a-n Assembly, Belfast

Who cares (about artist visibility, aspirations and support - or the lack thereof - in Northern Ireland)?

Alissa Kleist; Catherine Hemelryk; Cecelia Graham; Charlie Beare; Ciara Hickey; Cherie Driver; Clodagh Boyce; Davy Mahon; Deirdre McKenna; Husk Bennett; Jane Morrow; Joy Gerrard; Julie Lovett; Michael Hanna; Mitch Conlon; Molly Martin; Niamh Brown; Niamh Seana Meehan; Peter Mutschler; Rachel Botha; Ronan Smyth; Tadhg Ó’Cuirrín; Viviana Checchia; Vasiliki Stasinaki

Ends 06 October 2023

Julie Lovett- Still from 'Success Strategy', 2022. Courtesy of the artist

This gently provocative title frames the talks, screenings, panels, workshops, and Q&A's that make up the first a-n Assembly in Northern Ireland. Our place, slightly hidden on an island on the periphery of the UK, often feels adrift from our neighbours’ prevailing cultural ecologies. The Belfast Assembly is programmed by PS² in partnership with Catalyst Arts, hosted by QSS and Vault Artist Studios.

Assembly overview:

Wednesday 4 October - pre-Assembly - online
An introduction to the visual art landscape of Northern Ireland, opening opportunities for interest and exchange for artists in the UK and Ireland.
[If you require any of the following: Audio Description, BSL, Interpretation Captioning, please register before 22 September].

Thursday 5 October - Assembly - in person - QSS Map

Artists, curators and organisations will speak about how they adapt, cope, struggle or fail in an arts-rich but resource-poor climate. Through conversation, we will nurture similarities and inspiration, helping us to generate answers to questions around how we improve the arts ecology in Northern Ireland.

Friday 6 October - post-Assembly - in person - QSS

We will take stock and develop a plan of action, proposing new programmes and a timeline, to support the survival of the arts in Northern Ireland.

Click here to view the programme (opens as PDF)

Click here register

a-n members will receive priority access to tickets on Thursday 31 August 2023. Not yet a member? Join today.
General tickets will be available on Monday 4 September 2023 via a-n

A blue and white toned photograph which, on the right, shows a white board with black scrawled writing which reads ‘YOU WON’T GO FAR’. It hangs at a jaunty angle against a white wall. On the left of the image, a window looks out onto a scene of urban dereliction, featuring waste ground and a building in which windows are smashed.

Ieva Rojūté. You Won’t Go Far, mixed media piece from solo exhibition ‘This is life and not a fantasy’, PS2, 2019. Courtesy of the artist. PS2 office photographed by Cilia Gerbault, July 2023.

About a-n: The Artists Information Company

a-n is the largest artists’ membership organisation in the UK with over 30,000 members. We support artists and those who work with them in many practical ways, acting on behalf of our membership and the visual arts sector to improve artists’ livelihoods. We have a reputation for providing compelling insights and playing a catalytic role in influencing and informing cultural policy.

a-n Mission

Through advocacy and information and from the perspective of artists, a-n’s mission is to stimulate and support contemporary visual arts practice and affirm the value of artists in society.

PS² is supported by The National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and project funding from Belfast City Council

This project is funded by a-n