VAULT ARTIST STUDIOS YEAR IN REVIEW 2024
If 2023 was a year of change, upheaval and problem solving for Vault, 2024 was the year when the dust began to settle on firming foundations and we were able to start working, creating and collaborating again. It's been a crazy, busy year. Here we bring that year to a close with some of our highlights and achievements.
Our Vault Year In Review…
January.
New Members Call-out. We started the year with a call-out for new studio members to join our building at Marlborough House. This year we’ve had around ten new artists join us at Marlborough House plus two at Shankill Mission. We have members ranging in age from 19 to over 70’s bringing our community numbers to over 100 practicing artists. Welcome all!
Gallery|Project Space Closed. The gallery team took a month off exhibitions in January to rest and plan for a full year of programming ahead. The space stays open to support members and community events, workshops and meetings.
February.
Engaging Art. Our new programme in partnership with Belfast Buildings Trust begins with The Belfast That Time Forgot Installation by Leo Boyd at Carlisle Memorial Church. This marks the first of a series of collaborations inside the church for 2024.
New Rehearsal Spaces! After much graft and renovation, rentable spaces suitable for meetings, rehearsals, dance classes and workshops become available for public rental. Our beautiful new dance space at Shankill Mission is available to use by communities and groups for the first time.
ArtEZ Students Arriving. We welcomed the latest group of iMAE (International Master Artist Educator) students from ArtEZ University (Arnheim, Netherlands) to Shankill Mission. We’re delighted to partner with ArtEZ to provide office and studio space for this UNESCO recognised project, bringing Artist Educator students to Belfast for 3 month placements to develop their socially engaged and issues based practice.
April.
Printmaking Courses At Marlborough House. New for the spring season delivered by master printmaker Raquel Amat.
Boatbuilding for Creatives. Our drop-in workshops for creatives as part of PS2’s Belfast 2024 boat building and city wide community project, WaterWorks.
Retrofit24. Vault is featured in Retrofit24- The Reuse Agenda for our Commercial, Cultural and Civic Buildings exhibit. Hosted by the Built Environment Trust at The Building Centre is central London, Vault is recognised as a case study of how we repurpose existing buildings using light retrofits. Vault was represented by Neal, our General Manager, at this event.
Stockholm Supermarket Art Fair & Forum. Two of the gallery team, Laura & Sally make the trip to Stockholm for this networking event which connects the contemporary Swedish art scene with international galleries, art organisers, artists, studios and arts institutions.
May.
FUNDING. We receive the brilliant news that our Gallery|Project Space programme at Marlborough House has been awarded funding by BCC small grants programme. In addition to the use of our Gallery|Project Space, we are now able to pay our artists and support them with technical resources for the first time including curatorial, writing, technician and documentary support. We thank Belfast City Council for their ongoing support.
Beautiful Resistance Tour. Workshop with artist and educator Abdelfattah Abusrour at Marlborough House Project Space. Organised by Artists Against Genocide.
Engaging Art. There Was No-one Else There But The Stones. Installation of mixed media works and documentary film at Carlisle Memorial Church by Jonathan Brennan.
June.
Our 3rd Chair. We announce Linda McBurney as the new Chair of our Board of Trustees. Taking the baton from Sinéad O’Neill-Nicholl, Linda brings significant professional and board experience, along with a dedication to providing affordable space and community to artists. The entire Vault community extends its heartfelt thanks to Sinéad for her stewardship of Vault during the turbulent period when we lost our Tower Street home and moved to our two new buildings.
NEW SPACE. Another new rehearsal space opens up for public and community use at our Shankill Mission building.
FUNDING. We thank the Esme Mitchell Trust who award us funding toward our monthly Gallery|Project Space programme directly supporting artists.
July.
Éalú. Community Boat Building project led by member Niamh Scullion at our Shankill Mission building is completed and Éalú the Rainbow Skiff is born. She was launched in the river Lagan as part of the Belfast 2024 PSsquareds WaterWorks festival.
August.
