27th February, 2025
From theatre performances, to concerts, exhibitions and more. Here's your guide to what's on in the Arts....
Arts Council NI Digital arts Showcase: On Tuesday 11th March, 12noon-5pm at The MAC in Belfast, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland will host a free public showcase of work by Northern Ireland’s leading artists working at the interface of cutting-edge technology and the arts. This is an opportunity to meet some of Northern Ireland’s most exciting digital and immersive artists and experience their innovative and exciting work at first hand.
Participating artists include:
Also Exhibiting are: Conan McIvor, Digital Arts Studios, Eileen McClory, Eoin Cleland, Gwen Stevenson, Jordie Burns, Katya Solomatina, Patrick Thomas, Reuben Brown, and Ulster Touring Opera.
The showcase is free to attend but registration is encouraged. Register at https://buytickets.at/artscoun...
Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin: presents Seachtain na Gaeilge. The coming of spring is always a time of growth, especially so for the Irish language in Derry, with a huge spread of events due to take place between the 1st to the 17th of March in Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin, the city centre Irish language and art’s hub!
As a festival centred on celebrating and promoting the island’s native tongue, this year’s Seachtain na Gaeilge programme has just been launched and is open to all ages, abilities, and interests.
With its close proximity to the Gaeltachtaí (Gaeilge-speaking regions) of Donegal, Derry boasts a long and rich connection with the Irish language. Local historian Mary Delargy will be leading a bilingual walking tour and booklet launch to uncover these links. Meanwhile, all are welcome to help shape the future of the language in the city with an open meeting to be held, focussed on gaining insights from residents on how an Irish language development officer could best benefit the people of Derry.
The demand for such a role is increasingly clear with the Waterside’s first Irish-medium school opening last September. As part of the festival, the growing Irish language community in the waterside will be coming together for a family day, featuring a bilingual spread of gardening, art, and live music. The afternoon is open to all and held in collaboration with Na Piarsaigh Doire Trasna CLG and Clooney Hall Methodist Church, where the event will be held. If the Cultúrlann is handier as a venue, their ever-popular Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations will also feature plenty of activities suitable for children, along with tasty bites from their café, and music from their music academy, Acadamh Ceoil.
For those looking to get stuck into the language, a weekend intensive course will be available, with separate classes tailored to beginner, intermediate, and advanced learners. Bilingual yoga, conversation circles, short film screenings and a Pop Up Gaeltacht will provide plenty of informal opportunities throughout the festival to practise what you’ve picked up as well. To celebrate your efforts, there’ll be a Céilí led by Mary McGuiggan, with a bar available to quench any post-dance thirsts.
The full programme is available on the Cultúrlann website at www.culturlann.org/event
To keep up to date, you can follow the organisation’s social media at @culturlanndoire on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. For any further queries, you can contact eolas@culturlann.org, call (+44) 028 7126 4132, and visit them at Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin, 37 Great James’ Street, Derry, BT48 7DF.
Look North Festival: will take place from Friday 28th February to Sunday 02 March 2025. A wonderful weekend of literature, heritage, music, poetry, comedy, entertainment, discussion and community collaboration. Visit https://northbelfastfestival.c...
Belfast Children’s Festival: 6-15 Mar 2025. Belfast Children’s Festival is not just for the young, but also the young at heart with local, national and international performances and events to entertain, surprise and delight. Highlights include:
The full programme can be viewed at https://youngatart.co.uk/
Saint Patrick’s Music Festival with Belfast Tradfest: includes the following concerts,
This St. Patrick's Music Festival will see an extraordinary celebration of traditional Irish music. For tickets go to www.belfasttraditionalmusic.co...
Echo Echo Festival of Dance & Movement: The tenth edition of Echo Echo's international festival takes place from 6-21 March featuring a range of performances, workshops and events in Derry-Londonderry. The wonderful celebration of dance features local, national and international dance artists. View the full programme at www.echoechodance.com
Moving On Music: presents the Brilliant Corners Festival of Jazz in Belfast from 28 February to 8 March. The festival features eight days of world-class music – every gig different, every gig special. If you’ve been before, you’ll know how special Brilliant Corners is. If you’re new to Brilliant Corners, you’re in for a treat. You can pay per concert or take advantage of their good value Full-Festival Ticket, giving access to all 11 gigs for £45 (limited number available). Highlights include:
To view the full programme visit www.brilliantcornersbelfast.co...
