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Our Aims & Values

Blick Studios - Our Aims and Values

Mission Statement

Blick Shared Studios is a social enterprise that provides fully serviced, creative and affordable shared space, facilities and resources for creative and digital start-ups, freelancers and small businesses. Set up by a group of creative entrepreneurs to fill a gap in the market for suitable workspace for creative businesses in Northern Ireland, we provide studio and office space within Belfast and Derry~Londonderry.

Our properties have a creative and professional work environment and a friendly, informal and supportive atmosphere that encourages communication, collaboration and inspiration. Our workspaces are affordable and with flexible leases which takes the risk out of renting property. They are also fully serviced which eliminates hassle for residents so they can concentrate on growing their businesses. Meeting rooms and event spaces are available free of charge for our residents and at affordable rates for non-resident creative businesses.

We offer virtual services for creative businesses just starting out that are not able to afford workspace or for those happy to work from home but seeking a professional public image for their business. Sharing resources such as internet, utility costs and meeting rooms as well as minimising unnecessary overheads keeps our services affordable. We have a small team of staff and offer a friendly and personal service to all our clients. We are interested in collaborating and working with other creative organisations and building our business to become a profitable, recognised and respected brand whilst maintaining our independence and brand values.

Our Values

  • Independent

    To remain an independent financially sustainable social enterprise

  • Entrepreneurial

    To maximise opportunities and be flexible and business minded in our approach so we remain financially independent and sustainable

  • Inclusive

    Be inclusive and open minded to new ideas and new people and be an organisation open to everyone

  • Industry Focused

    Remain focused on the needs of creative industry entrepreneurs

  • Innovative

    Be innovative and forward thinking to provide sustainable solutions to the needs of creative entrepreneurs

Our Aims

  • To offer affordable workspace solutions and business services to help creative and digital start-ups to get started

  • To offer fully serviced workspace solutions that take the hassle out of organising premises and allow our resident creative businesses to concentrate on running their businesses

  • To bring together creative and digital start-ups to encourage collaboration, business to business sales and peer learning

  • To create a supportive atmosphere within our workspaces and activities that encourages creativity, innovation and collaboration

  • To be an independent, innovative and forward thinking organisation, able to adapt quickly and flexibly to the needs of creative entrepreneurs.

  • To develop long term, meaningful business support for creative and digital start-ups in Northern Ireland.

Our Locations

Malone Road, Belfast

Hill Street, Belfast

Cotton Court, Belfast

Talk to Blick

If you are interested in workspace, virtual services, room hire or coming to any of our events or any general enquiries get in touch.

Get in Touch

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    What one thing could you do today to push your business forward and get your week off to a positive start?

    #mondaymotivation #creativestartup...

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    Jul 25

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    What one thing could you do today to push your business forward and get your week off to a positive start? #mondaymotivation #creativestartup #creativebusiness #creativebusinessowner #creativebusinessowners #creativeentrepreneurs #creativeentrepeneur #noprocrastination #justdoit #betterbusiness #betterdonethanperfect

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    We hope everyone had a lovely July break and a chance to enjoy the good weather.

    We are back in the office this week and wanted to share this...

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    Jul 20

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    We hope everyone had a lovely July break and a chance to enjoy the good weather. We are back in the office this week and wanted to share this podcast series that we were very kindly invited by @agencyofnone  to be a part of. The series is all about buiding sustainable creative workspaces for creatives and designers. The series focuses on Dundee but includes insights from throughout the UK. We feature on episode 3, talking about our journey from the initial concept for a shared creative workspace in Belfast back in 2007 to where we are today. It was really nice to reflect back on our journey, sometimes you forget how far you have come and the obstacles you have overcome and lessons you have learnt along the way. The values of bringing creatives together are huge, particularly following the events of recent years when people are more isolated than ever. There is a lot of work to be done reconnecting and rebuilding networks and communities. Creative workspaces can be a very effective way of building these networks and communities. Working alongside other likeminded creatives gives you the opportunity to share ideas, collaborate, innovate and learn from each other as well as make valuable social and business connections. The challenge however is finding ways to run these creative workspaces sustainably. This is particularly difficult in the current climate with rising running costs and property prices and organisations still rebuilding following the pandemic so there is lots to learn from this podcast series, if you are interested in creative spaces its definitely worth a listen. Details and links to listen on our blog (link in profile)

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    MEET OUR COMMUNITY: MALONE RESIDENT ALANNA OFFIELD SEASIDE BOOKS

    I love reading and I love books, I also like to support local creatives and...

