Writing our story, or anyone’s story for that matter, before that story is finished, is to play with emphasis and construct chains-of-events in order to create something which, in the end, is inevitably subjective, potentially skewed and liable to change. Also, who knows where we’ll be in ten years’ time?; and how the person who tells our story then will pick and choose from the various things-that-happened to write that future narrative? Having said that, you gotta start somewhere, so let’s start with some facts: the year is 2024, we are ‘Vault Artist Studios’, and we are the largest provider of affordable studios in Northern Ireland. We are also the only multi-disciplinary studio space in the north of Ireland, with two premises in Belfast City. The number of members tends to hover around 100 – and by ‘members’ we mean active, professional, working artists. And we really are multi-disciplinary, our members working across a variety of disciplines in both the visual and performing arts: from street art to performance art, from painters to ceramicists to writers, from comedians to musicians to actors, printmakers, sculptors, fermenters, filmmakers, weavers, sign-writers, photographers, tightrope-walkers, chefs, axe-throwers and those who do a variety of all the above (and more).

It's taken us several years to get here. In 2017, we started with 25 members in a former bank building in the east of the city with incredibly thick walls, a healthy pigeon population on the roof and an actual bank vault (yes, that’s where our eventual name ‘Vault’ originates). We were a group of creatives interested in forming an independent art community: a place to make art, engage with the local community and not feel beholden to anyone, yet knowing we only had a year to play with. During our time in what became known as ‘The Bank’, we had a Father-Ted-themed birthday party, an AGM that finished with an order with the local chippie for 25 portions of chips, a joyous crowded opening evening with live performances, an open studios/food event, a seed bomb workshop, cinema screenings, and generally much over-excitement: there really were honey bees on the roof! We were small, we mucked in and made the most of our time. And then we had to move on. After a period of uncertainty (with some generous offers of buildings from our friends) a building which would house all of us – and then some – came our way: an old technical college on Tower Street. It would become our home for the following five years and see our membership quadruple.

This new building was huge: a dance studio, two rehearsal studios, a theatre, a canteen with an industrial kitchen – hang on, there’s another floor!? another wing? Remnants of the building’s life were everywhere: salon sinks, apothecary jars, TVs, filing cabinets, and so many projector screens. It also had its challenges… to put it mildly. This time the pigeons were inside. There was asbestos and leaks and damp and we were in the middle of a residential area that had got used to the place being empty and quiet. But it was also kind of amazing.

In our first team meeting we sat in a circle in the huge empty former library and talked about how to grow our membership and keep our independent, multi-disciplinary community thing going. Through joint effort, but also a really staggering amount of work by a few, we got the lights on, the water flowing (including some temporary indoor fountain displays where water pipes had simply been sawn off…), the asbestos taped up, a lick of paint on the concrete, raised beds and veg, and, most importantly, we grew. Not only in size – with new members from new disciplines, and different ages and backgrounds – but we matured: forming voluntary sub-groups to cover local engagement, funding, PR and membership, and eventually recognising the need for our first staff member, and then more. As well as providing studio spaces, we provided public rental spaces to support other groups and individuals, including theatre companies, dance and martial arts teachers. And we ran events and invited thousands of people in and set up a gallery and got an entertainment license. Comedy event in the kitchen? Yes. Night-time ghost hunt? Why not. Gigs, workshops and festivals? Bring it on. A pop-up shop? Cool! A massive art market with performers, live music, food and a bar? Hell yeah!! You get the idea… there really were too many events to mention here. There were tough times too: then, and recently, we lost people we loved; and Covid had a severe impact on our ability to keep going, and it kept going for so bloody long… Many of us are still reeling emotionally; some of us physically.

As you might have guessed, we didn’t want to leave Tower Street. Not only had it become our home, but the sheer amount of stuff you gather in five years (artists are notorious hoarders…). Again, through communal effort, and the incredible, gargantuan efforts of a few, we packed up Vaulty Towers and hit the road.

Which brings us to where we are now, successfully moved to two new buildings: Shankill Mission and Marlborough House. New premises, new challenges, new opportunities – same old pigeons (new murderous seagulls). Vault is our work place and where we make our livings. For now, that’s our story, a version of it anyway. That’s our story, so far…

Come to our events, read about our artists, and stay in touch with our newsletter.