Feel Good Festival: The historic Portico of Ards in Portaferry is set to come alive with vibrant music, arts and cultural events as the much-anticipated Feel Good Festival, 1 – 31 March 2025, prepares to awaken your senses and welcome in Spring with five weekends of sumptuous sounds. The Feel Good Festival programme features: Nordic choral sensation Sjaella; New York’s finest chamber ensemble The Calidore String Quartet; Motown magic from the 60s and 70s with The Iconettes; Come on and Sing, Get Happy! workshop with Una McCann; DJ Reductio presents The Mashup Dance Event; organ recital with Peter Stevens from Westminster Cathedral; new and acclaimed local (NI) pop/rock band The Breeze; Sound Bath Journey with Tessa Ann; comedy with Paddy McDonnell: Dagger and 50 Years of Hits with Foster & Allen. For further information on booking festival tickets and accommodation offers visit www.porticoards.com
Belfast XR Festival presents: In Pursuit of Repetitive Beat, the UK’s biggest immersive VR experience comes to Belfast in 2025. Taking place at Carlisle Memorial Church, Belfast from 24 February – 26 March. In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats, the internationally acclaimed, award-winning interactive VR adventure that transports you into the heart of the Acid House movement is coming to Belfast in 2025 at the stunning Carlisle Memorial Church venue. The VR experience, produced by East City Films and created by Darren Emerson, will visit eight cities across the UK from Belfast and Cardiff to London. The tour is jointly supported by Arts Council England and BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund.
The experience will take audiences back in time to the beginning of the Acid House movement and the creation of UK rave culture telling a multicultural story of collaboration and unity that celebrates music, friendship, and the joy of youth. ‘Beats uses Virtual Reality (VR) technology to fully immerse audiences in a one-hour multi-sensory interactive experience that is awash with meticulous period detail. It surrounds participants with the sounds, senses, and the thrill of being young (again).
Tickets are now on sale for In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats at Belfast’s Carlisle Memorial Church, here: https://www.belfastxrfestival....
Walled City Music Festival: Get ready for an extraordinary musical extravaganza as the Walled City Music Festival returns 13 - 16 March 2025, bringing world-class music once more to the heart of Derry. This year’s festival promises four days of incredible music, featuring internationally acclaimed artists, stunning collaborations, and guaranteed breathtaking performances in the intimate Great Hall at Ulster University. Celebrate St. Patrick’s weekend in style at the Walled City Music Festival. View the full programme at www.walledcitymusic.com
Imagine Festival of Ideas and Politics: The Imagine! festival takes place in Belfast every March and presents a unique way of imagining the future of this great city — and the wider world. We present high-quality showcases for the discussion of contemporary political and societal issues including new ideas on politics, culture and activism from some of the world’s leading contemporary thinkers. But it’s not all brain-melting policy discussions: there’s something for everyone in the form of exhibitions, humour, family events, music, theatre, tours, workshops and film and whatever else we can find to fire your imagination. https://imaginebelfast.com/
Féile an Earraigh: presents a spring festival that promotes Irish language, traditional music and culture through the arts from Saturday 1 March to Monday 17 March 2025. The festival attracts diverse audiences and culminates in St Patrick's Day celebrations.
The festival in 2025 includes:
For festival updates go to www.feilebelfast.com
Maiden Voyage Dance: present Moonlight Dream, A Baby’s Cosmic Odyssey which will premiere at The Crescent Arts Centre, Belfast, as part of Belfast Children’s Festival 2025.
Performance Dates & Times:
Saturday 8th & Sunday 9th March 2025
11.00am & 2.00pm Daily
** Age 0-3 years. Performance Time 30 minutes with 10 minutes Stay & Play (post performance)
Journey into the world of dreams and explore the mysteries of the night sky alongside a nurturing bear and a playful fox. Moonlight Dream by Georgia Tegou is a new dance production for babies aged 0-3 years and their caregivers and is suitable for the whole family. Accompanied by a music suite for piano and harp, performed live by composer Ursula Burns, little ones (and big ones!) will be mesmerised by this gentle journey inspired by a child’s transition into sleep. This 30-minute performance takes place at 11:00am and 2:00pm each day and will be followed by a 10-minute Stay and Play session.
Moonlight Dream is co-commissioned and produced by Maiden Voyage Dance supported by the National Lottery through the Arts Council Northern Ireland and is co-commissioned by Luail, the new all island dance company supported by Arts Council Ireland / An Chomhairle Ealaíon.
Tickets available online www.youngatart.co.uk/belfast-childrens-festival or in Person from the Crescent Arts Centre, 2-4 University Road, Belfast, BT7 1NH - Tel: 028 90242338.
Lyric Theatre: presents an exciting programme of events with highlights including:
• 1 Feb – 1 Mar. The Gap Year. This heartwarming and hilarious comedy follows newly widowed Kate, childminder-in-chief Roisin and their best friend Oonagh have decided enough is enough. Life is too short – they’re going to follow in their children’s footsteps and take a Gap Year. Thailand? Europe? Down Under? No, they're visiting every county in Ireland, sure there’s a few they’ve never even heard of! It's time for castles, coffee and craic as three women in their 60s go on the adventure of a lifetime. On Wednesday 19th February The Lyric presents an exclusive Gala Performance of The Gap Year, with all tickets purchased supporting their important work in the community and with young people.
