I am really looking forward to being part of this fab event by @crewdigital.ie all about the future of creative work next Thursday 5th Nov at Catalyst Titanic!

I will be on a panel about creating the conditions for connection. Hopefully there won`t be too many tricky questions! 

There are loads of other great things happening throughout the morning all about what the future of creative work will look like and what do we need to do to create the conditions for it to thrive?

Creative work is becoming increasingly connected across sectors, disciplines, technologies and borders. New networks, digital tools, emerging technologies and changing markets are opening up new possibilities for creative businesses but meaningful collaboration does not happen by itself. It depends on the right conditions: the relationships we build, the spaces and networks that connect us, the skills and knowledge we share, the technologies we use, and the opportunities that enable businesses to work together.

The Future of Creative Work brings together creative businesses, practitioners, researchers, organisations and ecosystem partners to explore what those conditions look like with a particular focus on the potential of cross-border and cross-sector collaboration. The half-day programme moves from evidence and experience to discussion and action, combining research, real-world case studies, panel conversations and an interactive Creative Collaboration Lab.

Earlier this month we hosted a workshop for Ulster University Enterprise Placement Year students all about the tricky subject of ‘Pricing Your Creative Work’. There are no magic answers when it comes to pricing your creative work so the aim of the workshop was for everyone to leave with a clearer method for pricing their creative products or services. We covered some workshop materials in our Hill Street Studios including topics such as:

- Understanding why pricing creative work is difficult

- Identifying the real costs involved in producing their work

- Calculating a minimum viable price

- Considering the impact of experience, expertise, value and demand

- Researching comparable prices without simply copying competitors

- Understanding the difference between cost, price and value

- Practising explaining and defending their price

We then went on a wonderful Fieldtrip as a group to visit Craft NI in their shop and gallery where Katherine very kindly explained a bit more about selling to retail and some of the different considerations such as:

- Retail mark ups

- Sale or return

- The importance of professional packaging

- Understanding your market

- The importance of keeping your prices consistent across all outlets

- The potential of having different lines of product at different price points e.g. one off pieces and mass produced

Let us know if this is a a topic you would like help with/ a workshop you would be interested in for your creative business

https://blickstudios.org/blog/blick-creative-fieldtrip-pricing-your-creative-work/

FOOD LOVES DESIGN: HUNDRED STUDIO X CHARLIE’S PIZZA

Date & Time: MONDAY 02 NOVEMBER, 15.00-16.30

Venue: CHARLIE’S PIZZA, Ormeau

The first “Food Loves Design” takes place on Monday 2 November, bringing together Hundred Studio and Charlie’s Pizza for a collaborative evening exploring the design behind the brand.

Hundred Studio will share how they developed Charlie’s Pizza’s identity, putting culture and community at the heart of the process. Expect insights into the creative process, interactive elements and of course pizza!

Guest contributors

Hundred Studio | B Corp™ is an independent creative business that only cares about big ideas.

Charlie`s is a neighbourhood pizzeria on Belfast`s Ormeau Road. It was founded by Marty Duggan, formerly known as Pi Guy, and has served thousands and thousands of slices of pizza since opening in 2024, partnering with local charities and community groups on fundraisers, events and more.

Ticket information

£20 per person

Ticket price includes light refreshments of a slice of pizza and a soft drink

Book your ticket on our website (link in profile and below ✨️)

https://belfastdesignweek.com/foodlovesdesign

SEASON: A Visual Interpretation Exhibition

Originally created for Belfast Design Week 2026 by the Foundation Year Art & Design students from the Belfast School of Art. This exhibition showcased unique visual responses to the festival`s 2026 theme of "Season," which explored renewal, growth, the spring-to-summer transition, and cyclical creative rhythms. It was exhibited in HALT Weavers Cross during Belfast Design Week and is now being exhibited in our Great Northern Street Studios.

BSOA Graphic Design X Blick/BDW X Belfast Health and Social Care Trust RVH Site Visit

A few weeks ago we had an amazing behind the scenes tour of the Royal Victoria Hospital for a brand new Blick/ Belfast Design Week project exploring graphic design with Belfast School of Art students to highlight and enhance heritage at the Royal Victoria Hospital. Looking at way finding from the main modern lobby through to the Victorian corridor and heritage space, as well as enhancing current heritage displays and signage and enhancing visitor engagement with heritage, as well as exploring potential technological engagement with RVH heritage. This collaboration is part of a new Belfast Trust project called RVH 125 which marks the 125th anniversary of the opening of the hospital on the Grosvenor Road site in July 2028. Following this site visit the students are working on a body of work to be exhibited during Belfast Design Week 2027.

Some of the things we got up to last month at Blick!

Belfast Plant Map - The Places We Included

Here`s the places with (varying amounts of) nature we found in Belfast City Centre where you can pause, sit and enjoy a moment of nature and the benefits it brings to your wellbeing.

