Hard to believe now as so much has happened since, but at the start of March I was delighted to attend the SoCreative Summit in Harare Zimbabwe with the British Council Hubs as Hosts programme. The Hubs as Hosts programme brought together different UK and Southern African Creative Hubs to share skills, knowledge and learn from each other. In January I spent a week with the programme visiting a series of inspiring different UK Creative Hubs, you can find out more about the hubs we visited here. The SoCreative summit was all about gathering and connecting creative and social entrepreneurs, together with the creative hubs and spaces that support them across Southern Africa.
It was an amazing few days in a beautiful country, with lots of learning and new connections. There were many different topics covered including connecting talent to opportunity, collaboration and connecting through diversity. In my 20s I spent a life-changing year living and working in South Africa, where the entrepreneurial culture changed my attitude and mindset and set me on a very different path in life so I was very excited to get a return visit to a neighbouring country.
Key takeaways from the week for me were:-
As creatives we should be coming up with creative solutions to solve the boring problems that affect our sector, e.g. funding and finance
It’s important to look inward at local culture and values. I think we are sometimes scared to do this in NI for fear of being divisive and alienating people. We saw local examples of culture being used to create new products and services and to create a sense of place highlighting the importance of architecture and cultural heritage for tourism and investment and for connecting people to spaces.
In Belfast we should be working to sustain our creative community and maximise the benefits of clustering and sharing resources, knowledge and expertise throughout the creative community. Looking at the possibility of protected measures such as creative enterprise zones like HackneyWick and Fish Island to protect affordable workspace and ensure creatives aren’t priced out of the city centre.
Confidence is important both for individuals, but also collectively as a country and community. Something I think we need to work on in NI.
We are very fortunate to live in a country with a reliable electric supply and (in most parts) Internet access, it makes our lives and jobs as creatives much easier.
Zimbabwe is a truly beautiful country, with really lovely warm and friendly people.
Pics below of the summit, full album of pics can be found on Facebook
Our next Blick Animation Club event in partnership with Can Do Academy is on Saturday 18th May!
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+
Thank you to everyone who came down to our Blick Academy creative talk last night and thanks again to Paul Boal from @thatcleverghost for sharing his creative journey!
Introducing our new reformatted @womenfolk.co Junior.Senior. events. A series of leisurely bi-monthly Saturday morning brunch events for creative women in Belfast. Where over coffee, fruit and pastries within an intimate setting two local creative women will share the stories of their creative journeys. Each event will feature an established self-employed creative woman complimented by a young emerging creative starting out on their creative journey. Each speaker will tell the story of their creative journey so far and share honestly the challenges and opportunities they face. Giving different perspectives on the different stages of the creative journey.
These events are all about sharing knowledge and skills within the creative community so we can help each other grow. There will also be opportunities for meeting like-minded people, building community and creating new connections and helping champion young emerging designers by giving them the opportunity to share their story to a supportive and encouraging local audience.
Kick starting Saturday 15th June at 11.30am in our Hill Street Studios!
Event Date(s): June 15, 2024
Event Time: 11.30am
Location: Blick Shared Studios, Hill Street, Belfast BT1 2LB
Another chance to see our latest roundup of funding, support, opportunities, events, exhibitions and festivals for creatives
FUNDING, SUPPORT & OPPORTUNITIES
- £575,000 Augment the City Challenge Fund - CIRCE Fellowship Programme 2024 - Beyond Literature Borders – International Work Grant - Call 2 of the Digital Transformation Flexible Fund (DTFF) is now open for expressions of interest - InvestNI new £5 million programme has launched to support entrepreneurs and high growth start-ups in Northern Ireland. - InnovateUK Smart Grants: Up to £1M - Catalyst Stryve Programme - Invent Awards - Creative Lunch Club - The National Lottery Support for Individual Artists Programme – Travel Awards – rolling programme - Digital Arts Studios XR Research & Development Lab - Craft NI Garden Show Ireland Craft Village Call Out - Women in Business and Techstart Female Founders Grant - The Content Fund - National Trust Time and Space Newton Competition - The SideQuest X Creature Indie VR Fund - Horizon Europe Pump Priming Programme - British Council International Collaboration Grants - Poetry with pride - Wheelworks Arts I Will Volunteering Programme - Venice gap-financing market call for projects
EXHIBITIONS