Grand Opening of Vault Shankill Mission Building! After 18 months of renovation work our Shankill Mission building is ready to open its doors to the public. Shankill Mission is home to around 30 multidisciplinary Vault artists, Belfast Tool Library and the ArtEZ University Site Specific college. We thank Argyle Business Centre, the owners of Shankill MIssion, for their ongoing generosity and support. In our partnership with ABC we share a mutual belief that the arts should have a sustainable place within the regeneration of our buildings, places and communities, and we look forward to the next steps on our journey together.
Shutters Refurb. The front shutters at Shankill Mission get a colourful makeover by our street artist members.
We're Hiring! Vault advertises for our first Facilities Officer to take care of our buildings. This post is funded by the Arts and Business NI Blueprint programme. Over the course of this impactful programme A&BNI have supported us both financially and through training and capacity building. We extend our thanks to Arts & Business and to Sinéad, Linda and Kristi from our board, and Neal from our staff team, who have represented Vault at various stages throughout the Blueprint Programme
FUNDING. Vault is awarded funding by Belfast City Council’s Organisational Development Grant for a brand new Artist Development and Community Outreach Programme, allowing us to devise and deliver an eclectic artist-led programme for 2025.
September.
This Do. Part of our Engaging Art programme with Belfast Buildings Trust. A Community Craft installation working within the themes of memory and place by Ali Fell.
Vault Newsletter. Vault formally launches its own monthly newsletter, full of news, events, exhibitions, artists work and projects. This is part of our strategy to become more independent from social media platforms.
ARTMAP. Vault returns to the Artmap in its new edition and both our locations feature. It feels great to be back.
October.
Our Gallery & Project Space Turns One! We celebrate one year of our first city centre, public facing multidisciplinary Gallery|Project Space.
GAZA mp.4. Artists Against Genocide host the fundraising exhibition and film event, GAZA mp.4 in the Gallery|Project Space.
ArtEZ Students Arriving. We welcomed another group of students from ArtEZ University in the Netherlands to Shankill Mission. This time it’s a group of 12 undergraduate Artist Educators in Theatre students.
November.
New Team Member! Gareth Kelly joins the Vault staff team as Facilities Officer, bringing a much needed resource and expertise to the ongoing job of maintaining and improving our buildings. We all rejoice!
Open Studios. Vault Marlborough House opens up the entire building to the public for the first time with our Not My First Open Studios Open studios, gallery exhibition and tours!
FRESH GOODS. Our Shankill Mission Cafe space opens to the public for the first time with FGBs Fresh Goods Pop Up Shop.
Love This Place. Vault group show opens in Cavan TownHall.
December.
Christmas Market. Our sixth Christmas art market weekender and second at Carlisle Memorial Church is a huge and joyous success despite the efforts of storm Darragh. Thanks to Jacob and the team for their work in planning and delivering the market, and to Belfast Buildings Trust for their continued support which enables us to host our market in this special building.
MUTUAL FLUX Artist Development Programme is launched. Supported by Belfast City Council, Mutual Flux is a one year programme of regular artist-led workshops, talks, events, screenings and peer learning spanning much of 2025 across both our buildings.
BELFAST POP SHOP. Vault hosts Leo Boyds, Belfast Pop Shop weekender in our Gallery|Project space.
Christmas Card Linocut Workshop with Jonathan Brennan in our Gallery|Project space.
Animation Screening & Workshop. Artists Against Genocide host their final fundraising event of the year in the Gallery|Project Space with animation, workshops and food.
POPUP. Vault Shankill artists Josh, Emily, Hannah & Ruth host a one day only POPUP in their new cafe space.
FUNDING. Vault is awarded funding from the Arts Council Northern Ireland Small Capital Programme for vital accessibility equipment and improvements at Shankill Mission and much needed equipment for our gallery at Marlborough House. We thank ACNI for this support.
Vault Christmas Party. Vaulters get together for the annual end of year celebrations. Much delicious food and drink is consumed and all the fun is had!
