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Nurture Creative Incubation Program

An 8-month program to help 4 emerging creatives in Belfast establish their creative practice. Providing bespoke business support and free shared creative workspace in our new South Belfast studios. Each program participant will have 24/7 access to their own dedicated deskspace as well as use of shared communal facilities throughout the program. In addition they will benefit from the following support:

  • Monthly one-on-one mentoring sessions – for accountability with Blick founder Christine James
  • Monthly peer-mentoring group sessions with the other program participants – for peer support, learning, inspiration, community and accountability.
  • Quarterly finance mentoring sessions – to help with financial planning and advice with Blick and freelance finance manager Rosy James
  • Monthly industry specific skillshare training workshops for program participants – with current and past Blick residents and team members, sharing their skills and experiences with the program participants
  • Monthly online business resources, worksheets and exercises – to help you refine your idea, improve your skills and knowledge and for accountability and to establish your creative practice
  • Quarterly creative talks – by local creatives sharing their creative journey for inspiration and peer learning
  • Quarterly industry specific skillshare workshops – by local creatives sharing their expertise to improve skills and knowledge
  • Showcasing and promotional opportunities – on our website and social media and through presenting your work at a showcase event at the end of the project

 

Program dates:

1st October 2024 – 31st May 2025

 

Application criteria:

This program is aimed at emerging creatives who aren’t yet generating a full-time income from their creative practice. To be eligible to apply for the program you must have an idea for a creative business or be a self-employed creative, or creative freelancer generating your full income from your creative idea or practice for less than 6 months. Your creative idea or practice must be in one of the following creative industries sectors

  • Art
  • Design
  • Photography
  • Illustration
  • Crafts
  • Fashion

You need to be passionate and committed to making your creative idea a reality, whether that is running your own small creative business, working full-time as an artist or creative freelancer, or a combination of these. You need to be able to demonstrate you have a plan for how you will work on your creative idea over the course of the program to make the most of the facilities, resources and support provided.

Please note that due to the nature of the funding, screen and technology based businesses, including video games, film and tv, software, advertising etc are not eligible to apply. If you aren’t sure whether your creative idea or practice is eligible please get in touch.

 

Program commitment details:

We understand that when starting out you may have a number or different work commitments, so don’t expect you to necessarily be working on your creative practice full-time, but to contribute to the program and benefit from the facilities and support available we do expect all program participants to be in the position and willing to commit for the full duration of the program to:

  • Working on your creative practice in the studios a minimum of 3 days per week
  • Attending all mentoring sessions, workshops and talks, except in exceptional circumstances which must be agreed with the Blick team in advance.
  • Complete all program exercises and worksheets
  • Complete monthly progress reports and end of program evaluations and feedback reports

In addition we want to create a nurturing, supportive and welcoming environment within the program and our studios and we expect all participants to be willing to do their best to work hard, be kind and supportive to each other and all our studio members and visitors.

Application deadline:

Friday 27th September

Apply Here

Nurture Creative Talks

Quarterly creative talks for Nurture incubation program participants and the broader creative community by local creatives sharing their creative journey for inspiration and peer learning. Starting in November. More info coming soon on our events and workshops webpage

Blick Events and Workshops

Nurture Creative Workshops

Quarterly industry specific skillshare workshops for Nurture incubation program participants and the broader creative community by local creatives sharing their expertise to improve skills and knowledge. Starting January 2025. More info coming soon on our events and workshops page

Blick Events and Workshops

Nurture Creative Resources

Monthly online business resources, worksheets and exercises shared through our Resources for Creative webpage to help you refine your idea, improve your skills and knowledge and for accountability and to establish your creative practice.

Resources for Creatives

Project kindly supported by Belfast City Council

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Some pics from a fab workshop hosted by @homewerk.project for us earlier this year on Adventures in ChatGPT.

This Saturday morning they are back with us hosting a ‘Creative Audio Workshop’ with radio and audio producer Owen McFadden from WhyFi Productions, who’ll draw on his experience of creating award-winning audio for BBC Radio Ulster, Radio 4 and more, to give insights into the basics of recording, editing, and shaping audio into compelling listening.

Whether you’re curious about podcasting, oral history, or creative soundscapes, this session will give you time and inspiration to think about the potential and power of audio.

WORKSHOP DETAILS

Event Date(s): Saturday 25th October

Event Time: 10.00 am - 12.15pm

Location: Blick Shared Studios, 46 Hill Street, Belfast, BT1 2LB

Cost: £15.00

More info & booking: https://blickstudios.org/events/digital-brunch-creative-audio-for-beginners/
A workshop I definitely want to sit in on! Audio content is such a powerful way to tell stories. Hoping to find new ways we can bring it into our projects at Blick. We’ve already seen the impact through past projects Small Town Big Dreams and Our Time is Now (https://blickstudios.org/our-time-is-now/

** DIGITAL BRUNCH WORKSHOP: CREATIVE AUDIO FOR BEGINNERS **

This Saturday morning in our Hill St studios as part of @homewerk.project, talented BBC radio producer Owen McFadden of @whyfiproductions will be sharing some of his secrets for audio creativity in this creative audio for beginners workshop.

Fresh from winning gold at the 2025 British Podcast Awards for a history podcast documentary on the Brighton Bomb, Owen is also the producer of The Ticket, BBC Radio Ulster's most essential arts show.

Whether you’re curious about podcasting, oral history, or creative soundscapes, this session will give you time and inspiration to think about the potential and power of audio.

