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What's on in the Arts
23rd May, 2025
From theatre performances, to concerts, exhibitions and more, here's your guide to what's on in the Arts....
Obon on the Foyle:
The Foyle Obon Japanese Festival returns in spectacular style to Derry on Saturday 24 May 2025, with a landmark headline performance by two members of Kodo, Japan’s most internationally acclaimed taiko drumming ensemble. Held at The Playtrail, this year’s festival promises to be the most exciting and memorable to date. Kodo members Eiichi Saito and Taiyo Onoda will bring their extraordinary skill, energy, and artistry to the outdoor stage at The Playtrail, offering a rare and powerful experience of world-class taiko. Known for their dynamic stage presence and dedication to the centuries-old tradition of Japanese drumming, Kodo has toured across six continents, inspiring audiences worldwide with their precision and passion. Their appearance at Foyle Obon 2025 marks a momentous occasion not just for the festival and the city—a rare opportunity to witness artists of this calibre live in Northern Ireland.
The Foyle Obon Japanese Festival is a joyful celebration of Japanese music, dance, arts, and community spirit. Open to all, the festival transforms the beautiful grounds of the Playtrail into a ‘Little Tokyo’ featuring live performances of community and performance taiko, traditional Japanese dance, arts, craft and sushi workshops, games, Japanese folk tales and traditional ‘Kakigori’ ices! An afternoon of family friendly activities inspired by the Japanese summer festival tradition on Obon Festivals.
The festival runs from 2pm – 6pm. Entrance is £10 per person (under 3s free). Tickets are only available online here https://tinyurl.com/jhn66hc7
Belfast Photo Festival:
5-20 June, explore the Biosphere as Belfast Photo Festival's 11th edition transcends documentation and creativity. Experience new imagery, commissions, and projects that spark positive change in how we view and inhabit our shared Earth. The festival features a number of public exhibitions in places such as Botanic Gardens, City Hall lawn, Divis Mountain and more, visit https://www.belfastphotofestiv... for full details.
Belfast Book Festival:
The 15th edition of The Belfast Book Festival returns to The Crescent Arts Centre from 5 – 12 June with highlights including:
• Art of Translation: Exhibition Curated by Anna Morrison, Thursday 01 May 2025 until Monday 30 June 2025. Every book cover tells a story. They aim to capture the essence of what’s inside – a novel, a collection of poetry or short stories, a memoir - but that essence can look and feel very different depending on where and when you buy the book. The book you buy in Belfast may look very different to the same title you buy in Italy or China. Curated by Anna Morrison, this exhibition features titles by Irish writers - in their original language, alongside editions in translation: see how the covers vary!
• Pathways to Publication: Panel Discussions for Writers, Thursday 05 June 2025. From fiction to radio, non-fiction and self-publishing, the day includes a series of panel discussions and Q&As with literary agents, industry experts and acclaimed authors.
• Short Stories from the North: Martin Doyle, Declan Meade & Tara McEvoy, Thursday 05 June 2025.