• 4-8 Mar, Three Short Comedies by Seán O’Casey.
o Set in a post office, A Pound on Demand (1939) is the tale of Jerry and Sammy who badly need a quick injection of cash to continue their night on the town.
o In Bedtime Story (1951), poor John Jo Mulligan learns the hard way that inviting members of the opposite sex to Miss Mossie's lodging house comes with serious consequences.
o All hell breaks loose in The End of the Beginning (1937) when Darry Berrill and his wife Lizzie agree to swap their household roles - and that's before Darry's clumsy friend Barry arrives.
Druid return to the Lyric Theatre with these classic rip-roaring one-act plays by one of Ireland’s greatest playwrights, following their sold-out run of Druid O’Casey in 2023. These short tales of misadventure will be directed by Garry Hynes and performed by Druid ensemble members Marie Mullen, Rory Nolan and Marty Rea, alongside Venetia Bowe, Caitríona Ennis and Liam Heslin.
• 9 Mar, The Belfast Ensemble: presents THE NECKLACE, 9 MARCH 2024 at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast. Belfast Ensemble premiere a heart breaking new musical theatre love story, live in concert at the Lyric. For one spectacular night, the internationally acclaimed Belfast Ensemble (Abomination, Propaganda) will perform Ivor Novello nominated composer Conor Mitchell’s ravishing new musical in an unforgettable gala concert. Based on the classic French love story, and with large live orchestra, this heart wrenching score receives its Irish premiere on the Lyric stage and promises to be a groundbreaking night for new musicals
• 8-9 Mar, Fall & Float (Young At Art as part of the Belfast Children’s Festival 2025). A charming show for young audiences, full of discovery, play and balloons. With playful energy, impressive acrobatics, comic timing and a joyful soundscape, two dancers create a magical world through the clever manipulation of simple balloons. Their imagination seems to know no bounds- resulting in a hypnotic, funny and uplifting performance full of falling, throwing, catching, stumbling, floating... and sometimes maybe even a little bit of flying...
• 14-30 Mar, The Velveteen Rabbit, a Lyric Theatre & Replay Theatre Co-production. A boy, his favourite toy, and how love makes us real. Replay’s new show is an original musical adapted from the children’s classic The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams. It’s a nostalgic, fun and tender tale of a boy, his favourite toy and how being loved can make us real. A story about growing up and figuring out where you fit in. With a brand-new script by celebrated writer Jan Carson and music from Duke Special, this show brings together the very best of Northern Irish talent in a theatrical feast for all the family.
For further details on these and to view all events visit www.lyrictheatre.co.uk
DU Dance: visit www.dudanceni.com
Grand Opera House: presents an exciting series of shows including,
For tickets and to view the full programme please visit www.goh.co.uk
Strand Arts Centre: The Strand Arts Centre has opened a new temporary home in Connswater Shopping Centre as it undergoes multi-million pound refurbishment. It will be hosting a range of activities and events over the coming weeks and months at Connswater including:
visit www.strandartscentre.com
The Playhouse in Derry-Londonderry: Visit www.derryplayhouse.co.uk
Linen Hall Library: the Linen Hall Library is a truly unique institution. Founded in 1788, it is the oldest library in Belfast. The library is free for all to enter and enjoy. The Linen Hall Library offers a year-round programme of arts and cultural events featuring authors, academics, historians, performers, and much more. To view the full events programme at this wonderful library visit www.linenhall.com
Millennium Forum Derry-Londonderry: presents music, comedy, theatre and more with highlights including:
THE MAC: presents a fantastic programme of theatre, comedy music and talks with highlights including:
For all this and more visit www.themaclive.com to view a full programme of events and exhibitions.
Crescent Arts Centre: presents a series of language, visual arts, craft, music, dance classes, and more plus workshops and events. Events include:
Visit www.crescentarts.org for details.
Seamus Heaney HomePlace: View the full programme at www.seamusheaneyhome.com
BBC Northern Ireland and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland Young Musicians’ Platform Classical Winners Concert: will take place on 20th March at Belfast Cathedral with the Ulster Orchestra.
Join BBC Northern Ireland and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland as it celebrates the 3 classical winners of their NI Young Musicians’ Platform Awards: a biennial scheme offering monetary development awards and broadcast opportunities.
Soprano Zoë Jackson, harpist Rosie Murphy and violinist Sam Kane make their debuts with the Ulster Orchestra, with music by composers including Puccini, Lehar, Handel, Debussy and Sibelius. This dazzling showcase will be introduced by BBC Radio Ulster’s John Toal and will also feature set works from the GCSE and A-Level syllabus. Among them:
Bernstein: Three Dances from On The Town
Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E Flat Major, Op.55 (Eroica), 4th movement
John Williams: Superman March
The Ulster Orchestra will be conducted by Stephen Bell, who is currently Associate Conductor of the Hallé Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.