Ringside, an exhibition of drawings and paintings by Sean McGibbon, celebrating Belfast’s boxing culture. Venue: Ormeau Baths Belfast Date: 18 Apr at 6pm
Lavery on Location Venue: Ulster Museum Dates: 23rd Feb - 9th Jun
EVENTS
Go Succeed business events
AI and the Future of Live Experience Date and time: 10 Apr, 3pm - 5pm Location: online
How to produce a kick ass application Date and time: 10 Apr, 11 am - 12:30 pm Location: Online
XR Network+ online seminar: Sound Design in Virtual Production Date and time: Wed, 17 Apr 2024 14:00 - 15:15 BST Location: Online Pop Up Gallery Belfast
Dates and times: Sat 20th and Sun 28th Apr, 11am to 3pm Location: Black Box Belfast
East Block Bazaar Date and time: Sun 28th April 1pm to 5pm Location: Banana Block
FESTIVALS
Foyle Film Festival 2024 – Reel Lives 10 to 27 Apr
Hit the north 20th - 30th April
The 24th Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival 2 to 12 May
You can read the full listings including links on our blog
- After a couple of years break, we gave ourselves a deadline and finally got our act together and re-launched our Womenfolk project (www.womenfolk.co) for creative women on International Women’s Day
- Including doing a call out for creative women business owners to feature on our Womenfolk platform (www.womenfolk.co)
- And inviting new members to join our ongoing Womenfolk Peer Mentoring group which meets on the last Tuesday of every month
- We welcomed new residents Horrible Brands to join our Cotton Court studios
- We completed an application for an exciting international project and connected with an international partner for another exciting project we hope to apply for this month
- We published the third exercise on creative and business values on our new resources for creatives section on our website https://blickstudios.org/resources/11802/
Looking back at what you have achieved in the past month is a great exercise in itself, to remind you that things are moving forwards and you are making progress even if it doesn’t always feel like it!
Ahead of sharing his creative story with us at our next Blick Academy Creative Talk on Wednesday 17th April we thought it would be nice to ask Paul founder of @thatcleverghost some questions and get to know him a bit better. Here he shares a bit about his business, how it has grown, his plans for the future and what he would do differently if he was to do it all again…
You can read the full interview on our blog on our website and also book tickets to his talk (link to both in profile)
Our latest roundup of funding, support, opportunities, events, exhibitions and festivals for creatives
FUNDING, SUPPORT & OPPORTUNITIES
- £575,000 Augment the City Challenge Fund - CIRCE Fellowship Programme 2024 - Beyond Literature Borders – International Work Grant - Digital Transformation Flexible Fund (DTFF) is now open for expressions of interest - InvestNI new £5 million programme - InnovateUK Smart Grants: Up to £1M - Catalyst Stryve Programme - Invent Awards - Creative Lunch Club - The National Lottery Support for Individual Artists Programme – Travel Awards - Digital Arts Studios XR Research & Development Lab - Craft NI Garden Show Ireland Craft Village Call Out - Women in Business and Techstart Female Founders Grant - The Content Fund - National Trust Time and Space Newton Competition - The SideQuest X Creature Indie VR Fund - Horizon Europe Pump Priming Programme - British Council International Collaboration Grants - Poetry with pride - Wheelworks Arts I Will Volunteering Programme - Venice gap-financing market call for projects
EXHIBITIONS
Ringside, an exhibition of drawings and paintings by Sean McGibbon Ormeau Baths Belfast 18 Apr at 6pm
Niamh McCann: ‘someone decides, hawk or dove The MAC 8 Dec - 7 Apr
Lavery on Location Ulster Museum 23rd Feb - 9th Jun
EVENTS
Blick Academy Creative Talk with Designer Paul Boal Wed 17th Apr, 7pm Blick Hill St
Go Succeed business events
Pollen studios market and workshop Pollen Studios 4th Apr 6-9pm
AI and the Future of Live Experience 10 Apr, 3pm - 5pm Online
How to produce a kick ass application 10 Apr, 11 am - 12:30 pm Online
Sound Design in Virtual Production Wed, 17 Apr 2024 14:00 - 15:15 BST Online
Pop Up Gallery Belfast Sat 20th and Sun 28th Apr, 11am to 3pm Black Box Belfast
East Block Bazaar Sun 28th Apr Banana Block
FESTIVALS
Foyle Film Festival 2024 10 to 27 Apr
Hit the north 20th - 30th April
The 24th Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival 2 to 12 May
Belfast 2024
You can read the full listings including links on our blog (link in profile)
Did you know that we also offer virtual office services for creatives?
Our virtual office services is an affordable business address service for creatives giving you access to a commercial business address, for a professional image and keeping your home address private.
Whether you are just starting out and can’t yet afford workspace or are happy to work from home but seeking a professional public image for your business.
With our virtual office service you can use our City Centre Cathedral Quarter address 46 Hill Street, BT1 2LB for your creative business for only £22.50 per month (paid quarterly) or £200 per year.
We have a small team ensuring you get a friendly, personal and professional service and as a local social enterprise it means your money goes back into the local economy and to support the creative industries in Northern Ireland.
