Our Impact

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!
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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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How Blick’s work has benefitted creative businesses and communities in Northern Ireland.

Social Impact 2023-24

Our Time is Now -a video podcast documentary exploring the lives of creatives working in Belfast

Resources for Creatives

Social Impact 2022-23

Social Impact 2021 - 2022

Small Town Big Dream Podcast

My Block Directory for Independent Businesses

Social Impact 2020 - 2021

Belfast Design Pop-up Museum Billboard

Belfast Design Pop-up Museum Window Design Exhibition

Social Impact 2019 - 2020

Blick Academy Business Workshop for Creatives

The Time is Now Talks for Creatives