• A Special Event with Oliver Jeffers, Saturday 07 June 2025
• Celebrating the work of Michael Longley: Hosted by Paul Muldoon, Saturday 07 June 2025
• Mind Your Language! Jan Carson & Clara Ministral in conversation, Saturday 07 June 2025
• Page to Screen: Kathryn Ferguson, Wendy Erskine & Stacey Gregg, Sunday 08 June 2025
• Irish Writers Centre Showcase: Young Writer Delegates & New Voices: North 2025, Sunday 8th June 2025
• Life on the Fringes: Eoin McNamee & Darran Anderson, Monday 09 June 2025
• Roddy Doyle: In conversation with Glenn Patterson, Monday 09 June 2025
• Robert Fisk: Reporting from the Frontline - Nelofer Pazira-Fisk, Tuesday 10 June 2025
• Priya Mistry & the Lost Treasure with Babita Sharma, Thursday 12 June 2025
For all of this and much more visit www.belfastbookfestival.com
Belfast Tradfest & Summer School:
Sun 27th July - Sun 3rd August 2025 with a packed programme of concerts and also workshops at their popular Summer School. Concert highlights include:
• Goitse | John Doyle & Mick McAuley, 30 July, Empire Music Hall
• Matt Molloy, John Carty & Brian McGrath | The Breath. 1 Aug, Mandela Hall
• Julie Fowlis, Éamon Doorley, Zoë Conway & John McIntyre with the Ulster Orchestra, 2 Aug, Mandela Hall
• Dervish | NOTIFY, the Irish Concertina Orchestra, Cormac McCarthy & MGCE Concert Orchestra, 27 July, Ulster Hall
• Iarla Ó Lionáird & Tim Edey | Tempest, 31 July, Empire Music Hall
• MOXIE | Kinnaris Quintet, 2 Aug, Mandela Hall
Tickets are available now and places at the summer school can be booked at www.belfasttraditionalsmusic.c...
Lyric Theatre: presents a variety of exciting theatre this spring with highlights including:
• 24-25 May, Cat Laughs Belfast
• 29 May – 1 June, Out in the Country
• 4-7 June, Good with Faces
• 12-14 June, Kyron Burke celebrates Leonard Cohen
• 18 June, The Importance of Being Earnest Gala Night
• 19-21 June, Falling to Earth: My Summer with Bowie
• 24-29 June, Lies Where it Falls
• 31 May – 29 June, The Important of Being Earnest. Step into a world of wit, charm, and sheer hilarity as The Importance of Being Earnest takes centre stage at the Lyric Theatre. Widely regarded as one of the greatest comedies in the English language, Oscar Wilde’s sparkling masterpiece is a riotous satire of Victorian manners, packed with razor-sharp dialogue, tangled romances, and plenty of mistaken identities. Follow the mischievous Jack and Algernon as they navigate secret identities, meddling aunts, and scandalously misplaced handbags, all in the pursuit of love and social standing. But as their carefully crafted lies unravel, chaos reigns—leading to revelations as uproarious as they are unexpected. This vibrant new production brings Wilde’s iconic characters and unforgettable one-liners to life, offering a fresh take on a play that continues to captivate audiences over a century after its debut.
• 24-26 July, Rose + Bud by Commedia of Errors
• 31 July – 16 August, The Tunnel
• 19-31 Aug, In The Name of the Son
• 17-20 Sep, The Snapper by Roddy Doyle
View all events at www.lyrictheatre.co.uk
Grand Opera House: presents an exciting series with highlights including,
• Tina – The Tina Turner Musical, 6-24 May
• Six the Musical – 10-14 June
• NI Opera Morning Melodies, 11 June
• Kinky Boots the Musical, 17-21 June
• Only Fools and Horses The Musical, 23-28 June
For tickets and to view the full programme please visit www.goh.co.uk
Strand Arts Centre: The Strand Arts Centre is undergoing a multi-million pound refurbishment. Visit www.strandartscentre.com
The Playhouse in Derry-Londonderry: presents
• 5 June, NT Live screening - A Streetcar Named Desire
• 11 June, Brassneck Theatre Company presents Anthem For Dissatisfaction. A euphoric, working-class celebration of the power of live music, teenage angst, sibling rivalry and love in this electric and hilarious, coming-of-age anthem for anyone who ever wanted more.
• 19 June, Eoin Ryan presents Trawled, a one-man biographical drama. The actor plays himself 25 years younger!
• 20 June, Ruairi Conaghan presents Lies Where It Falls. Lies Where It Falls uses song, poetry, humour and Shakespeare to tell a courageous story of recovery with life-affirming, soul bearing honesty.
• 4 July, Badisback Productions presents Out In The Country, a story of self-discovery in a world of small minds, and even smaller towns, will have you crying tears of joy, and probably a little gay pride too.