WORKSHOP DETAILS

Date: Saturday 25th October
Time: 10.00am – 12.15pm
Location: Blick Studios, Hill Street, Belfast
Cost: £15.00

(price includes light refreshments)

Booking link below and in profile

https://blickstudios.org/events/digital-brunch-creative-audio-for-beginners/
* * Next Weekend - Digital Brunch: Creative Audio for Beginners * * 

Are you curious about how to bring stories to life through sound? In this session we’ll be joined by radio and audio producer Owen McFadden from WhyFi Productions, who’ll draw on his experience of creating award-winning audio for BBC Radio Ulster, Radio 4 and more, to give insights into the basics of recording, editing, and shaping audio into compelling listening. Whether you’re curious about podcasting, oral history, or creative soundscapes, this session will give you time and inspiration to think about the potential and power of audio.

Workshop details
Date: Saturday 25th October
Time: 10.00am – 12.15pm
Location: Blick Studios, Hill Street, Belfast
Cost: £15.00

For more information or to book your place visit the events page of our website (link below and in profile)

https://blickstudios.org/events/digital-brunch-creative-audio-for-beginners/
Hard to believe it has been a year since our trip to Hong Kong to create the Design Your Life interactive design installation with Belfast Design Week as part of the British Council Hong Kong Spark Festival. Sadly no international travel this year, but lots of great projects coming up including more @belfastdesignwk projects as part of @irish_designweek in November. We will be sharing more details on these over the next few weeks!
Last chance to book for tonight's creative talk by Ciaran Crudden founder and creative director of The Last Brand creative agency

CREATIVE TALK DETAILS
Date: Wed 15th October
Time: 7pm - 8pm
Venue: Blick Hill St
Cost: Free

More info & booking (link below and in profile)

https://blickstudios.org/events/blick-creative-talk-ciaran-crudden-creative-director-of-the-last-brand/
Tonight Ciaran Crudden founder and creative director of The Last Brand is sharing his creative story with us at our creative talk. 

Ahead of his talk we have done a short interview with Ciaran which we have been sharing in bits over the last week or so. Here's the full interview and you can also find it on the blog on our website!

We still have a couple of free tickets left for tonight which you can also sign up for on our website if you would like to join us!

https://blickstudios.org/events/blick-creative-talk-ciaran-crudden-creative-director-of-the-last-brand/
Our next Creative Talk is this Wednesday 15th October at 7pm in our Hill St studios with Ciaran Crudden founder and creative director of The Last Brand a creative studio committed to crafting brands that capture imaginations and inspire meaningful consumer interactions.

Ciaran is a senior creative with over 15 years’ experience across branding, experiential, art direction and motion design. His work focuses on uncovering the visual and verbal threads that connect and resonate with audiences. Known for bold ideas and thoughtful execution, Ciaran blends strategy with creativity to craft brand communications and experiences that are both distinctive and authentic.

In this talk, Ciaran will reflect on his creative journey, offering insights into different projects, valuable lessons learned, and the real-world experience of running an independent creative studio. You can find out more about Ciaran and see his work on his website The Last Brand https://www.thelastbrand.co.uk/

Here we are also sharing some examples of his design and branding work for the drinks industry. If you would like to come along to hear Ciaran share his creative story you can sign up for free on the events page of our website link below and in profile 

CREATIVE TALK DETAILS

Date: Wed 15th October
Time: 7pm - 8pm
Venue: Blick Hill St
Cost: Free

More info & booking: https://blickstudios.org/events/blick-creative-talk-ciaran-crudden-creative-director-of-the-last-bra...
In 2 weeks on Saturday 25th October! 

* * Digital Brunch: Creative Audio for Beginners * * 

Are you curious about how to bring stories to life through sound? In this session we’ll be joined by radio and audio producer Owen McFadden from WhyFi Productions, who’ll draw on his experience of creating award-winning audio for BBC Radio Ulster, Radio 4 and more, to give insights into the basics of recording, editing, and shaping audio into compelling listening. Whether you’re curious about podcasting, oral history, or creative soundscapes, this session will give you time and inspiration to think about the potential and power of audio.

Workshop details
Date: Saturday 25th October
Time: 10.00am – 12.15pm
Location: Blick Studios, Hill Street, Belfast
Cost: £15.00
For more information or to book your place visit:
https://blickstudios.org/events/digital-brunch-creative-audio-for-beginners/
On the final day of his interview with us ahead of his talk next Wed 15th October Ciaran shares with us how he copes on the days he doubts himself and his creative work

If you want to sign up for the talk just visit the events page of our website!
It's a busy week. As well as today's Creative Brunch event with Innovate UK Business Growth and tonight's Creative Adventure Club with @homewerk.project this Friday 10th October we are very excited to be hosting a ‘Retail Ready Fieldtrip’ we have organised for a group of creative Ulster University Enterprise Placement Year students, covering topics such as:

• Understanding your Market – what makes your product different, where you will ideally sell your work, which retailers/ platforms will work best for your business

• Merchandising your product

• How to approach retailers

• How to present your product

• How to find the right retailers for your work

• Pricing your work

Delivered in partnership and with the kind support of the following local independent retailers who will generously be sharing their first-hand experiences and insights with the students

• Linzi Rooney founder of @wearebornandbred_ a gift shop in Belfast that specialises in the art of gifting top quality, locally designed products. Sourcing the best talent across the island of Ireland.

• Emma Jackson founder of @hunterpaperco an independent shop in Belfast, which sells a range of carefully curated stationery as well as their own luxury letterpress stationery, greetings cards and art prints

• Rachel McIlgorm founder of @storyboxni  a Belfast-based social enterprise which sources and sells ethical gifts from local makers, social enterprises, and sustainable brands.

Thanks to Ulster University for inviting us to be part of their programme of events for the students

This event is  specifically for Ulster University Enterprise Placement Year Students so unfortunately you can't book a place, but we will be sure to share some pics and insights following the event