Zoë Jackson (soprano)
Rosie Murphy (harp)
Sam Kane (violin)
Ulster Orchestra
Stephen Bell (conductor)
Tickets are free but must be booked at https://www.bbc.co.uk/showsand...
David Lyttle Live at the MAC: Celebrated jazz musician David Lyttle hosts a weekly series at the MAC every Saturday from 2:30pm featuring acclaimed international performers, next generation NI talent and the unique Jazzlife Jam for under 18s. Born in Co. Armagh, David has brought his projects to almost 50 countries and received nominations in the MOBO Awards and Urban Music Awards for Best Jazz Act. He has collaborated with cutting edge jazz icons of today from Joe Lovano to Kurt Rosenwinkel, as well as unique studio projects in hip-hop with Talib Kweli and spoken word with Liam Neeson. Closer to home he founded the Jazzlife Alliance charity in 2018 and in 2021 established its flagship jazz improvisation programme Jazz Juniors, which now operates nationally in three NI hubs.
David will perform in the MAC’s upstairs cafe space from 2:30pm every Saturday until June with special guests from six countries scheduled and up-and-coming NI talent featured regularly. Free to the public thanks to the support of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and The MAC, the event’s second half will see under 18s from Jazz Juniors and beyond take to the stage for the Jazzlife Jam in association with Jazzlife Alliance.
Follow David Lyttle on social media for news and updates.
Saint Patrick’s Music Festival with Belfast Tradfest: includes the following concerts,
This St. Patrick's Music Festival will see an extraordinary celebration of traditional Irish music. For tickets go to www.belfasttraditionalmusic.co...
The Belfast Ensemble: presents THE NECKLACE, 9 MARCH 2024 at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast. Belfast Ensemble premiere a heart breaking new musical theatre love story, live in concert at the Lyric.
For one spectacular night, the internationally acclaimed Belfast Ensemble (Abomination, Propaganda) will perform Ivor Novello nominated composer Conor Mitchell’s ravishing new musical in an unforgettable gala concert. Based on the classic French love story, and with large live orchestra, this heart wrenching score receives its Irish premiere on the Lyric stage and promises to be a groundbreaking night for new musicals. Book tickets at www.lyrictheatre.co.uk
Moving On Music: presents the Brilliant Corners Festival of Jazz in Belfast from 28 February to 8 March. The festival features eight days of world-class music – every gig different, every gig special. If you’ve been before, you’ll know how special Brilliant Corners is. If you’re new to Brilliant Corners, you’re in for a treat. You can pay per concert or take advantage of their good value Full-Festival Ticket, giving access to all 11 gigs for £45 (limited number available). Highlights include:
To view the full programme visit www.brilliantcornersbelfast.co...
Afghan Women Solidarity Concert with Beyond Skin and the Ulster Orchestra: On International Women's Day 8 March, Belfast will host the Afghan Women Solidarity Concert featuring special guests performing with the Ulster Orchestra. A supporting fringe programme of events will take place from 9-11 March and will include businesses, community groups and schools. The full line up and more information will be announced on the Beyond Skin website. Beyond Skin is also seeking local businesses, foundations, and individual donor who may be able to support elements of the events, those interested should contact jasleen.beyondskin@gmail.com
For more details visit www.beyondskin.net/iwd25
Northern Ireland Opera: presents,
13-20 Sep 2025, Follies, Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman. Northern Ireland Opera’s next major production at the Grand Opera House is ‘Follies’, winner of 7 Tony Awards on its debut on Broadway in 1971. Set in that same year, the girls of Weismann’s ‘Follies’ are returning with their partners to the decaying theatre on Broadway which holds so many memories for them for one last time before it is demolished. Time may have moved on, but inside the theatre old connections stir, rivalries flare and ghosts of the past are woken. By the time they all leave the theatre for one last time, their world’s will have shifted and nothing will be the same again. With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by James Goldman, this legendary work features unforgettable songs including ‘Broadway Baby’, ‘I’m Still Here’, ‘Could I Leave You’, and ‘Losing My Mind’. ‘Follies’ will be directed by Cameron Menzies, Artistic Director of Northern Ireland Opera.
Visit www.niopera.com for more information on all events.
