“There is No Space for Them to Work”: Belfast desperately lacks accessible spaces for artists
Abby Davidson
Belfast is home to hundreds of artists and creators who have chosen to make the city their home. Despite this, Belfast desperately lacks spaces accessible to the artistic community.
In November 2022, the findings of the Belfast Cultural Infrastructure Mapping Project were submitted to the Belfast City Council City Growth and Regeneration Committee. The report raised concerns over the lack of studio spaces available for artists to access in the city.
The report detailed how Belfast studio groups have waiting lists, meaning that when art graduates and upcoming artists are looking for workspaces “there is no space for them to work” and that the “brain drain” in the local arts sector caused by this is a longstanding issue. Many that don’t leave must make do at their kitchen table which considerably impacts their ability to grow as artists and creative entrepreneurs.
The report also identified how the rising price of property and high occupancy rates have created barriers for the ever-growing community. Several members of this community shared their personal experiences with The Scoop.
Annyagh Wynne is a Freelance Knitwear Designer currently doing an artist’s residency at The Belfast School of Art since graduating in 2022 from Textile Art, Design and Fashion at Ulster University. She also works as a freelance hand dyer for the local business Irish Artisan Yarn. When asked if she thought there was space for textile artists in Belfast, she explained: “physically, there’s space there, you look at the buildings and how many of them are empty really.”
She continued by explaining the practical need for adequate space, “No matter what you do, you need a certain amount of equipment, and you need the storage…if I left [knit machines] somewhere cold they would freeze up”
“If you’re paying extreme amounts of money for somewhere that wasn’t properly maintained and heated, that is a problem.”
Artwork by Grace Fairley
Grace Fairley, an illustrator, animator and events host has been working in the industry since she graduated from university in 2020. She is a co-founder of Arts Fest Belfast and Belfast’s only female-led illustration studio, Lemon Juice Studio. She is currently studying for a MA in Arts Management at Queen’s University Belfast.
Fairley told The Scoop that in Belfast “there are so many wonderful organisations who are doing things for artists and the community, and that's important to celebrate. But, ultimately, artists don't really have anywhere permanent to exist.”
She brought up similar issues to Wynne, “we [artists] are given old buildings that are falling apart, and short-term contracts so we can be evicted without notice, not to mention fires. A lot of the time, artists are expected to just be happy that they have space to work, even if the building has no heating, is leaking, and has pigeons living in it.” This issue was brought to the public eye with the destruction of many artists’ studios in Cathedral Buildings on Donegall Street when the building was set on fire in October 2022. She also recognised that due to many artists’ space existing in old buildings, it can be difficult for artists with mobility issues to access these sources.
Macy Stewart is a fashion and portrait photographer based just outside Belfast. She never actually studied photography. After losing her father at the age of 17, Stewart left school and found herself using her camera to take photos of friends which she posted on Instagram. Eventually, people started to contact her to ask for photos, she started to be offered paid work and her opportunities as a photographer in Belfast started to grow.
Stewart acknowledged that in her medium of work, having a physical space is not as crucial as other artists’ practices. She explains that “it makes more sense for clients to hire their own space and to book me to shoot” but that for other creatives “the artist spaces in Belfast are not the best.” She continued to say, “unless you have good income or maybe have good financial support, there are limited places to actually work/create from, especially when starting out.”
Fairley and Stewart both suggested that funding was a big issue when it came to accessing space. Fairley noted that in Belfast “there is a lack of funding and accessible spaces”, saying, “we just need a government that can recognise the importance of protecting and funding the arts.”
Similarly, Stewart told The Scoop, “I think the art scene in Belfast could do with more funding, more opportunities and maybe more sense of community […] There is some incredible talent in Belfast that really needs to be nurtured and supported…the one way to help that talent flourish is through funding and support, especially to start off your own business and get the essentials to start you off.”
Of course, the issue of space goes far beyond just the physical and practical. Having a space within the community of Belfast’s artists is just as vital for success.
Knitwear by Annyagh Wynne
For Wynne the textiles and fashion industry “is so closed off” and is one in which graduates and interns are “expected to work for nothing, it’s seen as a rite of passage.” In her opinion, gaining experience is “a different kind of currency.”
Fairley suggested to us that part of the reason that art is undervalued in communities is that it is seen as “a hobby and not a career.” This underappreciation of artists is a dangerous thing for Fairley as “cities don't flourish without artists, artists make cities interesting”.
Stewart, reflecting on how the artistic community was affected by Covid, feels that the sense of support and community has become more distant, saying, “it’s a shame because I’m sure there are younger people starting out and maybe don’t feel like they have any support” but she also acknowledged that support still exists in the community, “there’s always going to be someone or a group of people here to help you out if you have doubts.”
One of these groups helping creatives in Belfast is Vault Studios. Vault Studios is currently the largest provider of studio spaces in the country and home to over 100 artists who work across a range of disciplines and art forms. One of the studio’s co-founders Neal Campbell spoke to The Scoop.
Campbell spoke of Vault Studios which has existed since 2017, saying, “we’re very much a community here.” The studio group supports their artists in numerous ways such as starting a mutual support fund to help artists hit by the cost-of-living crisis and provide mental health support to artists who need it. Despite all the work the group is doing, they still have to turn away artists daily.
Campbell went on to describe the struggle that finding a more permanent home for the community has been. He told us how there was “no long-term security” in any of the premises available to Vault Studios, making it extremely hard for them to facilitate more artists. He believes that “arts and culture play a really vital role in the health of a city” and the only way he can see a substantive way forward is by leaders in the city and beyond taking this issue seriously adding, “there are limits to what we can do on our own.”
Fairley resonated with Vault Studio’s struggle saying “There are people who are trying to find studio spaces and can't because rent is too high, or there are no buildings available. Even if you do have an organisation, it can be difficult to secure a space.”
Despite all the barriers facing the creative industries in Belfast, Stewart spoke positively of the scene, “Events like ‘Get On It’ by YEO magazine and Late Night art are some of the best nights to meet like-minded people." She spoke of her own experiences: "For me starting out, my barrier was anxiety and I guess intimidation. It really did help to meet likeminded people once I pushed past that anxiety" and praised Belfast venues, exclaiming that "from what I have seen, most venues in Belfast are very accommodating and welcoming to people."
Wynne drove the point forward that regardless of education, skill level or discipline, “everyone has the right and should have the opportunity to find that space” that works for them. As a final reflection, she also suggested that “people nearly need to leave here [NI] to appreciate how great it is.”
Belfast City Council was requested for comment but did not respond.
Abby Davidson is Deputy Head at The Scoop and a Liberal Arts student at Queen’s University Belfast