• 29-31 August, ARTS OVER BORDERS: FrielDays – A Homecoming 2025-2029 Kabosh Theatre Company. Co-produced by The Playhouse presents 50th Anniversary Presentation of Volunteers by Brian Friel.
For all this and more 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:
• 28 May, The Snapper by Roddy Doyle
• 30 May, UB40
• 30 May, Diona Doherty
• 2-4 June, Christy Moore
• 7 June, Faithless
• 18-21 June, Annie
• 18-23 August, The Rocky Horror Show
The Millennium Forum also has a number of regular accessible events including:
• Act Your Age, Age Friendly Drama Group – 2 sessions a month
• Moves & Melodies, age friendly song and dance workshop – monthly event
• Dementia Friendly Tea Dance – monthly event
• Energy of Light 15+ Disco – monthly disco
• Sensory Musical Theatre – weekly event
View all events at www.millenniumforum.co.uk
THE MAC: presents a fantastic programme of theatre, comedy music and talks with highlights including:
• 24-25 May, Comedy with Cat Laughs
• 20 March to 4 September, Queer Set Dancing. Come along to a Queer Set Dancing class with Alexa Moore. Part of the MACtivate programme, in association with The Rainbow Project, the MAC’s fortnightly Queer Set Dancing class with Alexa Moore is specifically beginner-friendly. Join Alexa and the group for a fun class with no expectation of any prior dancing experience. The class is run by a queer woman and we aim to create a welcoming and friendly environment for LGBTQ+ people and allies to learn a new dance, have some fun, and meet new people. Come along when you can - you don't need to have joined from the first date to attend. All welcome.
• 5-7 June, Anthem for Dissatisfaction by Gina Donnelly. Irish Twins Sarah and Jamie are about to hit 30. But before they do, they're reliving their greatest hits; ‘Credit crunch’, ‘Austerity’ and ‘Free School Meals’… Benefits Britain never sounded so good! And in 2023 everything’s going wrong again, the bills keep going up and the opportunities keep going down. Sarah and Jamie aren’t two kids in one bedroom anymore, the future is uncertain and there’s only so long you can hang on to the past. A euphoric, working-class celebration of the power of live music, teenage angst, sibling rivalry and love in this electric and hilarious, coming-of-age anthem for anyone who ever wanted more. Winner of the Solas Nua Award at the Dublin Fringe Festival 2024.
• 7 June, Grease School Edition
• 8 June, I’VE LOST MY BOBBLE HAT! A new Nick Cope family show for 2025!
• 11 June, The Science of Intergenerational Trauma with Dr Jane Mulcahy
• 11 June, The Psychology of Psychopaths
• 13 June, music with ABSNT MIND
• 15 June -28 September, Dance Inspirations Express Yourself Live Tour
• 20 June, Further Adventures in Womaning
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. Highlights include:
• Belfast Book Festival: The 15th edition of The Belfast Book Festival returns to The Crescent Arts Centre from 5 – 12 June with highlights including:
• Art of Translation: Exhibition Curated by Anna Morrison, Thursday 01 May 2025 until Monday 30 June 2025. Every book cover tells a story. They aim to capture the essence of what’s inside – a novel, a collection of poetry or short stories, a memoir - but that essence can look and feel very different depending on where and when you buy the book. The book you buy in Belfast may look very different to the same title you buy in Italy or China. Curated by Anna Morrison, this exhibition features titles by Irish writers - in their original language, alongside editions in translation: see how the covers vary!
• Pathways to Publication: Panel Discussions for Writers, Thursday 05 June 2025. From fiction to radio, non-fiction and self-publishing, the day includes a series of panel discussions and Q&As with literary agents, industry experts and acclaimed authors.
• Short Stories from the North: Martin Doyle, Declan Meade & Tara McEvoy, Thursday 05 June 2025.
