Skip to content

How it all came about

Blick was formed in 2007 by a group of young creatives who wanted to come together to create a great workspace for creatives in Belfast. Our ambition 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.

Blick provides fully serviced shared workspace and private studio space to more than 65 creatives across 3 different locations within Belfast in Northern Ireland. Blick also provides virtual office services, meeting and event spaces and runs different events, workshops and projects to help build community and support creatives in Belfast.

You can see more of our story below and find our more about our aims & values, our impact and our projects.

Currently

Blick now provides creative shared workspace and private studio space to more than 65 creatives across 3 different buildings in Belfast as well as virtual office services to over 90 creatives.

We are currently busy settling into our new Great Northern Street studios and we have a whole variety of talks and workshops happening for local creatives which you can see over on our events page.

We also have different projects and programs which you can find here, as well as regular blogs including links to funding and opportunities for creatives and lots of downloadable resources to help you start and grow your own creative business to grow here.

Events
2024

2024 was a year of change, travel, hard work and exciting new opportunities! We left our first studios on the Malone Road after 15 years and moved to new premises on Great Northern Street just off the Lisburn Road in South Belfast.

We gratefully received funding from Belfast City Council for Nurture an incubation program, providing free workspace, mentoring and business support for 4 emerging creatives.

Throughout the year we heard the inspiring stories of 5 different local creatives at our Blick academy and Womenfolk events.

We travelled to Malmo in Sweden and Bologna and Venice in Italy for creative Hubs research and  to Hong Kong to create a design installation for the British Council Hong Kong Spark Healthy Futures Festival in October called Design Your Life.

 

Design Your Life Design Installation Hong Kong
2023

2023 was another busy year with lots of wonderful travel opportunities. Starting in January with a Belfast Design Week trip to Hanoi Vietnam. October then brought a European Creative Hubs trip to European Creative Skills Week in Vienna then in November we attended the Creative Flip Conference in Brussels.

In collaboration with Creating A Space, we created Our Time is Now, a video podcast series sharing the stories of 5 Belfast Creatives.

We also worked with Belfast Design Week and VentureFolk on a new project combining design and growing and in the summer we produced a program of Summer events and workshops for Belfast creatives.

Our Time is Now
Esther Mogada and Macy Stewart Our Time is Now Video Podcast
2021

In 2021 we finished our Womenfolk Dig Deep Programme supporting 27 young creative women on their journey to start their own creative businesses with weekly resources including 10 industry expert videos on topics including A DIY Guide on Creating Your Own Brand, A DIY Guide on Setting up a Website A DIY Guide on Instagram and A DIY Guide on Photographing Your Work for the broader creative community.

We also worked with Belfast Design Week to launch My Block, a directory to celebrate and champion independent business and culture in Northern Ireland.

Womenfolk Dig Deep Participant Sarah Cathers
2020

In 2020 the Covid-19 pandemic closed our studios for three months. It also gave us the opportunity to run a creative enterprise programme for young women called Dig Deep which supported 27 young women over a 9-month period to start their own creative businesses.

We hosted a podcast series on the impact of the pandemic on creatives and also expanded our Popup Design Museum during Belfast Design Week. Exhibiting design work by local designers in the windows of independent venues throughout Belfast City Centre to create an interactive but covid safe activity for the public.

Belfast Design Week Billboard
2018

In 2018 we launched our sister company, creative consultancy Flock, to bring together the creatives involved with Blick to work on different multidisciplinary creative projects.

Flock Creative Consulting
2017

In 2017 we set up a new venture called Womenfolk to celebrate and promote women creative entrepreneurs.

We were excited to be involved again with Belfast Design Week in its 3rd year & new design events such as Late Night Design.

We moved from 52 Hill Street to Cotton Court in the Cathedral Quarter – a building full of creative companies.

2016

Supporting more creatives

Increased income from growing our organisation gave us the opportunity to expand the free support we provide for creative entrepreneurs, including:

  • Blick Academy for Creative Startups
  • Share 6 inspirational talks for creative entrepreneurs
  • 25 Pop-Up
  • The Faculty workshops and courses
  • Creative Business Bootcamp
  • Belfast Design Week
  • Graduate residency programme
Networking Event for Creatives
2015

Growing more

We opened Eighty81 Creative Workspace in Derry-Londonderry, providing workspace for 18 businesses as well as the Nest incubation program, creative events and support.

In Belfast, there was a growing market for our services, so we opened a second set of premises in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter, providing workspace for an additional 18 businesses.

2015 was the year of Irish Design, and we secured funding to run a variety of design events and co-founded Belfast Design Week.

2015 Belfast Design Week Launch
2014

Expanding to the North West

We secured a 3-year contract to manage the creative hub in Ebrington in Derry/Londonderry to provide incubation space, workspace and events and support for the creative industries within the city.

We developed the brand and concept for Eighty81 Creative Workspace on behalf of Ilex Urban Regeneration.

Eighty81 Creative Workspace Ebrington
2012

Growing Blick

We moved into our first Cathedral Quarter premises allowing us to provide space for an additional 15 businesses.

With the premises being so close to Ulster University, we were able to connect more with students and startups and build our existing creative community through meetups and events.

Blick Shared Studios Hill Street
2010

Creative events

From 2008 – 2010 we ran a variety of events and courses to support small and startup creative businesses within Belfast, including Blick Business Blitz and the Evolve Programme.

We saw a need to create more interactive and engaging enterprise events and set up Creative Camp Belfast – an interactive un-conference style event designed to connect local creative entrepreneurs and encourage them to share their stories and speak on various topics.

Networking event for creatives at the Black Box Belfast
2008

Moving into Malone

With support from Ulster University and Belfast City Council we moved into our first permanent space at 51 Malone Road.

