderry
Event Date(s): March 5th & 6th 
Event Time: Various
Location: Online
Cost: Free

Pop Culture Poetics
Event Date(s): March 8th
Event Time: 5 - 7pm
Location: Blick Shared Studios, 65 Great Northern Street, Belfast, BT9 7FL
Cost: £40

Visit the events page of our website for more info link in profile and below

https://blickstudios.org/events/

- - THE BLICK STORY PART 2 - 2012 - 2020 - -�

Part 2 of our story at Blick taking us from 2012 - 2020 which seems so long ago now!

This period was probably our busiest, looking back I have no idea how we did it all!

We expanded to the Cathedral Quarter, initially sharing premises with our friends at Flow Yoga, then moving next door to 46 Hill Street and Cotton Court. We also started and managed a creative hub in Derry/Londonderry for 3 years from 2014 for the executive office. We co-founded Belfast Design Week, Womenfolk and Small Town Big Dreams podcast as well as running lots of different events and projects at Blick before everything came to a crahing halt with the pandemic in 2020 which saw us closing our studios for a period and moving Belfast Design Week onto the
streets.

�You can read our full story on our website: �https://blickstudios.org/the-team/the-blick-story/

- - Belfast Stories – Belfast School of Art Year 2 Graphic Design Students X Belfast Design Week Collab Project Site Visit - -

As part of our work for @belfastdesignwk which is happening this May we have been working with @bsoa_graphicdesign Year 2 students on a project that will be showcased in the @belfast_stories building during Belfast Design Week

On Monday this week we visited the Belfast Stories building with the students so they could see the space and plan their designs.

Looking forward to sharing more on the project and the final outputs during Belfast Design Week!

- - AVAILABLE WORKSPACE - 1 DESK COTTON COURT CATHEDRAL QUARTER - -

We have one dedicated deskspace available in our Cotton Court shared creative coworking space:

– £130 per dedicated desk per calendar month all inclusive utilities, rates, broadand etc (No VAT)

– 7am – 10.30pm access

– Industrial style building full of creative organisations in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter

– Safe, well-lit Cathedral Quarter location opposite the Merchant hotel

– Minimum 3 months contract then on a rolling monthly contract

– 1 months rent required as a deposit

Email christine@blickstudios.org for more info or to arrange a viewing or visit our website (link below and in profile)
https://blickstudios.org/locations/cotton-court-belfast/

@laurenkelsoillustrator shared her creative story with us back in May last year. Here are 6 Key Lessons from her creative talk to give you some Monday Motivation!

You can read the full writeup on the blog on our website:

https://blickstudios.org/blog/6-key-lessons-from-illustrator-lauren-kelsos-creative-talk/

We thought it would be nice to share a summary of our story here for anyone who doesn`t know much about us, with more info on our team and founders, studios, impact and services to come in the coming weeks!

Our story is so long now since starting in 2007 that we have had to do it in 2 parts! Here is part 1 from 2007 - 2011

We started in 2007 when a group of creatives returning to Northern Ireland from working or studying abroad met on an Ulster University and NESTA course for creative entrepreneurs. We quickly realised the value of working in a room together and also that there weren`t many suitable facilities in Belfast for creative freelancers and small business owners. There were art studios and commercial properties, but not much in between. We soon decided we wanted to set up a shared studio space to work on our creative businesses and soon other creatives started approaching us and the idea for Blick grew from there.
Our ambition with Blick was to create beautiful affordable spaces in great locations in Belfast for professional creatives to work productively and creatively in. Spaces for like-minded creatives to meet and share resources and ideas and support and inspire each other. Spaces that could survive and support creatives long term and be financially sustainable and independent.
As the idea grew and evolved, Christine took over managing Blick while others in the group focused on their own creative businesses. Christine’s sister Rosy came on board as a volunteer initially to manage the financial side of the organisation. Together they have been managing Blick since 2007.
We started with £5000 in a warehouse in the city centre before securing startup funding from Ulster University and Belfast City Council to move into our Malone Studios where we then worked to build a financially sustainable social enterprise model that allows us to support creatives with space, services and support without relying on funding long term.
Now we operate as a non-profit, social purpose offering shared and private studio space to more than 65 creatives across 3 buildings. We also provide virtual office services and run different events and projects to help support creat

BLICK RESOURCES FOR CREATIVES -  Creative Practice 12-month Self-Reflection Exercise

The perfect activity for a miserable January evening. Some useful questions to help you reflect on and plan for your creative practice at the start of a new year

What would you do in your creative practice in the next 12 months if you weren’t afraid?

If you did this what could you learn about yourself? how could you grow even if you aren’t successful?