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    Jul 5

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    MEET OUR COMMUNITY: MALONE RESIDENT ALANNA OFFIELD SEASIDE BOOKS I love reading and I love books, I also like to support local creatives and buy local and independent, so I was very excited this week to get to chat with our newest Blick resident Alanna to find out more about her business @seasidebooksni Tell us a bit about yourself and your business? I’m Alanna, the owner of Seaside Books. I moved to Ireland from New Mexico five years ago, looking for a change in career after years of working as a social justice campaigner. I write poetry and have always loved reading. When I became disabled in 2018, books and reading were an escape from long days in bed and trips to the hospital. As a bookworm, I had always dreamed of owning a bookshop, so I decided to give it a go during the pandemic. Seaside Books is an independent online and traveling bookshop stocking books from Irish authors and/ or published by Irish publishers. We travel to markets and community events across the country. We also offer writing workshops and help authors prepare their books to be published. Any projects you’re currently working on? Seaside Books recently turned a year old. I’ve got a long list of ideas for things we could do to celebrate all the fantastic writing happening across Ireland. Currently, we are planning to start a magazine to highlight emerging writers from underrepresented communities. We have been working with local authors and lovers of excellent writing to bring it to life. We are still in the very early stages, but I’m excited to move forward. What was the biggest hurdle for you starting out and how did you overcome it? The learning curve for starting a bookshop was steep. I didn’t have anyone who had experience starting a business in my life, so I had to do lots of research to know where to start. Honestly, I had no idea what I was doing (I still feel that way sometimes). I started planning Seaside Books during the pandemic, which was sometimes isolating. Finding a community of other folks who were starting businesses was a lifesaver. Full interview on our blog link in profile

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    ---- Room Hire ----

    Video of our lovely Main room in our Malone studios that's available to hire

    Did you know you can hire out...

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    Jun 30

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    ---- Room Hire ---- Video of our lovely Main room in our Malone studios that's available to hire Did you know you can hire out the ground floor of our Malone Studios. We have two rooms available to hire. Both rooms are situated off our lovely glass roofed atrium which can be used to gather for events or classes or as a breakout space during classes or events. - Affordable rates of £15 per hour and additional marketing support for long term bookings in our Main Room. We currently have availability on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons for long term booking in our Main Room - Affordable rates of £10 per hour for our meeting room for regular bookings. We currently have availability on Monday and Thursday evenings and Saturday afternoons for our Meeting Room. - Main Room fits 10 - 12 for yoga or similar activities, seats 15 boardroom or classroom, 25 as a lecture theatre and about 40 people standing - Beautiful space with high ceilings and original period features - Free use of beautiful breakout space and communal kitchen - Safe, well-lit, vibrant location close to Queens University in leafy South Belfast - We wehave a small team ensuring you a friendly, personal and professional service  - We are a local social enterprise meaning your money goes back into the local economy and to support the creative industries in Northern Ireland Full details and all our prices for both spaces are on our website (link in bio)

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    This week we had a quick catchup with our newest Cotton Court resident creative freelancer @emanuela_mae_agrini_art who told us a bit about herself ...

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    Jun 15

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    This week we had a quick catchup with our newest Cotton Court resident creative freelancer @emanuela_mae_agrini_art who told us a bit about herself and her creative work Tell us a bit about yourself and your business? Hey there! I am originally from Genoa, a seaside city in Northern Italy; my business was born there about ten years ago and bounced around a bit before moving to Belfast. My idea has always been to offer written communication for companies and individuals, but over time my core is moving more and more in the direction of a mix between visual and written communication. Although I still deal most of the time with content writing and copywriting (both in Italian and in English), I am developing some projects that can combine visuals and words, in the context of graphic facilitation, graphic recording and illustrated content. What was the biggest hurdle for you starting out and how did you overcome it? When I started as a freelancer ten years ago, the main obstacle was to convince companies and clients that remote work is still work: the mentality was very different from today and there was a lot to work to do on it. I always supported remote work and for long periods I have been traveling while working between the countries. Today luckily things seem to have changed. How do you stay creative/inspired? I pass pretty much all my free time reading books, drawing, and painting and when possible, I travel to see new places and meet new people. I love also to be around the city the more I can to listen to the stories of random people I meet. When I want to recharge, I go to the sea, which is my happy place. What’s your top tip/piece of advice for anyone wanting to work for themselves/ start their own creative business? Just make sure you are into it with all your energies and passion, and love every moment of it 🙂 You can read the full interview on our website (link in profile)

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    Don't forget to take a break for the long weekend. It can be hard when you're self employed to justify taking time off to relax and rest and...