Our Staff, Freelance and Trustee team take a well deserved break while our studios remain open for our members.
vault Gallery|Project space year in review.
This was a big year for our new artist-led city centre Gallery & Project Space. We presented 12 different exhibitions representing our diverse, multidisciplinary community which focused on themes of experimentation and collaboration. In January we took a month off exhibiting to plan for the year ahead.
February-
Placards for Palestine was the fourth exhibition to take place in our new Gallery|Project Space but the first of 2024. It included drop-in workshops plus the display of placards and protest banners made by local artists, individuals and community groups organising and campaigning for an end to the war in Gaza. Organised in conjunction with Artists Against Genocide and PSsquared.
March-
MOTHER. Our first open-call to any artist living or working in Ireland who have experience of being or having a mother. Mother exhibition is our fifth in the space and marks International Women's & Mothers day. It showcases the work of 70 multidisciplinary artists, Postpartum life drawing workshops and two live performance works in the space. A group exhibition of epic proportions!
April-
Last Immediate Moving Images by Blue Whale Collective. This exhibition features 6 short films shot during Vault's last days in residence at Tower St. The films accompany Blue Whales live experimental quartet performances taking place over a three hour time span in the gallery space.
May-
He’s Not Right In The Head. Our Late Night Vault Programme launches in the Gallery|Project Space with FGBs exhibition of painting and illustration. This exhibition is also part of CQAF.
June-
Computer Says No. Solo show of painting, drawing and printmaking by Leo Boyd. Also part of Belfast International Photo Festival.
July-
Inklings. Exhibition by Sally O’Dowd & Jonny McEwen of experimental drawings in Ink and charcoal.
August-
Try We Must. Solo exhibition and installation by John Baucher exploring themes of symbols and identity in a postconflict N.I.
September-
Continuous Fragmentation. Solo exhibition by Cathy Scullion exploring themes of collectivity.
October-
Songlines by Laura Nelson. Solo show of Portraiture and traditional Signwriting techniques.
November-
A Tale of Two Houses by Marta Dyczkowska Film and installations on the theme of the loss of built heritage and personal landscapes. Part of Belfast Film Festival.
December-
Surround Sound sonic installation by Cameron Clarke becomes the first exhibition as part of the Late Night Vault programme to take place outside the gallery, under the nearby Albert Clock.
Fauna Of Mirrors solo exhibition by Wilhelmina Peace of drawing and printmaking marks our last gallery exhibition of 2024.
Our Gallery|Project Space will not be showing an exhibtion this January to allow us time to plan for the year ahead. The space will however be hosting the first of our new Mutual Flux Artist Development Programme events- Finance For Creatives on January 10th and Vault Young present the first in their monthly series of: Anyone Can… starting on 30th January. More on that excitement coming soon…
And so, at the end of this busy year, we offer sincere thanks and acknowledgement to everyone who contributes to the work that we do.
To the many, many people who give their time generously and freely as volunteers - trustees, sub-committee and working group members, helpers and muckers-in. Thank you!
To our staff and freelancers who work tirelessly and go above and beyond every day. Thank you!
To our studio holders and artists. We literally wouldn’t be here without you. Thank you!
To our many partners, collaborators and room bookers, intersecting across so many organisations, sectors, disciplines and walks of life. Thank you!
To our funders. Thank you!
To our countless supporters who constantly show up for us, attending our events, sharing our news, holding up our vision. Thank you so much!
We are very much looking forward to all that 2025 brings.
Wishing all of you a peaceful and happy 2025.
Vault x
Photo Credits: Neal Campbell, Marta Dyczkowska, Kristi Henry, Jonathan Brennan, Cathy Scullion, Laura Nelson, Niamh Scullion, Leo Boyd, Stephen Morrisey.
Poster Credits: Leo Boyd, Blue Whale, Ruth Crothers, Dragos Musat, Cameron Clarke, Helen Gomez, Marta Dyczkowska, Rob Hilken, Husk Bennet, FBG, AAG, Raquel Amat, Laura Nelson, Carrie Lewis.