What are the first steps you could take to make this a reality?

What have you learnt about yourself from your creative practice over the last 12 months?

What do you most complain about in your current creative practice?

If you weren’t allowed to complain about this thing anymore, what action would you have to take?

Which activities, if doubled, would make your creative practice meaningfully better?

Which activities, if halved, would make your creative practice meaningfully better?

Downloadable PDF available on the resources section of our website link below and in profile

https://blickstudios.org/resources/13155/

Super cosy in our Hill St studios this evening working under the eaves with the sound of the rain on the roof 🌧 🌧

2016 looking back it’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years. A lot of changes with moves to new studios and so many events and projects and people in the last 10 years!

Our studios:

Back in 2016 we had studios both in 52 and 46 Hill Street - it was lovely to share no 52 with the yogis! We also had a space up in Derry/Londonderry in Ebrington and our Studios on the Malone Road.

It was a busy year for events working with lots of wonderful creative people in Northern Ireland including:

- Blick Academy for Creative Startups

- Share 6 inspirational talks for creative entrepreneurs

- 25 Pop-Up shop for designers

- The Faculty workshops and courses

- Creative Business Bootcamp

- The second year of Belfast Design Week (pic from Designedby organised by Jessica Fok for Belfast Design Week)

- Graduate residency programme

We are still involved with some of these events which is lovely 10 years later!

Our latest roundup of opportunities for creatives in Northern Ireland

01. Four Nations International Fund
Arts and culture thrive on international collaboration and exchange. The Four Nations International Fund helps artists and creative practitioners from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales collaborate with each other and with partners around the world.

02. Visual Arts Ireland Building a Sustainable Practice and Career
Catherine Hemelryk shares her experience on building a sustainable practice  and career relationships both within the art world and beyond. This webinar will take a practical and doable approach to the topic and she brings her experience of what to do and what not to do!

03. Sunflowers Sellers Market 
Applications are open for the second Sunflower Sellers Market on Sunday 8th March at Sunflower Public House

04. Creative Ireland – Shared Island grant calls 

The Creative Ireland Programme is delighted to announce three new funding calls to a combined value of €4.6 million supporting creativity, connection and wellbeing across the island of Ireland.

05. Reclaim the Agenda – International Women’s Day 2026 poster competition
The theme for 2026 is ‘Strength in Solidarity’. There are two age categories 12 -17yrs and 18 – 25yrs The winner will receive £100 prize and two runners-up will receive £50 each. Deadline for entries is January 31st, 2026

06. Ards and North Down Individual Artist Grant 
What is available?
A maximum grant of £250 is available.
DEADLINE: Monday 9 February 2026, 11:59pm (sharp)
 

07. Artist Development Session: A Funding Practical Workshop (Hybrid Event)
How to get your arts funding application over the line.
Date: Monday 26 January
Time: 2-5pm
Venue: Hybrid event online and Island Arts Centre, The Island, Lisburn, BT27 4RL

Full listings including links on our website blog link below and in profile!

https://blickstudios.org/blog/january-creative-roundup/

6 Key Lessons From Juliette El Fouly Founder of Le Contour Contemporary Candle Company’s Creative Talk Last March

Juliette founder of @lecontourcandles shared her creative story with us back in March last year. Here are 6 Key Lessons from her creative talk to give you fresh inspiration ✨️

 

1. You are not your business

To cope with the inevitable hard times when starting a creative business try to keep some separation between you and your business and don’t over-identify with it.
 

2. Use every business experience as a personal learning opportunity

Ask yourself what you can learn personally from every experience. How can you grow? How can you improve? How can this experience help you? Make you stronger, wiser, happier, a better person?
 

3.Diversify your income streams

Try not to rely on the income from one product or service, it can leave your business vulnerable. For example Juliette spoke of her initial product being recreated and mass produced by a chinese manufacturer and how she lost almost all of her business overnight. This led her to make the decision to diversify her income streams to different products as well as candle-making workshops.
 

4. Invest in your branding and packaging

Particularly if you are developing a product for a saturated market like candles. Make the purchase of your products an experience and help your product stand out from the crowd.

5. Realise early on that you can’t do everything

Part of successfully running a creative business is knowing when to stop or step back or take a break. There is always more you could do, so you need to set some boundaries around your business and accept that you can’t do everything.

6. Setbacks are inevitable. Being able to pick yourself up and try again is key

Being resilient and able to cope with challenges and setbacks and pick yourself up and try again is key to successfully running a creative business. Juliette shared her experience of losing almost all of her business overnight when a Chinese manufacturer copied her product. After this she had to either give up, or accept her current situation, pick herself up and use it as a learning experience and start again.