Moving on Music: presents,
Visit www.movingonmusic.com
Portico of Ards: presents
Feel Good Festival: The historic Portico of Ards in Portaferry is set to come alive with vibrant music, arts and cultural events as the much-anticipated Feel Good Festival, 1 – 31 March 2025, prepares to awaken your senses and welcome in Spring with five weekends of sumptuous sounds. The Feel Good Festival programme features: Nordic choral sensation Sjaella; New York’s finest chamber ensemble The Calidore String Quartet; Motown magic from the 60s and 70s with The Iconettes; Come on and Sing, Get Happy! workshop with Una McCann; DJ Reductio presents The Mashup Dance Event; organ recital with Peter Stevens from Westminster Cathedral; new and acclaimed local (NI) pop/rock band The Breeze; Sound Bath Journey with Tessa Ann; comedy with Paddy McDonnell: Dagger and 50 Years of Hits with Foster & Allen. For further information on booking festival tickets and accommodation offers visit www.porticoards.com
Ulster Orchestra:
Visit www.ulsterorchestra.com for the full programme.
Oh Yeah Centre Belfast: presents a programme of music and tours with highlights including,
The NI Music exhibition at Oh Yeah is the only permanent exhibit for popular music in Northern Ireland. There is much to see, including a series of storyboards documenting and plotting the history and the stories of Folk, Punk, Rock, Jazz and more. Exhibition Opening Times, Mon – Fri: 10am-4pm, Sat: 12-5pm. To enquire about a visit, or for further info and group bookings please contact info@ohyeahbelfast.com or call 02890310845
Visit www.ohyeahbelfast.com
The Black Box: presents a varied programme of music, comedy, street art tours and other arts events with highlights including:
For further information visit www.blackboxbelfast.com
Scott’s Jazz Club: Scott's Jazz Club runs a weekly concert in Ballyhackamore club 1a Sandown Road every Friday Night from 9pm. The club provides a welcoming environment for world class jazz music to be experienced in a concert setting. For upcoming performances visit Scott's Jazz Club (scottsjazzclub.com)
ITMA: 'Drawing from the Well' is an online monthly ITMA series which connects artists with archival materials to inspire new art. To date, nine videos, podcasts and blogs have been created by leading traditional musicians, singers, and dancers, including Louise Mulcahy, Martin Hayes, Edwina Guckian and Cormac Begley. All episodes are free to view online at https://www.itma.ie/drawingfro...
Tommy Sands and Artsawonder: In this new online film series, legendary musician, Tommy Sands, films, sings, listens and learns from a singing five times world champion drum major Alan McBride, two young women, Jenna Stevenson and Wendy Graham Hanna, who initiate and drive an Arts hub shop, a rhythmic drum weaver rhythmic drum weaver Damien McKeown and a young woman Bronagh Kelly who lovingly echoes the poetry of her mother. To watch visit Media | Artsawonder (wixsite.com)
A combined male voice choir concert: Friday 28th March at Fisherwick Presbyterian Church, Belfast in aid of The Prostate Cancer Centre of Excellence QUB. The concert features the Queen’s Island Victoria Male Choir, The Boys Brigade Centenary Male Voice Choir, and Ballymoney and District Male Voice Choir. Doors 6:45, concert starts at 7:30pm. Suggested donation £10
Prison Arts Foundation: presents, the Imprisoned Imagination Exhibition, 7-30 March, 2 Royal Avenue Belfast. This exhibition showcases the inspiring and powerful artwork created by incarcerated individuals, offering a unique perspective on creativity, resilience, and the transformative power of the arts.
Circusful:
Young at Art Children’s Fest. Always a highlight in the Belfast events calendar, the Young at Art Belfast Children’s Festival returns in March and features two exciting circus shows this year including:
Visit www.circusful.org for information on all of the above.
Afghan Women Solidarity Concert with Beyond Skin and the Ulster Orchestra: On International Women's Day 8 March, Belfast will host the Afghan Women Solidarity Concert featuring special guests performing with the Ulster Orchestra. A supporting fringe programme of events will take place from 9-11 March and will include businesses, community groups and schools. The full line up and more information will be announced on the Beyond Skin website. Beyond Skin is also seeking local businesses, foundations, and individual donor who may be able to support elements of the events, those interested should contact jasleen.beyondskin@gmail.com
For more details visit www.beyondskin.net/iwd25
Crescent Arts Centre has a new term of classes to book and enjoy now. Fancy learning to speak some Italian before your holiday to Italy this year? Well now’s your chance! From visual arts, language classes, acting, dance, music making and more, there’s something to tantalise all tastes. Visit www.crescentarts.co.uk
Duncairn: presents live music from the following,
The Duncairn also has a range of workshops and craft classes and courses. For further details visit www.theduncairn.com
Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich: presents,
For this and more visit www.culturlann.ie
Greater Shantallow Community Arts: presents Spill The Tae Youth Led Podcast from the young people at Studio2/GSCA. This amazing group of creative young people have launched their very own podcast and it can be found on Spotify or Apple Podcast. The young people plan, host, interview and edit the Podcast. To date they have interviewed some of their local MLA’s, Councillors, survivors and local Derry’s own Serena Terry, creator of Mammy Banter. As well as this they have a voice and a safe place where they can openly talk about mental health and what it means to them. You can find the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcast.