We focused on becoming independently sustainable by renting our studio spaces, event spaces and offering virtual services. By the end of 2008, we provided space to 15 different creative businesses.

Blick Shared Studios Malone Road
2007

By Creatives, for Creatives

Blick was set up by a group of creative entrepreneurs struggling to find suitable creative studio space in Belfast.

Our first studio was a rented warehouse in the City Centre which we set up with the help of £5,000 from UnLtd.

Plant in Blick Shared Studios Hill Street

Stay in the

Sign up for our newsletter to hear from us about our projects, events and all things Blick.
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Thanks for signing up!
Join us on Saturday 27th September to meet other creatives and learn more about using Canva for your creative business over coffee and pastries!

This is the first in a new series of collaborative workshops in partnership with Homewerk @homewerk.project for creatives, communicators and the digitally curious, to explore practical skills, emerging trends, and fresh ideas in digital media.

Love it or loathe it, Canva is now well established as an essential tool for creating social media posts, presentations, branding and much more besides, making graphic design accessible to everyone. If your creative or business projects have made you something of an accidental designer through Canva, this relaxed morning taster workshop will revisit some of the basics of the platform and principles of design, and demonstrate some of the ways to make the most of Canva’s capabilities.

Workshop Details

Date: Saturday 27th September
Time: 10.00am – 12.15pm
Location: Blick Studios, Hill Street, Belfast
Cost: £15.00

Booking link in profile
* NEW EVENT - Blick Creative Talk – Ciaran Crudden Creative Director of The Last Brand *

Join us on Wednesday 15th October for our next Blick Creative Talk with past Blick creative resident 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/

EVENT DETAILS:

Event Date(s): October 15, 2025
Event Time: 7.00 -8.00 pm
Location: 46 Hill Street, Belfast, BT1 2LB
Cost: Free

Book your place on the events page of our website (link in profile or below)

https://blickstudios.org/events/blick-creative-talk-ciaran-crudden-creative-director-of-the-last-brand/
* NEW EVENT- Digital Brunch: Creative Audio for Beginners *

Homewerk @homewerk.project and Blick Shared Studios present an occasional series of relaxed Saturday morning meet-ups for creatives, communicators and the digitally curious, to explore practical skills, emerging trends, and fresh ideas in digital media.

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 info and to book tickets visit the events page of our website (link below and in profile

https://blickstudios.org/events/digital-brunch-creative-audio-for-beginners/
* NEW EVENT- Creative Brunch with Innovate UK Business Growth *

Join us at Blick Studios for a vibrant morning of inspiration, meaningful connections, and a delicious brunch curated by Yellow Door!

This exclusive session is your chance to hear directly from some of our most exciting creative companies as they share their innovation journeys from early-stage to scaling success!

What to Expect:

Insight into funding opportunities, including grants and investment support

Strategic guidance to help shape your business journey!

International growth and innovation management advice

A chance to meet your local Innovate UK Business Growth team and fellow creatives

This is your opportunity to connect with the Innovate UK Business Growth team, gain strategic insights, and explore new possibilities for your business.

Spaces are limited, so come hungry—for ideas and brunch—and secure your spot today.

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Wednesday 8 October 2025
Time: 10:30 AM
Location: Blick Studio, Hill Street, Belfast
Breakfast by: Yellow Door

For more details and to book your free place visit our website link below and in profile 

 https://blickstudios.org/events/creative-brunch-with-innovate-uk-business-growth/

#innovateukbusinessgrowth
*NEW EVENT*

*******************************************
Digital Brunch: Lessons From A Canva Addict
*******************************************

Homewerk and Blick Shared Studios present an occasional series of relaxed Saturday morning meet-ups for creatives, communicators and the digitally curious, to explore practical skills, emerging trends, and fresh ideas in digital media.

Love it or loathe it, Canva is now well established as an essential tool for creating social media posts, presentations, branding and much more besides, making graphic design accessible to everyone. If your creative or business projects have made you something of an accidental designer through Canva, this relaxed morning taster workshop will revisit some of the basics of the platform and principles of design, and demonstrate some of the ways to make the most of Canva’s capabilities.

Workshop Details
-—————

Date: Saturday 27th September
Time: 10.00am – 12.15pm
Location: Blick Studios, Hill Street, Belfast

Cost: £15.00

For more info and to book a ticket visit the events page of our website (link in profile and below)

https://blickstudios.org/events/digital-brunch-lessons-from-a-canva-addict/
Some Monday Motivation from our latest 'Meet the Resident' interview with portrait artist Rachael Armstrong @rachaelpaintsweddings 

You can read Rachael's full interview on our blog link in profile ✨️
Love this space in the afternoon sun!
A summary of some of our recent impact at Blick! We operate as a non-profit social enterprise and put any profits we make from our workspace and services back into supporting the creative community in Belfast 🪴 🌱 🌿
- - AVAILABLE CREATIVE WORKSPACE SOUTH BELFAST - -

�We have one dedicated deskspace coming available from the 1st September in our South Belfast shared creative coworking space:�

– South Belfast location close to the Lisburn Road with lots of shops, coffee shops and bars within walking distance

– £150 per dedicated desk with allocated storage all inclusive (rent, rates, utilities, broadband) no VAT

– 24 hour access

– Breakout area

– 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 or visit the Great Northern Street Studios page of our website for more info (link below and in profile)

�https://blickstudios.org/locations/great-northern-street/
A summary of our story at Blick from when we started way back in 2007, over 17 years ago. A steep learning curve that's for sure!
Some words of wisdom to start your week from our latest Meet the Resident interview with Sarah Baecher, an artist from the U.S. and one of our newest Cotton Court residents!

You can read her full interview on our website link below and in profile https://blickstudios.org/blog/12724/