• A Special Event with Oliver Jeffers, Saturday 07 June 2025
• Celebrating the work of Michael Longley: Hosted by Paul Muldoon, Saturday 07 June 2025
• Mind Your Language! Jan Carson & Clara Ministral in conversation, Saturday 07 June 2025
• Page to Screen: Kathryn Ferguson, Wendy Erskine & Stacey Gregg, Sunday 08 June 2025
• Irish Writers Centre Showcase: Young Writer Delegates & New Voices: North 2025, Sunday 8th June 2025
• Life on the Fringes: Eoin McNamee & Darran Anderson, Monday 09 June 2025
• Roddy Doyle: In conversation with Glenn Patterson, Monday 09 June 2025
• Robert Fisk: Reporting from the Frontline - Nelofer Pazira-Fisk, Tuesday 10 June 2025
• Priya Mistry & the Lost Treasure with Babita Sharma, Thursday 12 June 2025
For all of this and much more visit www.belfastbookfestival.com
• 23 August, Belfast Guitar Festival 2025 Songs in the key of Fleetwood Mac
Visit www.crescentarts.org for details.
Seamus Heaney HomePlace: has launched its arts programme for summer 2025. The summer programme offers a range of world class music, literature and film events including an appearance by one of the UK’s most loved comedians, Frank Skinner, and one of the first performances of Charlotte McCurry’s new play, Julie. View the full programme at www.seamusheaneyhome.com
Strand Arts Centre:
• 24-25 May, a special screening of Rocky inside Holywood’s boutique boxing gym, Hooked, complete with a talk from founder Jack McBride, a free drink, and an optional boxing session earlier in the day.
• Silver Screenings at Belmont Bowling Club, every Thursday at 2pm. Silver Screenings is a great opportunity not just to see a movie classic, but also for people to meet and interact, and enjoy a trip down memory lane. Films are chosen with seniors in mind but open to anyone who loves a classic movie! Tickets are £4 and include free tea, coffee and biscuits.
Visit www.strandartscentre.com
Belfast Philharmonic Choir: presents their 150th Season Gala Finale at the Ulster Hall with the Belfast Philharmonic Choir, Belfast Philharmonic Youth and Chamber Choirs. The event takes place at 7:30pm on Saturday 24 May 2025. Join the Belfast Philharmonic Choir as they celebrate the closing of their very special 150th anniversary season with the world premiere of The Offing by Elaine Agnew and Sinéad Morrissey. Conducted by their Chorus Director James Grossmith, the concert will feature the Belfast Philharmonic Youth and Chambers Choirs, their Accompanist Gail Evans and musicians from the Ulster Orchestra. The concert will also feature James Whitbourn’s The Seven Heavens, which was commissioned for the 140th anniversary of the choir, and Howard Skempton’s The Cloths of Heaven, which was commissioned for the 125th anniversary. Visit https://www.belfastphilharmoni...
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.
For David Lyttle on social media for news and updates.
Northern Ireland Opera: presents,
• 5 June: La Voix Humaine, The Everyman, Cork
• 11 June: Morning Melodies – The Golden Age of the Musical
• 22-24 August: The Glenarm Festival of Voice
• 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,
• 2 June, Tengger, Crescent Arts Centre
• 3 June, Eric Chenaux, American Bar
• 8 June, Josephine Foster, Black Box
• 16 August, Alasdair Roberts, Crescent Arts Centre
• 12 September, Poor Creature, The Duncairn
• 25 September, Daoirí Farrell, The Empire
Visit www.movingonmusic.com
Portico of Ards: www.porticoards.com
Ulster Orchestra:
• 30 May, Act of Defiance, Was it, or wasn’t it, an act of defiance and bitter retort to Stalin’s displeasure? Shostakovich’s life was so utterly and constantly in peril that he could never publicly declare whether his Fifth Symphony was simply ‘a Soviet artist’s reply to just criticism’ or a satirical puncturing of the dictator, deliberately hollow but dressed as adulation. But either way, it’s a phenomenal piece of music – playful, poignant and magisterial, it’s a blockbuster end to the Season. Walton’s lyrically romantic Cello Concerto sets the scene for Shostakovich’s dramatic fireworks.