Eden Place Arts Centre: in Derry-Londonderry has an exciting range of courses and workshops to get your creative juices flowing including wood sculpture, Inner Landscapes, Abstract Art, Ceramics, Painting for Beginners, Contemporary Botanical Watercolours, Landscape Painting Life Painting, Spinning and Weaving plus Portrait Painting, among others. All courses are designed for adults aged 18+. Visit www.edenplaceartscentre.com
WheelWorks Arts: presents,
ArtCart: Unique to WheelWorks Arts (WWA) is their ArtCart community engagement and outreach programme, which brings creative and artistic activities to your community. ArtCart is also the name WWA gives to its bespoke vehicle that can travel across Northern Ireland and transform into a unique workshop space. ArtCart is available for hire at youth, community, education, and festival events, bringing artistic and creative activities to the community. The available inventive activities cover digital and traditional arts and can include animation, DJing/music making, arts & crafts, and digital arts using augmented and virtual reality. For further information and to hear about their special Art Cart offers over Christmas, visit https://www.wheelworksarts.com... or email artcart@wheelworksarts.com.
TS3 Programme: The Tech Studio Skills Share (TS3 programme) is a new initiative by WheelWorks Arts (WWA) that offers training to help people improve their creativity and skills in digital communication by harnessing the specialist artistic expertise of the WWA team. The staff team at WWA consists of professional artists and digital innovators who have a wealth of knowledge, talent, and experience in delivering creative activities. They are now offering a range of training opportunities to the corporate and commercial sectors. For further information, visit https://www.wheelworksarts.com....
TechStudio: This is a 60m2 meeting room and collaboration space available for hire at our office in Weaver's Court, close to Belfast city centre (BT12 5GH). The room is equipped with a range of digital and recording resources, including cameras, green screens, tripods, iPads, and an interactive whiteboard, all available for hire. For pricing and to book the TechStudio, please use our online booking system. For further information, visit https://www.wheelworksarts.com... or email info@wheelworksarts.com or business@wheelworksarts.com.
ChangeMaker: This is a programme by WWA that connects people from diverse communities with varied identities within organisations, communities, or geographical areas. It encourages open dialogue, exploration, and recognition of differences to foster mutual inclusion, enhance interpersonal understanding, and ultimately boost inter and intra-community cohesion. The programme explores perceptions, stereotypes, and misconceptions that workshop participants may have, with a view to understanding other contributors' values, heritage, biases, and experiences, and why people may have certain views or stereotypes. It also highlights how many of these perspectives may be unintentional, unconscious, and often unchallenged. For more information, contact Lesley@wheelworksarts.com.
Streetwise Community Circus: Fancy learning how to juggle and other circus skills?! In response to Covid 19 Streetwise Community Circus has developed a team of tutors who are now working via Zoom to reach out to those who can no longer participate in workshops. To take advantage of this opportunity all you have to do is email Streetwise on streetwiseathome@gmail.com. Suitable for participants who range in age from 8 to 80 plus.
Late Night Art Bangor: LNA Bangor is an initiative that aims to share Bangor’s amazing arts and cultural venues and showcase the creatives who live and work there. On the last Thursday of every month from 6-9pm you can enjoy open house across the city centre. LNA is about encouraging collective effort. All you need is to share the goal of creating a vibrant arts community. Visit www.latenighartbangor.com
The MAC Belfast: presents, I see his blood upon the Rose, 8 Nov 2024 - 30 Mar 2025, a major MAC exhibition across all three galleries that traces the history of the flower in art, its evolution from botanical illustrations to the opulent still-life paintings of the 17th century, their adoption as symbols of political influence, revolution, and human control over nature. Visit www.themaclive.com
Craft NI: presents a new exhibition, ‘Makers Who Teach: ME. HERE. NOW.’ Dates: March 6 – May 2, 2025; exhibition opens March 6 at 6pm. Building on the success of the first ‘Makers Who Teach’ exhibition which took place in 2023, Craft NI are pleased to present the 2025 edition of this unique event. This year’s theme, Me. Here. Now, highlights the creative practices of makers who teach others as part of their overall practice, whether it’s in classrooms, workshops and communities. The show focuses on their current creative endeavours and it shines a spotlight on their recent works, ensuring they are seen and appreciated not only as teachers, but also as makers.
