Vault SHANKILL MISSION Open Day

This is it! Write down the date, stick it in your phone, your calendar, change your plans, set reminders, cancel the milk, everything and join us for the Grand Opening of Vault Art Studios Shankill Mission!

On 17 August 2024, from 2–5pm, we are inviting you the public to join us for an afternoon of craic, studio snooping, performance, activities and workshops all set in the magnificent Shankill Road Mission building (116 Shankill Road, BT13 2BD).

It's been a long road but after a year and a half of renovation, building, cleaning and all sorts of physical and mental work we are finally ready to show the world our new (very old) premises.

The afternoon will take shape like this:

Open Studios (2–3pm & 4–5pm)
A unique chance to chat and snoop around the working studios of our 20+ professional artists working in the fields of fine art, performance, music, photography and more, and to see our wonderful, light-filled performance and rehearsal spaces.  

Craic (3–4pm)

Join us downstairs for some thanks, performances from Joshua Burnside and Jacob Anderson, plus more.

Throughout the Day

• Learn to spray with FGB
  Join street art wizard FGB and try your hand at spray painting at the back of the building. All materials provided.

• Shankill Screen films; Foyer screenings
  Screenings of archive films from the Shankill area and beyond; and a special film on the building’s transformation.

• Jake's Music Takeover
  Local legend Jake curates an afternoon of live music performances in the old café space.

• Belfast Tool Library
  BTL workshop and lending library demos and information sessions with Neal Campbell and Ema Buchanan.

• Son of the Hound
  Live reads and recordings.

• Human Guinea Pigs
  Try Yasmeen Savage’s experimental elixir proven to upregulate mood-enhancing neurotransmitters! (At least in mice). You can be first to judge human effects!

• Juggling workshop with Jacob
  A whistlestop workshop with one of the best jugglers in the city.

• Live Printing
  Jonathan Brennan will be live printing a new linocut print of the Shankill building for you to take away.

Please come along and celebrate with us as we showcase and officially launch this magnificent, historical space that’s been given a new lease of life with a brilliant community of fantastic artists.

It’s gonna be CLASS!

Practical information: 

Address: 116 Shankill Road, BT13 2BD

Date and time: Saturday 17 August, 2–5pm

Getting here: 

Walk: Vault Shankill mission is a 15-minute walk from Belfast city centre. 

Bus: You can also easily travel here by public transport: buses no. 11a, 11b, 11c and 11g stop just a few doors down at the ‘Agnes Street’ stop. Check Translink or Google Maps for the latest directions. 

Bicycle: There is a Belfast Bikes station right next to us at Shankill Leisure Centre. 

Parking: If you cannot use any of these options, there is on street parking in front of the building and there is free parking behind the building at Northumberland St Car Park. 

Dogs: canine friends are welcome, but must be kept on leads.

Children: little people also welcome with adults, no leads necessary. 

Accessibility: Please note everything above the ground floor is accessible by stairs only.

We’re indebted to Argyle Business Centre for their generosity, help and trust. By making this beautiful and historic building available to us and by being willing to make a long-term investment in arts-based regeneration the team at Argyle have shown themselves to be genuine forward thinkers.

Illustration by Ruth Crothers