STUDIO SPACE AVAILABLE THIS MONTH

- 1 private 1-2 person studio in our Cotton Court Studio £300 per calendar month

- 1 dedicated deskspace in our Cotton Court Studio £130 per calendar month

- 1 dedicated deskspace in our Hill Street Studios £165 per calendar month

All prices are all inclusive (rates, utilities, broadband etc) without VAT and contracts are for a minimum of 3 months then on a month by month basis 

Visit our website or email [email protected] for more info or to arrange a viewing

Some of the things we are involved with at Blick this month!

Mon 02 Nov - Food Loves Design Hundred Studio X Charlie`s Pizza
3pm - 4.30pm

Thu 05 Nov - The Future of Creative Work by Crew at Catalyst Titanic
10am - 2pm

Thu 05 Nov - Irish Design Week - Welcome To The Table Showcase for Late Night Art at Belfast Central Library and Second Nature Hotel
6pm onwards

Mon 09 Nov - Irish Design Week - Welcome To The Table Session 1 at BSOA Artshop
10am - 12.30pm

Mon 09 Nov - Irish Design Week - Welcome  To The Table  - Belfast Central Library Tour
12.30 - 2pm

Mon 09 Nov - Irish Design Week - Welcome To The Table - Session 2 at BSOA Artshop - Zine Making with BIA Zine!

Tue 10 Nov - Irish Design Week - Welcome To The Table - Session 3 at BSOA Artshop - Larder>East’s Alli Steen
10.00 - 12.30pm

Tue 10 Nov - Irish Design Week - Welcome To The Table - Session 4 at BSOA Artshop - Discover Tunisian cuisine and culture
12.30 - 2pm

Tue 10 Nov - Irish Design Week - Welcome To The Table - Session 5 at the Artshop - Develop a unique cultural space using found objects and repurposed materials
2pm - 4pm

Tue 10 Nov - Irish Design Week - Welcome To The Table - Install your work at Belfast Central Library
4 - 5pm

Thu 12th Nov - Irish Design Week - Welcome To The Table - Design After Dark celebration at Belfast Central Library with full exhibition of work
6pm onwards 

Visit our website for full details: https://blickstudios.org/events/

Last Chance To Book - Food Loves Design Charlie`s Pizza X Hundred Studio tomorrow Monday 02 November at 3pm!

This is our first Food Loves Design event and it brings 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!

Hundred Studio 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.

Normal ticket prices are £20 which includes pizza and a soft drink and there are also 5 free local income tickets for anyone with a passion for design who can`t afford a ticket!

You can book tickets on the Blick or Belfast Design Week website`s:
https://blickstudios.org/events/food-loves-design-hundred-studio-x-charlies-pizza/#booking

https://belfastdesignweek.com/bdw26events/2026/11/2/food-loves-design

Some weekend reading. There is a brilliant case study by Hundred Studio about their process developing the brand for Charlie’s Pizza on their website:

https://hundredstudio.co.uk/projects/charlies-pizza/

The case study beautifully takes you through their journey with the brand from their first meeting with Marty the founder of Charlie’s on a cold evening on Hill St when he was serving pizza from two Gozney ovens. Through building a friendship that would become a partnership across every single part of the brand project. Their starting point was simple – they had to make something that would last. Their goal was to design something timeless that still grabbed people’s attention at launch.

Join us next Monday 02 November at 3pm in Charlie’s Pizza on the Ormeau Road to hear directly from Hundred Studio about this process!

Food Loves Design Charlie’s Pizza X Hundred Studio

Date: Mon 02 Nov
Time: 3.00 - 4.30pm
Venue: Charlie’s Pizza, Ormeau
Cost: £20 (incl pizza and soft drink) 5 free tickets also available for those on low incomes

Book through the Blick or BDW website links below and in profile
 https://blickstudios.org/events/food-loves-design-hundred-studio-x-charlies-pizza/#booking

https://belfastdesignweek.com/bdw26events/2026/11/2/food-loves-design

Brand Identity: Hundred Studio
Interior Architecture: OGU Architecture

Our latest roundup of funding and opportunities for NI Creatives.

01. Groundwork for Growth
Supports ambitious and innovative local businesses with the potential to sell outside Northern Ireland. Successful applicants can receive up to £15,000 in funding.
Closing date: Mon 2nd Nov 12pm

02. Discover Creative Careers programme
The programme delivers career support for young people considering a job in the creative industries. It is aimed at young people aged 11–24 across the UK, with a particular focus on those from under-represented backgrounds and underserved regions.
Closing date: 30th Nov

03. National Lottery Individual Artists Digital Evolution Awards
- Upskilling NI artists in the use of new media and immersive arts
- Creation of excellent Digital Art*
- Creation of digital arts
- Creating opportunities for audiences to experience new media and immersive arts
- Encouraging cross-sectoral collaboration
Closing date: Thu 26th Nov 12pm

04. Rosy James Memorial Trust Awards 
This unique bursary aims to support craft makers in developing their careers. This year, the Major Award has increased to £20,000, and we have also introduced three Emerging Maker Awards worth £5,000 each.
Closing date: Mon 9th Nov 12pm

05. Green Room Exhibitions – Open Call
The Black Box does not take commission on sales and featured artists are paid a fee of £150 for their time.
Closing date: 2nd Nov

06. QSS Artist Studios’ & Gallery – Open Call for 2027/28 Exhibitions 
This call is open to:
- Artists and curators at all stages of their careers
- Solo/group proposals in any fine art medium
Closing date: Sun 1st Nov 11pm 

07. Navigating the Belfast Business Support Ecosystem
Time:10am to 12:30pm
Date: Thu 12th Nov
Venue: City Hall

08. Visual Artists Ireland Setting Up as a Self-Employed Artist⁠⁠

09. Midtown Makers Callout For Northern Irish Artists, Crafters, and Makers.
Midtown Makers Gift Shop in Ballymena has opened the application process for new members.

10. The Golden Fleece Award
Funding for artists working in all forms of visual, craft and applied arts.
Closing date: Fri 11th Dec 5pm

Full listings including links on our website blog (link in profile)

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

Interior Architecture: OGU
https://www.oguarchitects.com/work/charlies-slice-shop-ormeau-road

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.