Exhibiting makers: Aisling Higgins, Alison Gault, Andrea Hayes, Clare Bowe, Heather Burgess, Helen Hancock, Jonathan Williams, Justine Bonenfant, Louisa McCartney, Maggie Napier, Natasha Duddy, Nichola Dalton, Patrick Colhoun, Ruzica Ruane, Sandra Kerr, Scott Benefield, Shauna McCann, Theresa Kelly, Tracey Johnston. Visit www.craftni.org
Seacourt Print Workshop: Seacourt is a friendly open-access print workshop based in the seaside town of Bangor, Northern Ireland. They offer membership, courses and resources for all, as well as our self-arranged residency programme and exhibitions. Visit https://seacourt-ni.org.uk/#
Golden Thread Gallery: Belfast's leading contemporary art gallery, located at 23-29 Queen Street, BT1 6EA. Free Entry.
Current exhibition: History of The Present: Maria Fusco and Margaret Salmon, 15 Feb – 29 Mar 2025. Together with the Golden Thread Gallery, Maria Fusco and Margaret Salmon present History of the Present, an exhibition based around the critically acclaimed work of the same name, History of the Present (2023). This 46-minute experimental opera-film was made collaboratively by Fusco and Salmon, featuring new compositions by Annea Lockwood, libretto by Maria Fusco and improvisational vocal work by Héloïse Werner.
Made on 35mm film and video on the streets of Belfast, in the Ulster Museum, and the Royal Opera House in London, History of the Present observes how defensive architecture defines movement to enforce intersectional histories and identities within daily experiences in conflict and post-conflict zones on an international level.
Visit https://goldenthreadgallery.co...
Belfast Exposed: presents,
Healing Through Photography. Northern Ireland’s leading photography centre announces Healing Through Photography: Trauma & The Art of Recovery; a unique two day event investigating the powerful role of photography in improving mental health and wellbeing. On 7 and 8 April 2025, hundreds of mental health practitioners, clinicians, leading academics, educators, photographers and those with lived experience of mental health issues will gather at Belfast’s MAC theatre, as Belfast Exposed hosts its second “Healing Through Photography” conference.
Designed to inspire and equip attendees with practical tools and meaningful insights into the potential of therapeutic photography to heal trauma, the event will be hosted by award-winning comedian, BBC presenter, and TEDx speaker Emer Maguire and will feature world-class speakers, interactive workshops, and thought-provoking panels.
Highlights of the conference will include keynotes by global authority on PhotoTherapy techniques, Judy Weiser, and renowned artist-photographer and pioneer of re-enactment phototherapy, Rosy Martin. With two packed mornings of speakers and panels, the afternoons offer a chance for attendees to join experts and practitioners to get hands-on experience of techniques in a range of iconic settings including the Maritime Mile, the Belfast School of Art, Belfast’s peace walls, and the Ulster Folk Museum. For early risers, there will also be a sunrise walk at Cavehill.
Belfast Exposed will also host special exhibitions at their gallery in Donegall Street from 3 to 25 April, giving conference-goers a chance to experience work by Northern Irish photographers who have used photography to reflect on their mental health. This will include a compelling collection of work by Ballymena’s David McKinney which aims to foster awareness, dialogue and stigma reduction around suicide, following the loss of his three friends to suicide and his own personal experience of being a missing person with suicidal intent.
Visit www.belfastexposed.com for tickets.
Yvette Monahan: Fibre – Nature-friendly Flax Farming
Dates: on now until 22nd March 2025
Venue: Belfast Exposed
https://www.belfastexposed.org...
In collaboration with The Gaia Foundation’s campaign “We Feed The UK”, Belfast Exposed presents “Fibre” by Yvette Monahan.
We Feed The UK is a nationwide environmental storytelling campaign from The Gaia Foundation. To disrupt the dominant narrative about farming, they have paired photographers and poets with the UK's best custodians of soil, sea, and seed.
At Mallon Farm in County Tyrone, Helen Keys and Charlie are not just resurrecting the tradition of flax cultivation but doing so with an awe-inspiring resilience. Their 'wee blue blossom' is chemical-free, hand-harvested, retted in rainwater, scutched on a restored turbine, and woven into local supply chains.
Photographer Yvette Monahan's year-long journey to capture the flax growing and production process at Mallon Farm has been a testament to the beauty and significance of this age-old tradition, bringing it to life through the seasons.
Portrait of Belfast: Part II
Dates: On now until 22nd March 2025
Venue: Belfast Exposed
https://www.belfastexposed.org...
Belfast Exposed presents Portrait of Belfast: Part II, an original photographic project and exhibition that celebrates the people who make up contemporary Belfast.
Portrait of Belfast: Part II features over 300 black and white images that include staged studio portraits, environmental street photography and images submitted by members of the public. These beautiful examples of noir-style portraiture evoke a strong sense of the city’s diverse communities and the people behind its stories.
