For Belfast Design Week we had a fab collab workshop for creative women with Kitsch Sisters Belfast all about making a commitment to your creativity then printing or embroidering it onto a tote bag as a reminder of the promise you made to yourself.
Such a lovely chilled creative evening, thanks to Kitsch Sisters for facilitating and everyone who joined us on the evening
Rosy and I had a lovely evening on Friday at Blick Resident Francesca Biondi @gallery545online exhibition opening at the beautiful La Roche House, you can still view the exhibition this week. I highly recommend popping in if you can, to see some really beautiful work by local artists in a stunning setting.
See exhibition details below
Gallery 545 Group Exhibition: Contemporary Art of Northern Ireland
🗓29 May – 6 June 2026
📍 La Roche House, 5A Windsor Avenue North, Belfast BT9 6EL
You are welcome to visit the exhibition this week, any day between 12noon-6pm (closing earlier on Sat 6 June at 4pm.
Discover atmospheric landscapes, nature-inspired paintings, vibrant abstracts, intriguing works on paper, unique sculptures, exquisite textile and glass pieces, and more – all by accomplished artists from across the region.
Artworks available in person or online, with collections or local and international delivery.
LEARN MORE at https://gallery545.com/blogs/exhibitions/gallery-545-group-exhibition-2026
Featuring Lisa Ballard, Justė Bernotaitė, Ronan Bowes, Majella Clancy, Emma Fitzpatrick, Elham Hemmat, Eamonn Higgins, Ashely B. Holmes, Janet Keith, Sharon Kelly, Louise Lennon, Judith Logan, Alison Lowry, Sinéad McKeever, Robert McLearnon, Sarah McWilliams, Frances O’Reilly, Wilhelmina Peace, Maria Perry, Latisha Reihill, Katherine St Angelo, and Anushiya Sundaralingam.
Curated by Francesca Biondi, Art Director & Curator, Gallery 545.
Jun 2
In October 2025 Innovate UK Business Growth very kindly hosted a brunch event for NI creatives in our Hill St studios. At this exclusive session we heard from Innovate UK directly, who explained that they can look broadly for creatives at funding and support from different sources as well as provide one-on-one support. We also heard from two of their most exciting creative companies with Rebecca Walsh from Big Motive and Phil Weirand May Cheung from Flax and Teal sharing their innovation journeys from early-stage to scaling success!
Here are some of our top takeaways from those companies!
01. Reach out to organisations like Innovate UK and other creative and business support organisations to see what support or opportunities may be available. Even if you aren’t sure if you are eligible
02. Before applying for opportunities, ask yourself “Is it worth my time applying?” but also don’t be afraid to put yourself forward for opportunities
03. Reflect on your processes and use technology to automate as many as possible to save you time and energy
04. For international projects make sure that you understand cultural similarities and differences to successfully deliver projects
05. If you are growing your creative business make sure you really understand your company culture and values, so you know who to hire to fit that culture.
Jun 1
Our third and final writeup sharing insights from the Retail Ready Fieldtrip for Ulster University Enterprise Placement Year Students we hosted in October 2025.
We previously shared some of our best insights from the day from Linzi and Emma, today we are sharing those from Rachel McIlgorm founder of Story Box NI a community interest initiative seeking to support and raise awareness of local businesses and social enterprises.
01. Email and introduce yourself. Rachel suggested for retailers such as hers which are social enterprises and interested in the ethics of their suppliers you should send an email and introduce yourself and share your story and why your product would fit their shop.
02. Invest in good quality images of your products.
03. Make sure you know your pricing. Account for retailers margins and include details of your pricing when contacting retailers.
04. Don’t be afraid to follow up if you don’t get a response from a retailer.
05. Use your story to market your product. Make your story personal and use it throughout your marketing and branding to differentiate your product.
May 29
- - OUR STUDIOS - -
When we started Blick back in 2008, our ambition was to create beautiful but affordable spaces in great locations in Belfast for creatives to work in productively and creatively alongside other like-minded creatives.