• 20 June, On Your Doorstep: Summer, Shimmer, Perfect Days in Bangor Abbey. Let the players of the Ulster Orchestra take you on an enchanting musical journey with something to appeal to everyone.
• 21 June, On Your Doorstep: Summer, Shimmer, Perfect Days at Seamus Heaney HomePlace. Join ensembles from the Ulster Orchestra at Seamus Heaney HomePlace on the Summer Solstice.
• 2 August, Belfast TradFest: Julie Fowlis, Éamon Doorley, Zoë Conway, John McIntyre with The Ulster Orchestra
• 8 August, BBC Proms: 100 Years of the Shipping Forecast. The Proms celebrates the centenary of the Shipping Forecast with presenters from Radio 4’s Continuity team, music inspired by the oceans and the elements, and a new work by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage and his group LYR.
• 7 September, On Your Doorstep: Dungannon. The Ulster Orchestra return to the Hill of the O’Neill for an afternoon of classical favourites.
Visit https://www.ulsterorchestra.or... 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
• 28 Jun, Girls with Guts Fest 2025
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...
Circusful:
• Circus Explored - an all-Ireland project delivering events on 7th June for Crinniu na n'Og (day of children's creativity) and an ongoing collaboration between 6 youth circus organisations across the island of Ireland - Circusful, Galway Community Circus, Circus Factory Cork, Dublin Circus Project, Cloughjordan Circus Club and In Your Space Circus Derry.
• Circusful also currently have some class spaces available for 2-3 year olds (attending with a parent/guardian) and 12 -15 year olds. To find out more or book a spot for your young person, get in touch with them at classes@circusful.org
Visit www.circusful.org
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,
• 25 May, The Gustavus Jazz Ensemble (Minnesota)
• 30 May, John Spillane
• 7 June, Concert for Young People (Cruinniú na nÓg)
• 20 June, Suaimhneas - Aisling Urwin + Niamh O'Brien and Daniel Luke
• 12 September, Poor Creature
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,
• Irish Language Intensive Course. Intensive courses are a great way to boost your language skills in a short space of time. The course will be both motivating and informative and will take your confidence in the Irish language to another level. The levels we offer are: Bunrang|Beginner , Meanrang | Intermediate , Ardrang | Advanced . Please email sinead@culturlann.ie for more information
• Yoga Classes with Dunla, 6:30-7:30pm, £5. No need to register, just pay on arrival.
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.
Belfast Photo Festival: returns from 5-20 June, explore the Biosphere as Belfast Photo Festival's 11th edition transcends documentation and creativity. Experience new imagery, commissions, and projects that spark positive change in how we view and inhabit our shared Earth. The festival features a number of public exhibitions in places such as Botanic Gardens, City Hall lawn, Divis Mountain and more, visit https://www.belfastphotofestiv... for full details.
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, We Lose Sight of the Night, an exhibition by Aisling O’Beirn across all three galleries at The MAC from 17 Apr until 22 Jun 2025. Aisling O’Beirn’s exhibition We Lose Sight of the Night is the first in a series of exhibitions which address climate and environmental change. O’Beirn (born in Galway) is a Belfast based artist, her practice explores the relationship between art and science and manifests variously as sculpture, installation, animation and site-specific projects. Visit www.themaclive.com
Craft NI: 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.
