This week’s roundup of local and international funding, support & opportunities for NI creatives

01. EIT Business Development Programmes supporting the growth of start-ups and scale-ups in the Cultural and Creative Sectors and Industries (CCSI)

EIT Culture & Creativity launches its 2025 call for applications for two tailored business support programmes designed to accelerate the growth of promising start-ups and scale-ups in Europe’s cultural and creative sectors and industries (CCSI).

With a focus on five key sectors — fashion, architecture, cultural heritage, audio-visual media, and gaming — this call offers high-potential ventures the opportunity to scale their impact, compete for financial prizes, prepare to raise funds, and expand across international markets.

Deadline: 23rd May & 11th July

https://eit-culture-creativity.eu/open-call-acceleration-and-post-acceleration-programmes/

02. Techstart Proof of Concept Grant Fund

The Proof of Concept Grant Fund supports entrepreneurs at the earliest stage to get their business ideas off the ground. Deadline: Tuesday 3rd June 2025, 5pm

https://www.techstartgrants.com/

03. PS2 is Seeking Proposals for new Project Space PS3

PS³ is a new Public Shopfront: a ground-floor space right next to PS² on Rosemary Street suitable for screenings, workshops and other creative activities.

https://www.pssquared.org/projects/seeking-proposals-for-ps3

04. Stryve Catalyst

Stryve is for young people (16-25) who found that traditional education or career pathways weren’t the right fit and are looking for a new way forward. It’s a chance to gain real-world skills, build confidence, and explore new opportunities in innovation and entrepreneurship.

https://wearecatalyst.org/programmes/stryve/

05. British Council XR Travel Grant

Grants to help Short and Feature filmmakers, and XR creatives, travel to international events where their work is being screened.

https://film.britishcouncil.org/opportunities/short-film-travel-grant

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

https://blickstudios.org/blog/12652/

Some of our favourite bits from last month (April) at Blick

Our latest roundup of local and international funding, support & opportunities for NI creatives

01. Belfast City Council Street Art Mentorship Bursaries

Offering six bursaries of £2,000 Belfast street artists to learn new skills or techniques from a mentor of their choosing, in a one-to-one capacity.

Deadline:  12 noon Monday 12th May

https://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/things-to-do/tourism-and-culture/culture/culture-funding#654-2

02. British Council Connections Through Culture

Applications for the latest round of grants are now open with grants of up to £5,000 or £10,000 to support new collaborative projects. 

Deadline: 23 June 2025, 15:00 BST

https://arts.britishcouncil.org/get-involved/opportunities/connections-through-culture-2025

03. Eidolan International Photography Grants

The Eidolon Centre for Everyday Photography invites artists, researchers, and enthusiasts to apply for the Eidolon Grant 2025, supporting projects that explore vernacular and everyday photographic practices. 

Deadline: 11.59pm August 31, 2025

https://everydayphotography.org/centre/grant-2025#about

04. CraftNI Gallery Call for Applications

Successful applicants will have the opportunity to promote and sell their work right in the heart of Belfast City Centre with an established craft audience with an ever increasing tourist footfall, whilst also benefiting from in-house marketing and promotion.

Deadline: Friday 16th May, 5pm

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd3IrI_ELE16vZey_-TvtJpUOiOeFYIkYTSw2PGXs4M5RWWQw/viewform

05. Birmingham Design Festival

Birmingham Design Festival Conference is a celebration of design held in Birmingham across two days in June.

Deadline: 12th–13th June, Birmingham Town Hall

https://birminghamdesignfestival.org.uk/conference/

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

https://blickstudios.org/blog/creative-roundup-opportunities-for-creatives/

Thanks so much to @dannisimpsonart for a great creative talk last night and to everyone who joined us for the event!

It`s all change at Blick this month as we say goodbye to some of our current residents, allowing us also to welcome in new creatives as space becomes available!

We have the following dedicated deskspaces available in our shared creative coworking spaces.

HILL ST
2 adjacent desks available £165 for 1 or £285 for both desks per calendar month

COTTON COURT
2 adjacent desks available £125 for 1 desk or £225 for both desks per calendar month

GREAT NORTHERN STREET
1 desk available £150 per calendar month

ABOUT THE WORKSPACE:
– All prices are all inclusive (rent, rates, utilities, broadband)
– Minimum 3 months contract then on a rolling monthly contract
– 1 months rent required as a deposit

WORKSPACE BENEFITS:

– Networking and collaborative opportunities with other studio members

– Quiet environment for working creatively and productively away from home distractions

– Professional commercial address for customer confidence and to keep your home address private

– Better work-life balance. Keep your work and home-life separate

– Dedicated deskspace with storage you can leave equipment and know where you will be sitting each day!