We started with just one building, our Malone Studios in South Belfast, then took on two others in the Cathedral Quarter, our Hill Street studios and Cotton Court studios. In 2024 we had to leave our beautiful Malone studios, but were super fortunate to find our gorgeous new Great Northern Street studios instead. All our studios provide a mix of private studio spaces and shared workspace with dedicated desks and storage.
- - HILL ST - -
Our Hill St studios are our biggest providing workspace to over 25 creatives within an open plan loft space with high ceilings and original features close to Belfast School of Art right in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter. Our Hill St studios can also be used as a virtual office for creatives who want a professional city centre address for their business.
- - COTTON COURT - -
Our Cotton Court studios are our most affordable studios providing both shared and private workspace to over 10 creatives in a building full of different creatives in the Cathedral Quarter.
- - GREAT NORTHERN STREET - -
Our Great Northern Street studios provide shared and private workspace to over 15 creatives and are located just off the Lisburn Road in a modern glass fronted building nestled between traditional red brick Belfast terrace houses.
Our spaces all offer dedicated desks with storage or private studio space with prices from £130 per month. All our prices include rent, rates, utilities and broadband. Our spaces are all designed to be professional, but welcoming creative environments.
Taking a space at Blick is more than just a physical space; it`s about meeting and working alongside like-minded people, collaborating, learning, and sharing experiences. We have small 1-2 person private studios coming available in both our Cotton Court and Great Northern Street studio, visit our website or get in touch for more info:
https://blickstudios.org/
May 27
Bank Holiday Weekend creative reading inspiration! Make the most of the good weather we are hopefully going to get and do some reading for your creative business!
- - BLICK CREATIVE RESOURCES - BOOK INSPIRATION - DO FLY BY GAVIN STRANGE - -
Do Fly was recommended as a constant source of inspiration by Ian Pitt Creative Director of @mehimandherdesign who did a brilliant creative talk for us in 2025.
For more information and to buy a copy visit: https://thedobook.co/products/do-fly-find-your-way-make-a-living-be-your-best-self?Format=Paperback also available on Kindle if you want to read it straight away.
May 22
Lovely visit yesterday afternoon to the always beautiful Stormont Estate for the Ulster University Enterprise Placement Year Celebration Event.
Thanks Jackie Smyth for the event invite and for inviting us to be a small part of the programme with our Retail Ready Fieldtrip last October
It was inspiring to hear from a variety of placement year participants including Maja Szotkiewicz founder of @majukooo Majakooo, Josh McAvoy co-founder of Aura Studios, April Rose founder of @aprilrosemarketing and Josh McCamley and Zach Johnston co-founders of Mad Moon Studios and also to see other creatives including @laurenkelsoillustrator and Grainne Mullan co-founder of @kitschsistersbelfast exhibiting their work
It was a great programme to be part of and wonderful to see the progress and confidence of all the participants
May 20
Meet The Resident: Lorna McFall User Interface (UI) & User Experience (UX) Designer within the Video Games Industry
In our latest Meet The Resident we get to know one of our new residents at our Hill Street Studios, Lorna McFall a User Interface (UI) & User Experience (UX) Designer within the Video Games Industry.
Read the full interview on the blog on our website ✨️
May 18
Looking forward to this tonight in our Hill St studios as part of @belfastdesignwk
https://blickstudios.org/events/blick-creative-talk-maureen-laverty-product-and-fashion-designer/
May 5
Some of the things we are organising at Blick in May
Blick Creative Talk – Maureen Selina Laverty Product and Fashion Designer
Event Date: Tuesday 5th May
Event Time: 7.00-8.00pm
Location: Blick Shared Studios, 46 Hill Street, Belfast, BT1 2LB
Cost: Free
Rapid Feedback for Makers - one-on-one industry feedback ONLY 2 SPOTS LEFT
Event Date: Wednesday 6th May
Event Time: 11:00am-4:00pm
Location: Belfast School of Art Shop, 25-51 York St, Belfast BT15 1ED
Cost: Free
Womenfolk X Kitsch Sisters Creative Practice Commitment Workshop: Embroidered & Printed Tote Bag
Event Date: Wednesday 6th May
Event Time: 6.00-8.00pm
Location: Blick Shared Studios, 46 Hill Street, Belfast, BT1 2LB
Cost: £20
Design Stories: Motion Graphic Showcase & Poster Exhibition. Session 1 & Session 2
Event Date: Thursday 7th May
Event Time: 9.00pm-10.00pm
Location: Belfast Stories (Bank of Ireland Building) 92 Royal Avenue, Belfast, BT1 2GU
Cost: Free
Seaside Books Intermediate Weekly Poetry Workshop
Event Date: Tuesday 12th May
Event Time: 6.30 - 8.00pm
Location: Blick Shared Studios, 65 Great Northern Street, Belfast, BT9 7FL
Cost: £40
More info on the events page of our website: https://blickstudios.org/events/
May 4
Some of the things we are organising at Blick in May!