• Stay a While: Stuart Calvin Exhibition, 3 April – 7 June 2025. The Golden Thread Gallery is delighted to present new work by Belfast sculptor Stuart Calvin in their Lower Gallery. Calvin’s sculptural work explores themes of human fragility, and the search for meaning in a world marked by political turmoil, societal collapse, and environmental anxiety. His art delves into the shared experience of feeling helpless in the face of seemingly insurmountable world tragedy and reflects on reclaiming control and personal agency in the face of this chaos. Through mediums like wax, gold, plaster, metal, and light, Calvin’s practice bridges the personal and the universal, offering an immersive installation of sculpture that invites reflection and connection. His work attempts to turn darkness into a resonant exploration of hope, truth, and discovery, reflecting a collective uncertainty and the precarious nature of human existence today.
• Decoys & Ghosts: John Rainey Exhibition, 12 April – 7 June. ‘Decoys and Ghosts’ at the Golden Thread Gallery is an ambitious exploration of two recurring sculptural themes in John Rainey’s work over the last 10 years – imitation and revisiting. Materials, their histories and associated processes have always formed a core component of his practice. In the staging of work in exhibitions, Rainey aims to create environments and designed experiences where groupings of sculptures form relationships and act as installations. Plinths become sculptural extensions, evolve into dioramas, or morph into viewing platforms for audiences to climb. This exhibition will feature a combination of retrospective and new work by the artist, centered around a new large scale installation. As the the broadest survey of Rainey’s work to-date, it will be an opportunity to explore recent developments in his practice, alongside works that trace his path to this current moment.
Golden Thread Gallery also has a range of other events on including:
• Mindful Colouring Drop-In Workshops (ages 18+). Mindful colouring is great for your brain. Engaging in art activities has been proven to benefit mental health and help with anxiety and depression, improve focus, and promote relaxation. Come down to the Hub on Friday mornings and end your week on a calm note. Go outside the lines if you like All materials are provided, as well as tea, coffee & biscuits. No booking required, just drop in!
• NEW: Out of Office Drop-In Sessions Wednesdays 12-2PM. Give your head a brain shower over lunch with a simple creative activity in our Hub. Bring your lunch with you. Engaging in art activities has been proven to benefit mental health and help with anxiety and depression, improve focus, and promote relaxation. ll materials are provided, as well as tea, coffee & biscuits. No booking required, just drop in!
For all of the above, and more https://goldenthreadgallery.co...
Belfast Exposed: presents,
• Gallery I: ULSTER UNIVERSITY MFA PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION 2025, 1-30 May.
• Gallery II: Between the Lines: Capturing Liminality in Inclusive Young Masculinities | Bronagh Corr McNicholl, 1-30 May.
Visit www.belfastexposed.com
VOID Art Centre: presents The Wishing Forest. Runs until Saturday 7 June 2025. Opening Hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 11am to 5.00pm. The Wishing Forest is a project initiated by Stéphane V. Bottéro in collaboration with Boris Raux, Maud Louise-Marie, George McLaughlin and Prehen Woods, Rachel Duffy and the Playtrail, Roy and Kathryn Nelson at Killymuck, Philip Allen and Ruth McCartney. The Wishing Forest is a long-term socio-ecological art project which aims to instigate a collective rethinking of how local institutions can collaborate on life-nurturing commitments that benefit more-than-human communities.
Titled after a poem by Seamus Heaney, The Wishing Forest seeks to repurpose modern institutional tools, such as the tradition of artwork acquisitions by public art collections, in order to restore biodiverse woodlands. In doing so, the project thinks through ways in which forestry can be redefined as an artistic process in its own right. Visit www.derryvoid.com
Platform Arts: Visit www.nuacollective.com for more information.
CCA: presents, Take Hold - an exhibition guest curated by Rachel Botha at CCA Derry~Londonderry
Duration: 28 March — 7 June 2025
Take Hold is a group exhibition curated by Rachel Botha, as part of New Curating 2025 at CCA Derry~Londonderry. Take Hold explores "hope as a practice" in the face of crisis through diverse artistic mediums. Featuring works by nine artists, it reimagines hope as a tool for resistance, interconnectedness, and action. Visit www.ccadld.org for more details.