Within the images that make up Portrait of Belfast, you’ll find musicians, writers, comedians, politicians, activists, artists, teachers, social workers, carers, parents, children and more. People from all ages and backgrounds. The resulting collection is a portrait of the people who make up Belfast today, reflecting both the city's history and future.
VOID Art Centre: presents,
Deirdre O’Mahony, 11 Jan – 8 Mar 2025. It is winter at Void Art Centre and time to reflect. This year they are grateful to inhabit the coldest season with a project that grows ideas we have been nurturing throughout the previous seasons. they are happy to do so with a long-term project by Deirdre O’Mahony; an artist with whom VOID not only shares an interest in food and farming but to whom they also feel very connected because of her slow and in depth approach to research and art practice.
FARMWORK presents a selection of Deirdre O’Mahony’s artworks made over the past ten years, reflecting on her interest in the politics of landscape, rural sustainability and food security, challenging mainstream narratives around agricultural matters and policy. In this project three distinct bodies of work expand on questions prompted by the artist’s extended research into the history of agricultural development.
Trial + Error reflects upon the efforts of one man, John Silke, to build up the seed potato industry in Donegal. FARM is a photographic and text installation of small farms in Ireland, UK and USA, including a new selection of image/texts from Northern Irish farmers.
At the heart of the exhibition The Quickening, a sound and moving image artwork, reflects on the relationship between farming, food production, and the social and economic impact of agricultural policies on soil, biodiversity, and climate change. Thanks to the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s support, Deirdre visited us in November for a field trip here in the North West. She met with some generous farmers and carried out more research and production locally. The Quickening was commissioned by The Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin and supported by The Arts Council of Ireland/An Chomhairle Ealaíon.
Visit the VOID website for full details at www.derryvoid.com
Platform Arts: Visit www.nuacollective.com for more information.
CCA: presents, Urgencies, 18 Jan – 15 Mar 2025.
Artists include Hannah Casey-Brogan, Niall McLaughlin, Cara Donaghey, Kelly Ewing, Emily Waszak, Katrina Cobain, Leah Corbett, Aidan O'Neill, Sgàire Wood, James Mooney/Alex Pollock/Rodhlann Mossop/Sadhbh Sheehan.
URGENCIES (2025) is CCA's biennial group exhibition selected through open call. The artists represent a snapshot of some of the concerns and interests held today by early-career artists connected to our region. Working across a wide range of media, the topics covered include ecological breakdown, mental health, toxic masculinity, conflict, privilege, power, preservation and healthcare. Many of the works have been inspired by personal experience and specific issues but speak to wider national and global contexts such as medication shortages, violent attacks on identity, library closures, flooding, and the toxic blooms of Lough Neagh. The project will launch on Saturday 18 January 2025 at 7pm and will take place in CCA’s galleries and offsite. The exhibition will run until 15 March 2025.
Visit www.ccadld.org for more details.
Flowerfield Arts Centre - 11/01/25 – 01/03/25
Here, There and Them
A group exhibition of up to 30 works from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland Collection co-curated with Flowerfield, charting a range of practices across painting, print, sculpture and craft disciplines over the last 20 years, featuring some of our early acquisitions to the most recent.
Market Place Arts Centre - 28/03/25-10/05/25
25th Anniversary Exhibition
A group exhibition of up to 25 works from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland I Collection selected by the Market Place, celebrating the work of artists from the ABC borough held in the Collection across disciplines and also those who have previously exhibited in the centre in its 25-year history.
Vault Artist Studios: Join curators Zippy, Wee Nuls and Kerrie Hanna in Vault Artist Studios Marlborough House, Belfast as they celebrate International Women’s Day 2025, presenting a group show CAILLEACH featuring work from women artists based in Ireland. The word Cailleach translates as old woman, the divine hag. Within the Celtic wheel of the year The Cailleach is attributed as the Veiled One, mysterious, powerful, and often a shapeshifter who was celebrated as winter gave way to Spring. This is a moment to honour the deep ancestral knowledge which works its way down generations of women and to celebrate the power of the hag.
The work in this exhibition not only celebrates women’s power and the power of the collective to enact change, but also acts as a stark reminder of the ongoing fight for women's rights and the progress still needed to achieve true gender parity. The exhibition will launch alongside Late Night Art on 6th March from 6-9pm, and be open Saturday 2-5pm, Sunday 12-5, Monday 12-5pm. There will be interactive events throughout the duration of the exhibition to include Placard Making for International Women’s Day March, drop in, 12-5pm Friday 7th and an Artist Breakfast on Saturday 8th March from 12-2pm - please book via eventbrite for this event.
You are also warmly invited to join for the IWD March itself leaving from Vault Marlborough House on 8th March to join the parade and make your voice heard for Women’s Rights both at home and across the World. For more information, follow on instagram @Cailleach_Exhibition and/or book attendance at the events via Eventbrite - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o...
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