Blick Creative Talk – Maureen Selina Laverty Product and Fashion Designer
Event Date: Tuesday 5th May
Event Time: 7.00pm - 8.00pm
Location: Blick Shared Studios, 46 Hill Street, Belfast, BT1 2LB
Cost: Free
Rapid Feedback for Makers - one-on-one industry feedback ONLY 2 SPOTS LEFT
Event Date: Wednesday 6th May
Event Time: 11:00am-4:00pm
Location: Belfast School of Art Shop, 25-51 York St, Belfast BT15 1ED
Cost: Free
Womenfolk X Kitsch Sisters Creative Practice Commitment Workshop: Embroidered & Printed Tote Bag
Event Date: Wednesday 6th May
Event Time: 6.00pm - 8.00pm
Location: Blick Shared Studios, 46 Hill Street, Belfast, BT1 2LB
Cost: £20
Design Stories: Motion Graphic Showcase & Poster Exhibition. Session 1 & Session 2
Event Date: Thursday 7th May
Event Time: 9.00pm - 10.00pm
Location: Belfast Stories (Bank of Ireland Building) 92 Royal Avenue, Belfast, BT1 2GU
Cost: Free
Seaside Books Intermediate Weekly Poetry Workshop
Event Date: Tuesday 12th May
Event Time: 6.30ppm - 8.00pm
Location: Blick Shared Studios, 65 Great Northern Street, Belfast, BT9 7FL
Cost: £40
More info on the events page of our website: https://blickstudios.org/events/
May 3
Ahead of her creative talk for us as part of @belfastdesignwk next Tuesday evening @maureenselinalaverty has done this brilliant interview for us on her path to becoming a designer, her recent move back to Northern Ireland from Norway and the differences she has noticed between working as a designer in both countries.
You can read the interview on the blog on our website or book a ticket for her talk on the events page of our website or on the Belfast Design Week website
www.belfastdesignweek.com
Apr 29
Our third and final blog sharing insights from the Retail Ready Fieldtrip for Ulster University Enterprise Placement Year Students we hosted in October 2025.
We previously shared some of our best insights from the day from Linzi and Emma, today we are sharing those from Rachel McIlgorm founder of @storyboxni a Belfast based ethical gifting company offering curated, sustainable gifts from small and social impact businesses across the UK and Ireland through corporate gifting initiatives and a gift shop based n Portview Trade Centre in East Belfast.
01. Email and introduce yourself. Rachel suggested for retailers such as hers which are social enterprises and interested in the ethics of their suppliers you should send an email and introduce yourself and share your story and why your product would fit their shop.
02. Invest in good quality images of your products
03. Make sure you know your pricing. Account for retailers margins and include details of your pricing when contacting retailers.
04. Don’t be afraid to follow up if you don’t get a response from a retailer.
05. Use your story to market your product. Make your story personal and use it throughout your marketing and branding to differentiate your product.
Rachel is also very kindly taking part in our Rapid Feedback for Makers event on Wednesday 6th May as part of Belfast Design Week
During this event 8 emerging makers and designers will have the opportunity to meet with and get one-on-one feedback from 4 independent design and retail professionals Rachel, Catherine McGinnis co-founder of Maven, Celeste Macormac Owens Retail Co-ordinator Belfast School Of Art Shop and Kate McILhagger-Ng KMN Creative Consulting – formerly Head of Product Development at Made.com.
