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An Interview With Designer Paul Boal

Ahead of sharing his creative story with us at our next Blick Academy Creative Talk on Wednesday 17th April we thought it would be nice to ask Paul some questions and get to know him a bit better. Here he...

Creative Roundup April

Our latest roundup of funding, support, opportunities, events, exhibitions and festivals for creatives £575,000 Augment the City Challenge Fund As part of Augment the City Challenge, Belfast City Council is looking for creative technology innovators to develop concepts and proposals...

Calling Creative Women Business Owners

Are you a local creative woman with your own creative business? If so, we would love to feature you on our Womenfolk website! This is free of charge and aims to celebrate local creative women. Get in touch with Christine...

Alana McDowell’s Talk: What I Learnt

Thanks to everyone who joined us last Wednesday evening to hear multidisciplinary designer Alana McDowell share her creative journey at our first Blick Academy creative talk of the year. Alana imparted so much wisdom during her talk in a really...

An Interview with Multidisciplinary Designer Alana McDowell

Ahead of sharing her creative story with us at our next Blick Academy Creative Talk this Wednesday evening we thought it would be nice to ask Alana some questions and get to know her a bit better. Here she shares...

Creative Roundup

Our latest roundup of funding, support, opportunities, events, exhibitions and festivals for creatives CQAF Creative Bursary Scheme The Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival, which has presented the best in local and international arts for over 20 years, has announced new Bursary...

Blick Summer Meet 2023

Looking back at 2023 as we plan for the year ahead!

As we approach the end of January and make plans for the year ahead we wanted to take some time to look back and reflect on the previous year. To learn from and have gratitude for all of our experiences...

Meet the Resident: Stephanie Heckman

Stephanie is one of our newest creative residents in our Hill St studios. Here she tells us a bit about her creative practice, her journey with her business so far as well as some of the things that have helped...

‘Art500’ Online

Gallery 545 Group Exhibition 2 December 2023 – 2 January 2024 Gallery 545 online - always open Private viewings on request in Belfast (in person of selected artworks) Blick Resident Gallery 545 presents a new edition of ‘Art500’. This is a...

Christmas Creative Roundup

It's December! Christmas is coming, one of the most important seasons for many local creatives who sell direct to consumers! fortunately there are loads of amazing ways you can buy local this year and make it a successful season for...

Creative Roundup of Funding, Support, Events & Opportunities for Creatives

Worth Partnership Project - Open Call for Creatives WORTH invites creatives to share their ideas on tech innovation, circular game changer solutions, social impact, or a creative business idea in the lifestyle industries. WORTH Partnership Project II creates and supports...

Vienna Creative Skills Week Venue University of Applied Arts Vienna

Creative Skills Week Vienna 2023: Things to Think About

Thanks to the European Creative Hubs Network I was fortunate to get the opportunity to attend Creative Skills Week 2023 in Vienna last week. What an amazing few days in a beautiful city! Here are some of the bits I...

Blick Resident Gallery 545: Contemporary Art of Northern Ireland #4

Gallery 545 one of our current Blick Malone residents has a new exhibition starting this Saturday 9th September in the Island Arts Centre see details below Group Exhibition Gallery 545 at the Island Arts Centre, Lisburn 9 – 30 September...

Insights from our Blick Summer Meet

On Wednesday 23rd August we hosted our Summer Meet on the theme ‘Courage’ we had two brilliant local creatives sharing their stories. Caroline McHugh owner of Little Fox Events. Since she set up Little Fox Events, three years ago, Caroline...

10 Things we Learnt at this Weekend’s Creative Workshops

We had a lovely weekend with all of our different workshops with different groups of creatives. It was great just to have so many different people back in our space. There is always so much to learn from the different...

Blick Summer Meet: Some Photos

We were too busy chatting and listening at our Summer Meet on Wednesday night to post any pics. So here are a few belated pics from a wonderful evening. Thanks to all who came and most importantly to our two...

Kerry Whelan X Pure Dirt Exhibition Opening

Here are some pics from last Friday's Kerry Whelan and Pure Dirt collaborative exhibition opening in our Malone Studios.

Belfast Design Week Research Trip to Vietnam

2023 got off to an exciting start for us at Blick, with a research trip to Hanoi Vietnam for Belfast Design Week. In 2015 we co-founded Belfast Design Week and for the next 5 years it was one of our...

Meet the Resident: Artist Kerry Whelan

We are delighted to introduce you to artist Kerry Whelan a new resident in our Malone Studios Tell us a bit about yourself and your creative work? My name is Kerry and I am an oil painter. I paint primarily...

Meet the Resident: Artist Michael Winchester

We are very excited to introduce you to one of our newest residents talented artist Michael Winchester Tell us a bit about yourself and your creative work? I am an artist living in Belfast, currently just focusing on making as...