Have a look at our website for more info and to read our FAQs (link in profile) or email christine@blickstudios.org for more info
This month`s new exercise on our website for anyone starting a new creative business is all about working out your personal and business values to help you define and develop your creative idea.
I first did a similar exercise to this when setting up Blick on a NESTA creative enterprise course way back in 2007 and it has been invaluable in helping me to make decisions and plans since and is really worth spending time on when starting out.
You can download the exercise as a PDF or word document on the creative resources section of our website (link in bio)
Our next Blick Academy Creative Talk on Wed 17th April is by local designer and creative company founder Paul Boal!
Paul Boal is the Founder of Clever Ghost @thatcleverghost a brand and design studio based in Holywood, Northern Ireland. Founded in 2018 with a mission to influence positive change through clever design.
Paul and his team have created and managed brands across a diverse range of clients around the world from start-ups and SMEs to multinational companies.
His experience spans 14 years in the creative industry. To date, he has worked with clients including Cowen, the Irish Football Association, Queen’s University, Qualcom and evian in developing their brands and engaging with their audiences over numerous projects. Before founding Clever Ghost in 2018, Paul cut his teeth in various in-house design jobs. Eventually, he freelanced his way into several small design studios, overseeing the design team at a leading packaging company and working as a part-time lecturer in Creative Media.
Paul is one of our past creative residents at Blick and has done such an amazing job growing his business over the past few years, we are really excited to hear his story on how he started and has grown his creative business and his plans for the future.
You can find out more about Paul on his website: https://cleverghost.studio/ and instagram: @thatcleverghost
EVENT DETAILS
Date: Wednesday 17th April
Time: 7 - 8pm
Location: Blick Hill Street
Cost: Free
For more info and to book your ticket, visit the events page of our website (link in bio)
Some weekend reading, another chance to find out more about one of our newest residents, Stephanie Heckman @stephaniesaloli
Stephanie is originally from the Dutch dune coast, now based in Belfast since 2018. In her role as visual practitioner, she translates in real-time complex conversations into hand-drawn visual summaries that distil the essence of both content and undercurrent.
When done live at conferences or other events (either in-person or remotely) these visual summaries, or graphic recordings as they’re known, become a tangible memory aide for participants, whilst amplifying the key takeaways to a much bigger audience of those not present at the event.
Find out more about Stephanie and her creative practice, her journey with her business so far, as well as some of the things that have helped her on that journey.
You can read the full blog on our website (link in bio)
This month`s exercise for anyone starting a new creative business is all about working out your personal and business values to help you define and develop your creative idea.
Values are the principles that help you to decide what is right and wrong, and how to act in various situations. They are the basic and fundamental beliefs that guide or motivate attitudes or actions. They help you to determine what is important to you. They describe the personal qualities you choose to embody to guide your actions; the sort of person you want to be; the manner in which you treat yourselves and others, and your interactions with the world around you. They provide the general guidelines for conduct.
Business or professional values are the core values or standards that guide the way you do business or work professionally. They sum up what your business or creative practice stands for, influences the organisational culture and drives how and why you do things. While business plans and strategies may change, the core values of your business will usually remain the same. Company values help businesses grow and evolve without losing focus on what is important to them.
I first did a similar exercise to this when setting up Blick on a NESTA creative enterprise course way back in 2007 and it has been invaluable in helping me to make decisions and plans since and is really worth spending time on when starting out.
You can download the exercise as a PDF or word document on the creative resources section of our website link in bio
We are very excited to announce the speaker for our second Blick Academy Creative Talk of 2024 is local designer and company founder Paul Boal!
Paul Boal is the Founder of Clever Ghost @thatcleverghost a brand and design studio based in Holywood, Northern Ireland. Founded in 2018 with a mission to influence positive change through clever design.
Paul and his team have created and managed brands across a diverse range of clients around the world from start-ups and SMEs to multinational companies.
His experience spans 14 years in the creative industry. To date, he has worked with clients including Cowen, the Irish Football Association, Queen’s University, Qualcom and evian in developing their brands and engaging with their audiences over numerous projects. Before founding Clever Ghost in 2018, Paul cut his teeth in various in-house design jobs. Eventually, he freelanced his way into several small design studios, overseeing the design team at a leading packaging company and working as a part-time lecturer in Creative Media.
Paul is one of our past creative residents at Blick and has done such an amazing job growing his business over the past few years, we are really excited to hear his story on how he started and has grown his creative business and his plans for the future.
You can find out more about Paul on his website: https://cleverghost.studio/ and instagram: @thatcleverghost
EVENT DETAILS
Date: Wednesday 17th April Time: 7 - 8pm Location: Blick Hill Street
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!
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)