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Blick Studios

@blickstudios

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Non-profit creative workspace in Belfast, NI. Spread across three beautiful buildings, we also provide events and tailored support for creatives.

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- - THE BLICK STORY PART 2 - 2012 - 2020 - -�

Part 2 of our story at Blick taking us from 2012 - 2020 which seems so long ago now!

This period was probably our busiest, looking back I have no idea how we did it all!

We expanded to the Cathedral Quarter, initially sharing premises with our friends at Flow Yoga, then moving next door to 46 Hill Street and Cotton Court. We also started and managed a creative hub in Derry/Londonderry for 3 years from 2014 for the executive office. We co-founded Belfast Design Week, Womenfolk and Small Town Big Dreams podcast as well as running lots of different events and projects at Blick before everything came to a crahing halt with the pandemic in 2020 which saw us closing our studios for a period and moving Belfast Design Week onto the
streets.

�You can read our full story on our website: �https://blickstudios.org/the-team/the-blick-story/ by @blickstudios

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8 months ago

We thought it would be nice to share a summary of our story here for anyone who doesn't know much about us, with more info on our team and founders, studios, impact and services to come in the coming weeks!

Our story is so long now since starting in 2007 that we have had to do it in 2 parts! Here is part 1 from 2007 - 2011

We started in 2007 when a group of creatives returning to Northern Ireland from working or studying abroad met on an Ulster University and NESTA course for creative entrepreneurs. We quickly realised the value of working in a room together and also that there weren't many suitable facilities in Belfast for creative freelancers and small business owners. There were art studios and commercial properties, but not much in between. We soon decided we wanted to set up a shared studio space to work on our creative businesses and soon other creatives started approaching us and the idea for Blick grew from there.
Our ambition with Blick was to create beautiful affordable spaces in great locations in Belfast for professional creatives to work productively and creatively in. Spaces for like-minded creatives to meet and share resources and ideas and support and inspire each other. Spaces that could survive and support creatives long term and be financially sustainable and independent.
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.
We started with £5000 in a warehouse in the city centre before securing startup funding from Ulster University and Belfast City Council to move into our Malone Studios where we then worked to build a financially sustainable social enterprise model that allows us to support creatives with space, services and support without relying on funding long term.
Now we operate as a non-profit, social purpose offering shared and private studio space to more than 65 creatives across 3 buildings. We also provide virtual office services and run different events and projects to help support creat taken in Blick Shared Studios by @blickstudios

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8 months ago

- - THE BLICK STORY PART 3 - 2020 - 2025 - -

Part 3 of our story at Blick taking us from 2020 - 2025

This period took us through the stress of rebuilding following the pandemic, but also wonderful experiences like:

- Womenfolk DIg Deep which allowed us to support 27 young women to start and grow their creative businesses over a 9-month period

- Our Time is Now video podcast series which told the stories of 4 successful Belfast creatives

- A fabulous trip to Hong Kong to put together a design installation

-A bittersweet studio move from our first proper studios on the Malone Road to Great Northern Street just off the Lisburn Road.

Currently we are busy working on Belfast Design Week 2026 among other things

You can read our full story on our website: https://blickstudios.org/the-team/the-blick-story/ by @blickstudios

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7 months ago

As part of our plant stories from the plant library project we also got some tips from local people on how to take care of plants 🪴 by @blickstudios

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21 hours ago

Belfast Community Plant Library 🪴 event at Bankmore Square for Culture Night 🌙 taken in Bankmore Square by @blickstudios

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2 days ago

Belfast Community Plant Library Team Plant Stories - today with Rosy James the person who does all the important financial work for Blick and Belfast Design Week so these kind of projects can happen, she is also largely responsible for most of the plants in Blick!

Here you can read a bit about Rosy and her interest in plants. by @blickstudios

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2 days ago

Belfast Plant Stories - First plant to make you fall in love with taking care of plants

We asked the people of Belfast what was the first plant to make them fall in love with taking care of plants by @blickstudios

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4 days ago

Our first Belfast Community Plant Library event was completed last Friday at Culture Night, but we still have some plant stories to share including from the main team, starting with Karishma Kusurkar @karishmasworld who shares with us here a bit about her love for plants! by @blickstudios

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5 days ago

Last Friday we had the best time hosting Belfast Community Plant Library at Bankmore Square for Culture Night 2026!

Belfast Community Plant Library was a collaborative project all about connecting people, place, plants and creativity and had lots of parts including:

- Plant Furniture Installation created by @d.keyssustainablewoodworking and the @greenremakehub

- Plant Clinic with @jillydougan

- Co-design workshop, Zine and Flax Seed Kits with @onebite.design

- Exhibition and origami plant pot making with our Design Hothouse Residents @rachelcowie_graphics and @beth__schmidt

- Belfast Plant Map of plants found growing naturally in Belfast and places to pause in Belfast City Centre illustrated by @thomasbannondraws

- Leaf rubbing and interactive information gathering posters

Event funded by Belfast City Council and venue provided by @linenquarter

Photos kindly taken by @creativedavephotography taken in Bankmore Square by @blickstudios

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7 days ago

Beautiful light in our Hill Street studios this evening ✨️ 💛 ✨️ by @blickstudios

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8 days ago

Some more photos from our Community Plant Library Event at Culture Night Belfast last week taken by Nonglak!

The Green Re:Make Group and David Keys worked on a beautiful set of plant furniture for the plant library. These containers will now find a home in other venues and bring joy wherever they travel!

Green Re:Make are passionate about material consideration as well as where objects end up at the end of their lives and how we can be more thoughtful and sustainable about these things.

Window frames, seaweed based paint, linseed oil and many other materials were brought together to create these.

Photos by Nonglak McFadden @playzeez taken in Bankmore Square by @blickstudios

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8 days ago

BELFAST COMMUNITY PLANT LIBRARY AT CULTURE NIGHT

- Interactive plant installation - add and take away plants

- Plant clinic hosted by Jilly Dougan - learn all about growing and caring for edible plants

- Co-design workshop - contribute your ideas for plants in Belfast

- Free Belfast Plant Map designed by Belfast illustrator Thomas Bannon

- Free Flax Seed Planting Kits

- Free Interactive Plant Zine

- Interactive activities

And more

Date: Culture Night - Friday 18th September

Time: From 4pm

Location: Bankmore Square

Everyone is welcome and no booking is required, pop by and say hello! taken in Bankmore Square by @blickstudios

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12 days ago