Meet Our Community: Blick Graduate Resident Hannah Griffin

Meet Hannah Griffin our second graduate resident Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your creative business idea? My name is Hannah Griffin, I am an illustrator from Belfast and I graduated last year, in Graphic design...

Our Time is Now Exhibition

Our Time is Now is a video podcast series we created in collaboration with Creating A Space sharing the stories and exploring the creative journeys of 5 Belfast creative entrepreneurs. The exhibition features a series of behind the scenes and...

Our Time is Now – What we Learnt from all the Creatives

We've come to the end of our first 'Our Time is Now' video podcast series sharing the stories of 5 different successful Belfast creatives. We have tried to showcase a diverse range of creatives from different backgrounds, genders, ethnicities, ages,...

It Might Take Longer Than You think, But That Doesn’t Mean it Won’t Work

From 15 years observing creatives on their creative journey it takes longer than most people think to be financially sustainable and confident of long term success. It usually seems to take about 5 years and certainly that was true for...

Our Time is Now Exhibition Opening

On Friday 28th April we hosted a small opening for our new Our Time is Now podcast series exhibition. Our Time is Now is a video podcast series exploring how 5 local creatives live and thrive in Belfast. Sharing their...

Our Time is Now Tony McGaharan – What we Learnt

Tony is a learning designer and founder of People Playbook a global learning and development consultancy that crafts and facilitates learning experiences which are fresh, engaging and interactive. Tony is our fifth and final interviewee for this series of ‘Our...

Our Time is Now Tanice Samuels – What we Learnt

Tanice is an Irish-Jamaican, Belfast based content creator who focuses on aesthetics, fashion, beauty and lifestyle. Tanice offers content creation, social posting and events services. Tanice is the fourth Belfast creative to share her journey with us for ‘Our Time...

Mel Carroll Usfolk

Our Time is Now Mel Carroll – What We Learnt

Mel Carroll is an illustrator and designer and the founder and director of Usfolk Illustration agency. Usfolk is a Belfast based illustration agency, hosting 30+ illustrators from all corners of the globe. As well as running multiple projects in the...

Our Time is Now Linzi Rooney – What We Learnt

Linzi Rooney is the founder of Born & Bred a Belfast City Centre store and e-commerce site specialising in Belfast and Irish themed gifts and homeware. Born & Bred exists to help artists thrive. Founded in 2014 by Linzi, Born...

Our Time is Now Macy Stewart – What we Learnt

Macy Stewart is a fashion and portrait photographer based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. After a year with Mastered (London) for fashion photography in 2018, Macy has built up an impressive client list. She has shot with the likes of Lifestyle...

Our Time Is Now

We are very excited to soon be launching a new project, Our Time Is Now. A video podcast series sharing the stories of local Belfast based creatives. Exploring how they have built their businesses, overcome challenges and navigated the shifts...

Blick Creative Roundup August – September

Our summary of some interesting and useful opportunities, events and resources over the next couple of months. FUNDING, SUPPORT & OPPORTUNITIES ARTISTS INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND The programme will support early-stage international development opportunities for individual, freelance and self-employed artists...

10 Tips for Cutting Your Costs to Increase your Profits

Our question for personal reflection last week was can you cut your costs to make more profit? Sometimes it's easier to cut costs than generate more income. This can be the difference between make and break for a creative business...

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

01. Illustrators Exhibition Open Call

The Ballaí Bana Gallery in Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich, Belfast seeks submissions from EMERGING ILLUSTRATORS for wall-based artwork for either solo or group exhibitions for our 2026 programme.
Successful artists will be paid a fee of £300 and there is a 20% gallery commission charged on sold artwork.
Deadline: 16th June

02. Future Makers

Established in 2009, Future Makers is one of the largest prize-funded award programmes in Europe, creating a platform to showcase talent, as well as providing much needed financial support. Divided into student and emerging practitioner categories, Future Makers supports this crucial time in the career path of young designers.
Deadline: 20th June

03. Horizon Europe Pump Priming collaboration opportunities 2025

Innovate UK and British Academy are pleased to announce funding schemes for Horizon Europe Pump Priming Grants, open to all disciplines. Successful applicants will have access to grant funding of up to £5,000
Deadline: 15th July 5pm

04. An Introduction to Business Planning workshop
This insightful half day session will give you practical knowledge, tips and advice on what to put into your business plan and will also get you thinking about the bigger picture, including your strategic vision, mission and more!
Date: 19th June
Time: 9.30 - 2.30pm
Venue: University of Atypical

05. Call Out for Creative Connections Cluster Facilitators – Creative Connections 2025/26

Are you a creative practitioner or educator with a love for creativity? The Creative Connections Shared Island Pilot Programme needs you to join their team

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

Jun 13

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Following a brilliant 8-months at the end of May we sadly said goodbye to our Nurture Incubation Program Participants
- Artist and Illustrator @bethanysmillican
- Artist and Content Creator @verahylands
- Textile Designer-maker and Founder of Kitsch Sisters Grainne Mullan @kitschsistersbelfast @point_angel_

We have loved working with them over the past 8 months and having them be part of Blick and wish them all the best for the future with their creative businesses!