– Opportunity to attend events and workshops in the studios and build your network and improve your skills

– All studios are in great locations in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter or South Belfast

– Flexible and affordable contracts (Minimum of 3 months then on a month by month basis)

– Blick is an independent social enterprise. Profits from our creative workspace services go back into supporting the creative community through our different events, workshops, residencies, programs and resources.

For more email or to arrange a viewing message us, email christine@blickstudios.org or visit our website www.blickstudios.org

LAST CHANCE TO BOOK!! Just a couple of tickets left for this tomorrow night!

- - CREATIVE TALK - ARTIST & ILLUSTRATOR DANNI SIMPSON - -
Come join us tomorrow evening for our next creative talk with the talented artist and illustrator, Danni Simpson sharing her creative story!

Danni Simpson is an Australian Artist who specialises in Commercial murals and Illustrations. Her natural passion and talent for art has allowed her to complete a large number of projects and travel the globe to paint the world. Her style is an urban fusion of detailed floral illustrations where wildlife clashes with architecture and typography, sprinkled through with dashes of art deco and mandala patterns. Beyond her work commercially, Danni has been invited to appear at a number of events across the UK and Ireland such as Electric Picnic, Upfest Street Art Festival and Hit The North. Danni continues to travel the world leaving her mark wherever she goes and hopes to ignite a creative spark in everyone who sees her art.

You can find out more about Danni and her work on her Website: dannisimpsonart.com and on Instagram: @dannisimpsonart

EVENT DETAILS:
Event Date(s): May 7, 2025
Event Time: 7pm - 8pm
Location: Blick Shared Studios, 46 Hill Street, Belfast, BT1 2LB
Cost: Free

For more info and to book visit our website link below and in profile: https://blickstudios.org/events/creative-talk-with-artist-illustrator-danni-simpson/

After a busy year moving buildings and doing lots of things behind the scenes, we are bringing back our regular roundup of local and international funding, support & opportunities for NI creatives. Here are some of the opportunities coming up that we think look interesting both locally and internationally!

01. Golden Wolf Internships 2025

Golden Wolf and Doodles are on the lookout for 8 incredible interns to join their teams across London, New York, and remote roles.

Deadline: Monday 12th May 12am

https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/goldenwolf

02. Belfast City Council Bank of Ideas

Residents are being invited to put forward their ideas for creative projects in their community for the chance to receive funding that could see their ideas become reality.

Deadline: Wednesday 14th May 5pm

https://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/culturefunding

03. IPI New Media Incubator

IPI’s New Media Incubator is an eight-month programme supporting European startups and new media ventures

Deadline: 6th June

https://ipi.media/new-media-incubator-2025/

04. British Council Architecture, Design and Fashion Biennales and Festivals Grants

You can apply for grants of up to £10,000 to facilitate showcasing, exhibition building, travel, presentation of completed design work, networking and skills building.

Deadline: 1st June 23:59pm

https://arts.britishcouncil.org/get-involved/opportunities/architecture-design-and-fashion-biennales-and-festivals-grants

05. Open Call for Designers – Design Signals

Open call to designers of all disciplines to propose research-driven projects that rethink materials, processes and ecosystems within Timisoara’s chemical industry.

Deadline: 4th May

https://faber.ro/en/open-call-for-designers-design-signals/

You can also view them on our blog (link in profile)

What`s on at Blick this month!

- Wed 7th May - Creative Talk - Artist & Illustrator Danni Simpson
Time: 7pm - 8pm
Venue: Blick Hill St

- Sun 4th May - Seaside Books Beginner 6 Week Poetry Workshop Course�
Time: 2pm - 4pm
Venue: Blick Great Northern Street

- Tues 6th May - Seaside Books Intermediate 6 Week Poetry Workshop Course�
Time: 6.30pm - 8pm
Venue: Blick Great Northern Street

- Tuesday 27th May - Womenfolk Peer Mentoring�
Time: 7pm - 9pm
Venue: Blick Hill St

�- Wednesday 28th May - Nurture Program Participants Creative Talks
�Time: 7pm - 9pm
�Venue: Blick Great Northern Street�

�Find out more on the events page of our website (link in profile)

- - NEXT WEEK - CREATIVE TALK - ARTIST & ILLUSTRATOR DANNI SIMPSON - -

Come join us next Wednesday evening for our next creative talk with the talented artist and illustrator, Danni Simpson sharing her creative story!

