Here we get to meet some of the team behind the project and find out about their love of plants and why they wanted to get involved, today meeting Christine James founder of Blick Studios and Belfast Design Week and project manager for the Community Plant Library
WOMENFOLK PEER MENTORING
On the last Tuesday of each month we host a get together with a small group of self-employed creative women or women in the process of starting a creative business to chat about business and life. Each person will get the chance to speak. Sharing their monthly progress, plans for the following month, future goals and aspirations as well as any challenges they may be facing. This process gives you the opportunity to connect with and learn from like-minded creative women and helps with motivation, accountability, goal setting and planning.
There is no cost to joining the group, but to ensure commitment and suitability participants need to fill in a short online registration to secure a space.
Email christine@blickstudios.org if you are interested in joining!
Event Date(s): Tuesday 27th October
Event Time: 7.00pm
Location: Blick Shared Studios, 46 Hill Street, Belfast, BT1 2LB
Cost: Free
https://blickstudios.org/events/womenfolk-peer-mentoring-7/
Oct 22
Keep an eye out for coming posts the next few weeks, where we will introduce you to our main team sisters Christine and Rosy and share with you why they started Blick and some of the things they have learned on their journey with Blick over the past almost 20 years!
Oct 21
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
Oct 21
Design After Dark
Design After Dark is a series of evening celebrations of contemporary design in Belfast. A collaborative project delivered by Belfast Design Week and Blick Shared Studios. The programme aims to bring together different design events including workshops, talks, installations, studio tours, and exhibitions, offering something for everyone to explore and enjoy.
Design After Dark is a new design community project which aims to reflect the design industry in all its diversity. If you work in design or in a related field and would like to show your support and get involved by organising an event for Design After Dark or you have an existing design event happening between 1st November 2026 and 31st March 2027 we would love for you to be involved. If you would like to be involved we will list your event on the Belfast Design Week website and share it through social media and our newsletter.
Please check out our FAQS and fill out our fringe application form on our website or email christine@blickstudios.org
Oct 20
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.
Oct 16
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.
Oct 15
Food Loves Design
From illustration and branding to interiors and experiences, Food Loves Design celebrates the role of design in shaping our food and hospitality experiences. This event series aims to engage the wider public with design in a joyful, accessible and interactive way, exploring the creativity and thinking behind the places, brands and experiences we love.
The first event takes place on Monday 02 November, bringing together Hundred Studio | B Corp™ 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!
Event Date: Monday 02 November
Event Time: 3.00 - 4.30pm
Location: Charlie`s Pizza, 306 -310, Ormeau Road, Ormeau Road, BT7 2GE
Cost: £20.00 (price includes soft drink and pizza)
Book your ticket on the Blick or Belfast Design Week website (link in profile)
https://blickstudios.org/events/food-loves-design-hundred-studio-x-charlies-pizza/
Oct 14
Some of the things we got up to last month at Blick!
Oct 13
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
Oct 12
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.
Oct 10
Seaside Books - Intermediate Poetry Workshop
Join Blick residents @seasidebooksni for a six-week poetry workshop in our Great Northern Street Studios starting October 13th. Sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 6:30-8:00 pm GMT. £40 per person
This workshop is suitable for those who want to build upon an existing writing practice. We will focus on workshopping, editing, and preparing work for publication. Participants will be asked to bring work to discuss with other participants each week.
https://blickstudios.org/events/intermediate-poetry-workshop-3/
Oct 9
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/
Oct 8
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
Oct 7
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/
Oct 6
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/
Oct 5
Blick Creative Fieldtrip – Pricing Your Creative Work
In this Creative Fieldtrip, designed specifically for Ulster University Enterprise Placement Year students, we’ll tackle one of the biggest challenges facing creatives starting out: How to Price Your Creative Work, whether you’re selling products or services.
Pricing your creative work isn’t easy, and there’s no one-size-fits-all formula. It’s about finding a balance between your costs and time, what other creatives charge, your level of experience and what people are willing to pay. It can also depend on how much you want to take on a particular project and the opportunities it might offer you to learn, develop your skills or build your portfolio.
Ultimately, pricing is a personal process, and one you’ll need to regularly review and revisit as your creative practice grows and evolves.
This is a closed event for Ulster University students
https://blickstudios.org/events/blick-creative-fieldtrip-pricing-your-creative-work/
Oct 5
Some weekend reading our final plant stories for this iteration of Belfast Community Plant Library, this time with the amazing Lauren McFarland from The Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland - @tcv_ni where she tells us about their brillianf work on Green Gyms and community gardens, conservation, native trees and more.
You can also read the interview on the blog on our website (link in profile)
Oct 4
Belfast Plant Stories - Hardest plant to keep alive
Oct 4
Belfast Plant Stories - We asked the people of Belfast about their favourite plants
Oct 3
We are almost finished our Community Plant Library project, just a couple of Plant Stories left to share, today we are asking the people of Belfast how can humans work better with plants to fix environmental problems?
Oct 2