Jun 11

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Following a brilliant 8-months at the end of May we sadly said goodbye to our Nurture Incubation Program Participants
- Artist and Illustrator @bethanysmillican
- Artist and Content Creator @verahylands
- Textile Designer-maker and Founder of Kitsch Sisters Grainne Mullan @kitschsistersbelfast @point_angel_

We have loved working with them over the past 8 months and having them be part of Blick and wish them all the best for the future with their creative businesses!

- - BLICK VIRTUAL OFFICE SERVICE - -

As well as offering physical workspace we also offer virtual office space for creative businesses. You can use our Hill St address for your creative business giving your business a professional public image and keeping your home address private.

We offer 2 different services:

MONTHLY BUSINESS ADDRESS SERVICE

- £22.50 monthly or £200 annually for UK based creative businesses

- At the start of each month we will redirect up to 15 items of regular and standard large letter-sized business mail to the address of your choice. Post beyond the 15 letters will be charged at the price of postage, and the cost will be added to your following bill.

WEEKLY BUSINESS ADDRESS SERVICE

- £30 monthly or £300 annually for UK based creative businesses

- 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. Post beyond the 25 letters will be charged at the price of postage, and the cost will be added to your following bill.

Blick is a social enterprise meaning profits from our virtual office service go towards events and workshops and programmes of support for creatives in Belfast!
�
For more info email rosy@blickstudios.org or visit our website (link below and in profile) https://blickstudios.org/virtual-services/

Jun 9

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GOAL SETTING RESOURCES

Our resources for emerging creatives this month are all about goal setting, starting with some basic information on what goals and in particular what SMART goals are. We put together these resources following a brilliant strategic goal setting workshop we hosted in collaboration with Stephanie Heckman earlier this year. The workshop really reminded me of the importance of having a vision for the future and regularly setting achievable goals to help you get there. This is especially important I think in the very early days when you don`t yet have a lot of regular clients and work and it can be hard to stay focused, �keep yourself moving forward and stay motivated.

We have added some initial goal setting resources on the `Creative Resources` section of our website, including a goal setting template and some tips on how to actually go about making the goals you set happen. Let us know what works for you and if there`s anything you think would help other creatives that we should add!

Link below and in profile

https://blickstudios.org/resources/goal-setting/

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May 30

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NURTURE CREATIVE INCUBATION PARTICIPANT INTERVIEW: GRAINNE MULLAN

Our final Nurture creative incubation program participant interview. Today with Textile Designer and Maker and Co-founder of @kitschsistersbelfast Grainne Mullan @point_angel_
You can also read the full interview on our website blog (link in profile)

�All our program participants will be sharing their stories this evening in our Great Northern Street Studios in South Belfast studios at 7pm (booking link on website)

May 28

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Some more bank holiday reading. Our second Nurture creative incubation program participant interview. Today with Illustrator and Artist @bethanysmillican

You can also read the full interview on the blog on our website (link in profile)

May 26

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Some Sunday night reading!

NURTURE CREATIVE INCUBATION INTERVIEW: VERA HYLANDS

Nurture was an 8-month creative incubation program which ran from October 2024 to May 2025.

Nurture aimed to support emerging creatives to establish their creative practice through bespoke meaningful business support within the nurturing creative environment of Blick Shared Studios.

Here we find out more about @verahylands
an artist and content creator who took part on the program.

You can also read the full interview on our website blog (link in profile)

May 25

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Some of our favourite bits from our April Creative Talk with @laurenkelsoillustrator

May 23

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Some of our favourite bits from our April Creative Talk with @laurenkelsoillustrator

In April award-winning illustrator @laurenkelsoillustrator shared her creative story with us at our monthly Creative Talk!

May 22

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In April award-winning illustrator @laurenkelsoillustrator shared her creative story with us at our monthly Creative Talk!

Our Nurture Creative Talks next Wednesday in our new Great Northern Street studios in South Belfast will be showcasing the creatives who took part in our 8 month Nurture incubation programme!

Hear about their creative ideas and their journeys with their creative businesses so far, their experiences and insights of starting a creative business, their advice for other creatives starting out and their hopes and dreams for the future!