Danni Simpson is an Australian Artist who specialises in Commercial murals and Illustrations. Her natural passion and talent for art has allowed her to complete a large number of projects and travel the globe to paint the world. Her style is an urban fusion of detailed floral illustrations where wildlife clashes with architecture and typography, sprinkled through with dashes of art deco and mandala patterns. Beyond her work commercially, Danni has been invited to appear at a number of events across the UK and Ireland such as Electric Picnic, Upfest Street Art Festival and Hit The North. Danni continues to travel the world leaving her mark wherever she goes and hopes to ignite a creative spark in everyone who sees her art.

You can find out more about Danni and her work on her Website: dannisimpsonart.com and on Instagram: @dannisimpsonart

EVENT DETAILS:
Event Date(s): May 7, 2025
Event Time: 7pm - 8pm
Location: Blick Shared Studios, 46 Hill Street, Belfast, BT1 2LB
Cost: Free

For more info and to book visit our website (link below and in profile)  https://blickstudios.org/events/creative-talk-with-artist-illustrator-danni-simpson/

We had a lovely few days touring around different creative projects in Belfast last week with Alan and Sarah from @onebite.design who we met in Hong Kong last October when we were visiting for our British Council @the_design_salon and @belfastdesignwk project. It was like being tourists in our own city, and it was great to
see how much Belfast has changed and is continuing to grow and change to reconnect with people we hadn`t had the opportunity to connect with
recently, and to get outsiders` perspectives on the many possibilities the City offers!

Thanks to Alan and Sarah for visiting and inspiring us with their amazing work and to everyone who took the time to chat with them and welcome them to Belfast!

Following on from yesterday`s exercise to help you to understand your purpose, here are some questions to help you to refine your creative purpose

Downloadable Word and PDF exercises and more info on the creative resources section of our website link below and in profile!

https://blickstudios.org/resources/understanding-your-why-2/

Your ‘Why’ or purpose is the reason you have formed your creative practice boiled down to a single sentence (or two). It will help you to connect with your customers and audiences and build an authentic and sustainable creative practice/ business.This exercise will help you to understand your purpose and communicate it to the world.

You can find downloadable PDF and Word versions of this exercise on the creative resources section of our website (link below and in profile):  
https://blickstudios.org/resources/understanding-your-why-2/

-- BLICK CREATIVE RESOURCES - UNDERSTANDING YOUR WHY --

“People don`t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” Simon Sinek

Our `Why` is the reason our business exists beyond the drive to make money. Our `Why` or brand purpose creates connections with our target customers. Leading with our `Why` and following with the `What` and the `How` helps you connect with your audiences and customers and as your business grows with employees as well.

Finding your `Why` isn’t always simple. It’s more than just making a statement you think your audience will get behind. And it’s far more than co-opting the `Why` you’ve seen work successfully for others. Audiences are smart. They will instantly be able to sense if your `Why` is not authentic. Your `Why` is not the same, but has to align with and drive everything else you’re doing, especially your vision, mission, and values.

Remember:

- Your vision describes where your organization is going in the coming years.

- Your mission focuses on your business operations and the products or services you offer.

- Your values define how your entire organization should go about achieving your mission.

- Your Why shifts focus from internal operations to your external impact.

Over the next few days we will be sharing some resources to help you refine your `Why` for your creative practice or business, you can also find these resources on our website link below and in profile: https://blickstudios.org/resources/understanding-your-why-2/

Our May Creative Talk and the last one until next Autumn is with @dannisimpsonart  an Australian Artist who specialises in commercial murals and illustrations.

Her natural passion and talent for art has allowed her to complete a large number of projects and travel the globe to paint the world. Her style is an urban fusion of detailed floral illustrations where wildlife clashes with architecture and typography, sprinkled through with dashes of art deco and mandala patterns.

Beyond her work commercially, Danni has been invited to appear at a number of events across the UK and Ireland such as Electric Picnic, Upfest Street Art Festival and Hit The North. Danni continues to travel the world leaving her mark wherever she goes and hopes to ignite a creative spark in everyone who sees her art.

You can find out more about Danni and her work on her Website: dannisimpsonart.com and on Instagram: @dannisimpsonart

EVENT DETAILS
Event Date(s): Wed 7th May 
Event Time: 7pm - 8pm
Location: Blick Shared Studios, 46 Hill Street, Belfast, BT1 2LB
Cost: Free

More details and booking on our website link below and in profile https://blickstudios.org/events/creative-talk-with-artist-illustrator-danni-simpson/

Happy Easter 🐰 🐣 I hope everyone has a good break despite the awful weather! I managed to get a pic of our Great Northern Street Studios looking lovely in the sun yesterday!