Get more info and sign up on the Belfast Design Week website www.belfastdesignweek.com
Apr 28
-- OUR IMPACT--
Blick is a social enterprise, we put profits made from our services into supporting creatives in NI, we are currently busy working on Belfast Design Week but here is a summary of some of our social impact from 2024 -2025. You can also find more info on our past impact on our website
https://blickstudios.org/the-team/our-impact/
Apr 16
- - BELFAST WRITERS GROUP – Creative Writing Workshop - -
Saturday 25th April
12.00 - 4pm
Cost: £12
Join Belfast Writers Group for a Saturday afternoon creative writing workshop at Blick Studios on April 25th from 12.00-16.00. Tickets are £12 per person.
Belfast Writers Group is focused on providing high quality writing feedback while building community for writers across genres and levels of experience. During the workshop we will work through several curated writing prompts, and the main part of the workshop will be a guided feedback session based on a structured model. Bring along your stories, poetry, songs or anything in between – all forms and genres are welcome. You might also like to think beforehand about any areas of the work you would like specific guidance on, e.g. a particular scene or character. DM any questions to @belfastwritersgroup on Instagram or email at writersgroupbelfast@gmail.com
https://blickstudios.org/events/belfast-writers-group-creative-writing-workshop-2/
Apr 15
-- OUR STUDIOS--
When we started Blick back in 2008, our ambition was to create beautiful but affordable spaces in great locations in Belfast for creatives to work in productively and creatively alongside other like-minded creatives.
We started with just one building, our Malone Studios in South Belfast, then took on two others in the Cathedral Quarter, our Hill Street studios and Cotton Court studios. In 2024 we had to leave our beautiful Malone studios, but were super fortunate to find our gorgeous new Great Northern Street studios instead. All our studios provide a mix of private studio spaces and shared workspace with dedicated desks and storage.
- - HILL ST - -
Our Hill St studios are our biggest providing workspace to over 25 creatives within an open plan loft space with high ceilings and original features close to Belfast School of Art right in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter. Our Hill St studios can also be used as a virtual office for creatives who want a professional city centre address for their business.
- - COTTON COURT - -
Our Cotton Court studios are our most affordable studios providing both shared and private workspace to over 10 creatives in a building full of different creatives in the Cathedral Quarter.
- - GREAT NORTHERN STREET - -
Our Great Northern Street studios provide shared and private workspace to over 15 creatives and are located just off the Lisburn Road in a modern glass fronted building nestled between traditional red brick Belfast terrace houses.
Our spaces all offer dedicated desks with storage or private studio space with prices from £130 per month. All our prices include rent, rates, utilities and broadband. Our spaces are all designed to be professional, but welcoming creative environments.
Taking a space at Blick is more than just a physical space; it`s about meeting and working alongside like-minded people, collaborating, learning, and sharing experiences. Our Cotton Court and Great Northern Street Studios are both fully occupied at the moment, but we do have a couple of spaces available in our Hill St studios, get in touch if you would like more info
https://blickstudios.org/contact/
Apr 14
- - CREATIVE ADVENTURE CLUB - -
- Wed 15th April
- 6.30 - 8pm
- Blick, Hill St studios
Would you like to squeeze a bit more creativity into your daily life?
This Wednesday @homewerk.project`s Creative Adventure Club returns to help shake up your routine. Every fortnight they meet in person where you’ll be given a mystery creative assignment.
They will share the results of their tasks with the group at their fortnightly meet-ups.
Between meet-ups, they have online check-ins, chats with creatives, and other inspiration boosters.
No matter what your creative tendencies – writing, doodling, drawing,
painting, playing with video or audio – Creative Adventure Club is for everyone.
https://blickstudios.org/events/creative-adventure-club-2/
Apr 13
- - BLICK CREATIVE TALK: Maureen Laverty Product and Fashion Designer - -
Join us on 5th May for our next Creative Talk with Blick Resident @maureenselinalaverty as part of @belfastdesignwk
ABOUT MAUREEN:
Maureen is a product and fashion designer, and inclusive design researcher. She works on a variety of design meets disability projects. At the heart of her practice is the relationships that she builds with people’s diverse lived experiences. She believes in co-creating knowledge collaboratively to empower people to have ownership over how design can improve their quality of life. She carries this ethos into product development through embodied ethnography and participatory prototyping with those who resonate with the design solutions in their everyday life.