Booking link below and in profile!

https://blickstudios.org/events/nurture-creative-talks/

May 21

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Some insights and words of wisdom from Juliette El Fouly founder of @lecontourcandles Creative Talk earlier this year!

May 20

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Some insights and words of wisdom from Juliette El Fouly founder of @lecontourcandles Creative Talk earlier this year!

Looking back on this lovely sunny Monday to Juliette El Fouly founder of @lecontourcandles great creative talk for us earlier this year. Today we find out a bit about Juliette and tomorrow we will share some insights and wisdom from her talk!

May 19

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Looking back on this lovely sunny Monday to Juliette El Fouly founder of @lecontourcandles great creative talk for us earlier this year. Today we find out a bit about Juliette and tomorrow we will share some insights and wisdom from her talk!

We have 2 dedicated deskspaces with storage available in our Hill St studios in the Cathedral Quarter!

Quiet, professional, working space for creatives in a beautiful building right in the centre of the Cathedral Quarter.

£165 for one desk or £285 for both desks all inclusive (rates, utilities, broadband, 24 hour access, use of communal facilities etc)

Email christine@blickstudios.org for more info or to arrange a viewing

May 18

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We have 2 dedicated deskspaces with storage available in our Hill St studios in the Cathedral Quarter!

Quiet, professional, working space for creatives in a beautiful building right in the centre of the Cathedral Quarter.

£165 for one desk or £285 for both desks all inclusive (rates, utilities, broadband, 24 hour access, use of communal facilities etc)

Email christine@blickstudios.org for more info or to arrange a viewing

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/

May 16

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Some pics of all our lovely studios. If you`re interested in taking a space with us check out our website for current workspace availability or get in touch for more info or to have a look round!

May 15

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Some pics of all our lovely studios. If you're interested in taking a space with us check out our website for current workspace availability or get in touch for more info or to have a look round!

Hello! We thought it would be nice for anyone who doesn’t know the Blick story of how and why we started way back in 2007 (18 years ago!) to share it with you over coming weeks.

Starting with a short intro to sisters Christine and Rosy who have been running Blick since the organisation was formed in 2007 by a group of young creatives (including Christine) who wanted to come together to create a great workspace for creatives in Belfast.

Our ambition as a group of creatives was to create beautiful but affordable spaces for creatives to work in. Spaces for like-minded creatives to meet and share resources, ideas and inspiration. Spaces to build a sense of community and encourage, support and inspire each other.

As the idea grew and evolved, Christine took over managing Blick while others in the group focused on their own creative businesses. Christine’s sister Rosy came on board as a volunteer initially to manage the financial side of the organisation. Together they have been managing Blick since 2007.

We will be sharing the rest of our story over the next while or you can also find it on our website: https://blickstudios.org/the-team/the-blick-story/

Thanks to @verahylands for creating the video for us and gently encouraging us to do it!

May 13

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Hello! We thought it would be nice for anyone who doesn’t know the Blick story of how and why we started way back in 2007 (18 years ago!) to share it with you over coming weeks.

Starting with a short intro to sisters Christine and Rosy who have been running Blick since the organisation was formed in 2007 by a group of young creatives (including Christine) who wanted to come together to create a great workspace for creatives in Belfast.

Our ambition as a group of creatives was to create beautiful but affordable spaces for creatives to work in. Spaces for like-minded creatives to meet and share resources, ideas and inspiration. Spaces to build a sense of community and encourage, support and inspire each other.

As the idea grew and evolved, Christine took over managing Blick while others in the group focused on their own creative businesses. Christine’s sister Rosy came on board as a volunteer initially to manage the financial side of the organisation. Together they have been managing Blick since 2007.

We will be sharing the rest of our story over the next while or you can also find it on our website: https://blickstudios.org/the-team/the-blick-story/

Thanks to @verahylands for creating the video for us and gently encouraging us to do it!

Our Nurture End of Program Creative Talks will be showcasing the creatives who took part in our 8 month Nurture incubation programme which started last October!

Join us on Wednesday 28th May in our Great Northern Street Studios to hear about their creative ideas and their journeys with their creative businesses so far! They will each share their experiences and insights of starting a creative business, their advice for other creatives starting out and their hopes and dreams for the future!

Featured Creatives:

Grainne Mullan – Founder of Kitsch Sisters @kitschsistersbelfast

Wholesome crafts, creativity, cookery and garden gang based in Belfast. Weekly workshops and pop-ups

- Bethany Millican Illustrator @bethanysmillican

Artist and Illustrator based in Belfast

- Vera Hylands Artist, Videographer and Content Creator @verahylands

Artist, Videographer and Content Creator inspired by nature

�Book your ticket to hear their stories on the events page of our website (link in profile)

Our Nurture program was kindly supported by Belfast City Council

May 12

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

May 12

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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/

May 9

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

May 8

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