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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

We have been working hard to rebuild following the pandemic and have updated the studios. We have some lovely new photos and have refreshed our website with new useful content for creatives in Belfast. In collaboration with Creating A Space, we recently created Our Time is Now, a video podcast series sharing the stories of 5 Belfast Creatives. You can find out more abour Our Time is Now below.

We are working with Belfast Design Week and VentureFolk on a new project combining design and growing to explore the potential for supporting residents to grow their own food within the urban environments of Botanic and the Holylands in Belfast.

We have also planned a new program of Summer events and workshops for Belfast creatives. We have exciting things planned for the future and are looking forward to continuing our different creative adventures and projects and supporting creatives in Belfast.

 

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

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After a bit of a break following the pandemic, we are delighted this International Women's Day to bring back our @womenfolk.co project for creative women. New events and opportunities coming soon!

https://www.womenfolk.co/
Tired of working from home? We have just this one lovely desk available in our Hill St studios for £165 per calendar month all inclusive 

Send us a DM or email christine@blickstudios.org for more information or to arrange a viewing or visit the Hill St workspace page on our website (link in profile)
Feels like spring on Hill St today. Blue skies, 🌞 queues for🍦and 🚲 

#cathedralquarterbelfast #cathedralquarter
Our second Blick Academy Creative Talk of 2024 with a local creative sharing their creative story is coming up on Wed 17th April at 7pm. Speaker details coming soon...

Booking details on our website 

#eventsforcreatives
#creativebusiness
#creativeinspiration #nicreatives ##creativesupport
As we move into a new month and new season, here's a quick recap of February for us here at Blick and the new resources on our website for creatives starting out in NI.

Following her amazing creative talk for us at the start of Feb we have the following blogs on our website

An Interview with Alana McDowell - https://blickstudios.org/blog/an-interview-with-multidisciplinary-designer-alana-mcdowell/

Alana McDowell Creative Talk What I Learnt - https://blickstudios.org/blog/11749/

We also have our latest Creative Roundup featuring events, funding & support for creatives - https://blickstudios.org/blog/creative-roundup/

And our second exercise ‘Getting to Know Your Creative Idea’ for new creative businesses available to download as a word document or pdf - https://blickstudios.org/resources/developing-and-defining-your-creative-idea-getting-to-know-your-creative-idea/

We are currently planning more workshops & talks for creatives.

What would you like to learn? What do you need help with? Or who would you like to hear talk?

Let us know and we will do our best to make it happen

Links all in our bio
For anyone involved or working in a creative hub in Northern Ireland there's still time to join us tomorrow morning at 11am at the Innovation Factory!

Book via our website (link in profile)

#creativehub #nicreativehubs #creativehubs #creativespace #creativespaces #creativeworkspace
A recap of some of the key things I took away from multidisciplinary designer Alana McDowell’s creative talk earlier this month.

You can read the full event write-up on the blog on our website: (link in profile)

#creativefreelancer
#creativejourney #creativebusinessowner #creativebusiness #creativebusinesstips
Our next Blick Animation Club lego animation workshop for children is on Saturday 18th May from 2 - 4pm

WORKSHOP DETAILS

These mini animation master classes by Can Do Academy are a great introduction for children to the colourful world of Lego animation!

The workshop will allow participants to make a complete animated Lego film on an iPad, using sound effects, visual effects, titles and lots of imagination!

Your child will learn to use special iPad apps and they will receive a copy of their film at the end of the session! They can bring their own Lego characters or use the ones supplied by us.

More info at candoacademy.co.uk

Please note that these workshops are suitable for children aged 7+

Event Date: May 18, 2024

Event Time: 2pm – 4pm

Location: Blick Studios, 51 Malone Road Belfast BT9 6RY

Cost: £15 + Booking Fee

Book your place on website (link in profile)
Our lovely Cotton Court studios in the cathedral quarter where we have a private studio for 1-3 people coming available from the start of March for £325 per calendar month all-inclusive. Visit our website, send us a dm or email christine@blickstudios.org for more info or to arrange a viewing
NI CREATIVE HUBS MEETUP #2

Following a successful get-together in August, this is the second meetup for creative hubs in Northern Ireland to come together, connect, share ideas and support each other.

If you are involved with running or working in a creative hub in Northern Ireland we would love for you to join us at this our second meetup.

This event is a collaborative project between Blick Shared Studios, Boom Studios with the kind support of the Innovation Factory providing a venue for the meetup.

EVENT DETAILS

Event Date: February 29, 2024

Event Time: 11am

Location: Innovation Factory, 385 Springfield Road, Forthriver Business Park, Belfast, BT12 7DG

Cost: Free

Book your place on our website (link in profile)
Here's Exercise 2 again. This one's all about getting to know and understand your creative idea. What problem you are solving, what your solution to that problem is, why your idea will appeal to your audience and how you can get them to find out about it. This exercise is a great one to get you to start thinking about your idea and getting your ideas down on paper. Downloadable PDF and Word versions can be found in the creative resources section of our website (link in profile)
The first two exercises on our new resources for creatives section on our website are the perfect way to spend some quiet weekend reflection time for anyone working on a new creative business idea, looking to refine their current creative practice or thinking about starting a new creative venture in the future. Here's Exercise 1 one again. You can find downloadable Word and pdf versions on the creative resources section of our website (link in profile)
Some Monday inspiration and motivation from one of our residents, visual practitioner Stephanie Heckman

You can read her full Meet the Resident Interview on our website blog (link in profile)