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    Jun 1

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    Don't forget to take a break for the long weekend. It can be hard when you're self employed to justify taking time off to relax and rest and not feel guilty about it and for many if you arent working you arent earning. But there is always more that could be done so take as much of a break as possible and enjoy the peace of these extra couple of days when people don't expect you to be answering emails or phone calls #worklifebalance #bankholiday #longweekend #balance #rest #relax #smallbusinessbelfast #selfemployed #freelance #smallbusinessowner

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    Since the pandemic we have been very busy with new residents and behind the scenes work in the studios, but are planning to start picking things up ...

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    May 25

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    Since the pandemic we have been very busy with new residents and behind the scenes work in the studios, but are planning to start picking things up again with more for the wider creative business community in Northern Ireland in coming months. So we thought it would be a good time to re-introduce the people involved with Blick. Who we are and more importantly why we do it, starting with Blick founder Christine. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background? How has your work at Blick compared to what you imagined you would end up doing? I'm Christine. I studied fashion and textiles at Belfast School of Art and worked briefly as a textile designer for fashion in Italy before returning to NI to start my own creative business. I was one of the founders of Blick way back in 2007 with a group of other creatives all struggling to find suitable workspace in Belfast, somewhere affordable and flexible alongside other like minded creatives. I will talk more about that journey and the story of Blick in future posts. I currently run Blick with my sister Rosy who does all our finance and operations with support from our board of Trustees as Blick is also a registered charity. I always wanted to work in fashion for as long as I can remember, so working at Blick is very different to what I imagined in one way, but I also always dreamed of working for myself. I just didn't think it was even possible. Not knowing any business owners and going to a very traditional grammar school starting a business just didn't seem feasible to me when growing up. So I ended up pursuing a career in fashion, but the reality of having to work in a big city, sitting at a desk all day, alongside the financial challenges of working within the industry led me to make the decision to return to NI to start my own fashion business. I struggled working alone at home and then met a group of creatives on a creative business course at Ulster University and we all realised just how important being with other like minded creatives on a similar path was and we came up with the idea for Blick. I ended up then taking over running Blick myself Link in bio to our blog with the rest

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    Hill streets lovely breakout areas, where you can sit and have some lunch or a coffee away from your desk

    #hillstreetbelfast #sharedstudios ...

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    Mar 31

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    Hill streets lovely breakout areas, where you can sit and have some lunch or a coffee away from your desk #hillstreetbelfast #sharedstudios #coworkingspace #blicksharedstudios #cathedralquarterbelfast

    blickstudios

    Congratulations to our resident Dani McFerran, founder of award winning Graphic Design studio @doneanddusteddesign, as she was recently celebrated for...

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    Mar 28

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    Congratulations to our resident Dani McFerran, founder of award winning Graphic Design studio @doneanddusteddesign, as she was recently celebrated for her contribution to entrepreneurship at the House of Lords to mark International Women's Day! Read all about the F:Entrepreneur event, and Dani's amazing businesses on our blog - link in bio. #residentnews #residentpromotion #blickresidents #blicksharedstudios

    blickstudios

    Our lovely main room in our Malone studios is available for hire and we now have a special reduced rates for anyone wanting to make an ongoing ...

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    Mar 24

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    Our lovely main room in our Malone studios is available for hire and we now have a special reduced rates for anyone wanting to make an ongoing longterm booking of 8 weeks or more, we currently still have availability for Thursday and Friday evenings and Sundays. Prices and details are on our website (link in bio) or email christine@blickstudios.org for more info #roomhire #maloneroadbelfast #belfast #eventspace #blicksharedstudios

    blickstudios

    Our Malone Road studios illustrated by resident and team member @jenny_eva_design 🌿

    Offering private and shared studio space, 51 Malone ...

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    Mar 21

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    Our Malone Road studios illustrated by resident and team member @jenny_eva_design 🌿 Offering private and shared studio space, 51 Malone Road is a beautiful space full of character and natural sunlight, perfect for finding some Monday motivation! Find more of Jenny's work at jennyevadesign.com ✨ #blicksharedstudios #blickresidents #belfastcreatives #belfast #maloneroadbelfast #illustration #studio #coworkingspace