In the last year Maureen has relocated back to Belfast after almost a decade working with inclusive participatory design methods in Norway. Currently she lectures part-time at NCAD in Dublin within their Department of Design for Body & Environment. She guides students through human-centred design practices and speculative future fashion systems that care for each other and our environment.
ABOUT HER TALK:
Maureen will talk about her practice-based PhD research that explored the sensory experience of clothing with neurodivergent communities. Clothing is traditionally conceived as a two-dimensional static visual statement; a conception that is at odds with the dynamic actions it mediates in our everyday lives. The outputs of such a practice are garments that restrict and fight against the body, causing sensory overload and discomfort. This is a universal experience, but particularly heightened for neurodivergent individuals. Maureen will share the results of an extensive ethnographic study on how clothing sensations are experienced by her research participants. She will then discuss alternative design processes that prioritise the tactile, sonic, and kinaesthetic senses.
EVENT DETAILS:
DATE: Tues 5th May
TIME: 7pm
VENUE: Blick Hill St
Book through the events page of our website or www.belfastdesignweek.com
Apr 12
Throughout the month of March on behalf of the Rural Community Network, in the beautiful Hill of The O`Neill & Ranfurly House Dungannon we had the best time facilitating a series of 4 training sessions to support participants to have more confidence when organising rural heritage events.
Big thanks to Emma Mc Aleer from Rural Community Network for inviting us to facilitate this course and to all the great participants for coming along.
It was such a lovely and welcoming group of people and very inspiring for us to find out about some of the amazing things happening in rural areas of NI.
We came away with lots of ideas and inspiration for the future for work projects and day trips to explore places such as Lough Neagh, Coalisland, the Sperrins and Portadown.
Apr 8
Happy Easter! For anyone else working a bit over the holidays here are some great tips from Emma Jackson founder of Hunter Paper Co for creatives interested in selling their work through shops. From a visit we did to see Emma in Hunter Paper Co back in October with Ulster University Enterprise Placement Year Students
Emma is the designer for @hunterpaperco a letterpress stationery brand as well as owner of their own stationery store in Belfast, so she had some great insights from both designer and retailers perspective.
01. Create products with a function. Emma suggested creating products that have a function to increase your sales and stockists
02. Focus on your packaging. Emma echoed Linzi’s thoughts on our last retail ready blog the value of packaging when creating a successful product for retail
03. Visit tradeshows for merchandising tips to set your products apart from others
04. Consider sending physical samples to potential retailers so they can properly experience your product and your commitment to your creative business
05. Emma suggested Faire was a great resource for researching competitors pricing
https://blickstudios.org/blog/retail-ready-insights-for-creatives-from-emma-jackson-founder-of-hunter-paper-co/
Apr 7
Our second blog sharing insights from the Retail Ready Fieldtrip for Ulster University Enterprise Placement Year Students we hosted in October 2025. We previously shared some of our best insights from the day from Linzi Rooney, here we are sharing those from Emma Johnston founder of @hunterpaperco a letterpress stationery brand and stationery store located in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
01. Create products with a function. Emma suggested creating products that have a function to increase your sales and stockists.
02. Focus on your packaging. Emma echoed Linzi’s thoughts on our last retail ready blog about the value of packaging when creating a successful product for retail.
03. Visit tradeshows for merchandising tips to set your products apart from others.
04. Consider sending physical samples to potential retailers so they can properly experience your product and your commitment to your creative business.
05. Emma suggested Faire https://www.faire.com/en-gb/ was a great resource for researching competitors pricing.
You can read the full blog on our website link below and in profile
https://blickstudios.org/blog/retail-ready-insights-for-creatives-from-emma-jackson-founder-of-hunter-paper-co/
Apr 1