Belfast is in many ways a pretty green city, but there’s definitely room for improvement. We’ve got around 2,390 hectares of open space across the city, but it’s not spread evenly. Some inner-city areas have just 1–7% tree cover, while some outer areas have as much as 43–49%.

So, while Belfast is already green in places, there’s a real opportunity to bring more trees, plants and green space into the areas that need them most.

Which is your favourite place to take a break in nature in the City Centre and are there any we missed?

- City Quays Gardens
- Cathedral Gardens
- Writers Square
- Jubilee Square
- Titanic Memorial Garden and Garden of Remembrance, Belfast City Hall
- Oxford Street
- Lanyon and Donegal Quay
- Queen’s Quay and maritime mile
- Pocket Gardens Adelaide Street
- Bankmore Square
- Crescent Gardens
- Botanic Gardens
- Palm House and Tropical Ravine

Belfast Plant Map - The Plants We Included

The plants we included in the Belfast Plant Map are all plants we found within a 10 minute walk of our Hill St studios in Belfast`s Cathedral Quarter in the City Centre.

As this project is all about Belfast and its relationship with plants we wanted to look into some of the plants that you see growing naturally in Belfast (usually growing as weeds along the edge of streets, in car parks and fenced off areas). To explore the value some of them have the potential to offer both culturally through folklore and history and heritage as well as their benefits to biodiversity and as potential foodsources (if pollution wasn`t an issue).

We have included some interesting facts and stories we found about the plants and they have also been beautifully illustrated by Thomas Bannon @thomasbannondraws in the Plant Map.

Blick Virtual Office Space

Whether you are just starting out and can’t yet afford workspace or are happy to work from home but seeking a professional public image for your business. Our professional business address creates a confident and trusted first impression for your clients and keeps your home address private and separate from your business.

Monthly Business Address Service

We will redirect up to 15 items of regular and standard large letter-sized business mail to the address of your choice monthly for £22.50 a month or £200 a year

Weekly Business Address Service

We will redirect business mail to the address of your choice weekly. Up to 25 items of regular and standard large letter-sized mail per calendar month for £30 a month or £300 a year

You can find more info on our website (link below and in profile): https://blickstudios.org/virtual-services/

Workspace Available This Month!

About the workspace
We have two dedicated deskspaces available in our Cathedral Quarter studios this October
– One dedicated desk in our Cotton Court Studios shared creative coworking space at £130 per calendar month
– One dedicated desk in our Hill Street Studios hared creative coworking space at £165 per calendar month
– Prices are per calendar month all inclusive utilities, rates, broadand etc (No VAT)
– Cathedral Quarter locations
– 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

Our latest roundup of funding and opportunities for NI Creatives.

01. The East Light Prototype: Designing Sustainable Residencies
Over the course of one year, the selected Producer will engage with NAARCA partners, learn how each institution operates, and receive support to establish a new sustainability-centred pilot residency programme on Rathlin Island.
Closing date: 19th October 5pm

02. Propositions for Design Beyond Growth
They invite designers, researchers, makers, repair practitioners, architects, economists, activists, policy makers and manufacturers and anyone curious about how design and degrowth intersect, to share tactics and strategies for moving design beyond growth-driven production and consumption, towards sufficient, durable, repairable and equitable material practices.
Closing date: 22nd October

03. No Harm in Waiting
The RSUA/JP Corry Design Competition for 2026 challenges Early Career Architects to propose creative ideas for a specific bus shelter that explores the potential of gender equity and inclusivity within public realm design.
Closing date: Sunday 11th October 11.59pm.

04. Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council Cultural Grant Aid and Bursary Programme
Are you an individual or a constituted group based in Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough with a cultural project or creative idea?

05. Groundwork NI Freelance Tutors and Facilitators

06. Belfast City Council End Violence Against Women & Girls 2026-2027 Local Change Fund
Closing date: Friday 9th October 12pm

07. The DAS Home Residency
Closing date: Wednesday 14th October

08. Anthology Creative Competitions 2026 
Offering a variety of competitions established to encourage and promote visual artists and writers, the Anthology Creative Awards provide a platform for emerging creatives to publish their work.

09. Artists Now Bursaries
Artist members you can apply for £500 to £1,500 to support the development of your practice, from building skills and knowledge to growing networks and creating new professional opportunities.
Closing date: Thursday 15th October 12pm

Full listings including links on our blog ✨️
https://blickstudios.org/blog/14521/

What`s Happening at Blick This Month

- Blick Creative Fieldtrip – Pricing Your Creative Work - Tuesday 6th October

- Seaside Books Intermediate Poetry Workshop - Tuesday 13th October

- Womenfolk Peer Mentoring - Tuesday 27th October

Visit the events page of our website for more info:

https://blickstudios.org/events/