Our story (so far…)
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 2023, 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 six 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. We’ll have you over soon. For now, that’s our story, a version of it anyway. That’s our story, so far…
Our Board
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Sinéad O'Neill-Nicholl
CHAIRPERSON
For almost 20 years, Sinéad was employed in the NI Civil Service, working in management roles within Finance and IT. She gained extensive experience in government accounting procedures and management accounts as well as training and development in leadership skills.
Sinéad is a qualified accountant technician and holds both a BA and MFA Fine Art and is also an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She has delivered and facilitated workshops and courses across a wide range of creative fields in colleges, schools and independently.
Sinéad is currently representing Vault Artist Studios on the Arts and Business Blueprint Programme and holds key roles in several local arts organisations, such as, Household Belfast CIC and Creative Exchange Artist Studios. Sinéad joined the board of trustees at Vault in September 2020 and was appointed to the role of Chair in December 2022.
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Linda McBurney
SECRETARY
Linda McBurney has over 20 years of managerial experience in roles ranging from Operations Management, Project Planning, and Internal Communication. In 2014, she switched gears to follow her passion for Visual Art and is currently the HR Officer at the MAC (Metropolitan Arts Centre) in Belfast.
Linda has seven years of experience as a Trustee, the last 3 with Vault. Before joining Vault, Linda was a Trustee and Company Secretary at Belfast Print Workshop (BPW). Linda has been a printmaker/artist at BPW for 14 years and is one of their trusted advisors.
Linda has an HND in Public Administration; and is a graduate of the University of Ulster and holds a B.A. in Business Studies and Marketing, specialising in change management and project planning.
Her passion for Vault is rooted in her personal ambition to provide affordable studio spaces for local artists and a community to support them.
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Kristi Campbell
TRUSTEE
Kristi is a photographer and founding member – she was Treasurer on the board when Vault was born. She rejoined the board in 2023.
In a former life she was an investment analyst, football coach and wedding photographer. Kristi is a Los Angeles native and has lived in Belfast since 2009. She is finishing her master's degree at Queens University in City Planning & Design, where she focused on the role of arts in planning. Kristi is one of the Directors of Daisy Chain, a creative placemaking consultancy which allows her to collaborate with artists on street art, events, research and a bunch of other stuff.
She is passionate about changing the way we look at arts in Belfast and finding secure long-term premises for the Vault community.
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Marcus Patton
TRUSTEE
Marcus Patton is an architect who has worked with historic buildings for over forty years and is currently on the board of Hearth Historic Buildings Trust, which is working on the restoration of Riddel’s Warehouse. He is passionate about the reuse of derelict buildings as a way of bringing life into towns and cities. He has published several books on architecture and was awarded the OBE in 1995.
He has served on a variety of boards, including the Tyrone Guthrie Centre and the Historic Buildings Council. He is a longstanding member of Belfast Print Workshop and an Academician of the Royal Ulster Academy. He is also actively involved in classical music, playing in several orchestras and chamber groups, and sees the arts as an essential part of life.
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Mike Ditchfield
TRUSTEE
Mike works in public-sector finance by day (with a background as a Chartered Valuation surveyor), but by night, he’s facilitating breathwork, drum circles and movement events or coaching. Mike joined the Vault Board because he is passionate about the local arts, is amazed by the variety of artists associated with Vault and wants to share his experience in board-related activities.
OUR STAFF TEAM
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Neal Campbell
BUILDING MANAGER
Neal is a founding member of Vault Artist Studios and has worked as Vault building manager for over 5 years. He holds overall responsibility for all operational aspects of the charity.
He is passionate about building community, making spaces where art happens, and advocating for the arts.
Outside of his role as building manager, Neal is a photographer and DJ and Vault studio holder. He is also co-founder and chair of Belfast Tool Library
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Jacob Anderson
STUDIO & EVENTS ASSISTANT
A member since 2018, Jacob has been involved in the running of events and the doing of fun things in Vault in a variety of capacities since then.
He is now heavily involved in getting the post Tower Street spaces ready for members, events and friends of Vault to getting back to their artistic practice.
Using community, collaboration and creativity in his work within Vault, touring circus artist and event manager, he is always looking for ways for further artistic cohesion and pushing Arts in Belfast and feels being within Vault Artist Studios is the best way to achieve this.
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Mick McCullagh
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
I am a screenwriter, musician and podcaster from Omagh. I joined Vault in July 2018 and in April 2022 I joined the staffing team in a freelance administrative role to help out with room bookings, invoicing and whatever metaphorical fire needs put out. To me Vault means community, encouragement and support.
I haunt the attic floor of the new Shankill Mission Building, so If you hear ghoulish wails and distressed cries from up there it’s not a ghost- it’s me up there, struggling for my art.
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LAURA NELSON
PR TEAM
Laura Nelson is a founding member of Vault Artist Studios and has worked for Vault in a myriad of voluntary and paid roles over the years in such jobs as, but not limited to- cleaner, decorator, painter, renovator, printer, signpainter, gardener, community lunch chef, annual market organiser, event organiser, shop keeper, gallery programmer, curator, fund raiser, building hunter, PR and Vault board trustee. She believes the strength of community support within Vault is its superpower.
In her own arts practice, Nelson is predominantly a visual artist & sign-writer as well as sometime producer with a background in community organising and events facilitation; she likes making stuff and she likes making stuff happen! -
LEO BOYD
PR TEAM
Leo Boyd has been pretty obsessed with print and printed media his whole life so it seems only natural that he has ended up working as part of the Vault PR team.
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JONATHAN BRENNAN
PR TEAM
In a former life, Jonathan was head of communications for the British Council in Brussels, while moonlighting as a printmaker / painter / bar fly. Eventually one thing gave way to the other and he became a full-time artist … that is until he found himself on the PR Team for Vault Artist Studios. In the words of Michael Corleone , “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!” He does, however, love Vault and wants to help out where he can.
FAQs
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Click here to register your interest in future available studio spaces. We will advertise available spaces in the NEWS section.
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We are always looking for suitable empty premises. Please send any leads to future@vaultartiststudios.com. Thank you!
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Tell us what you have in mind - info@vaultartiststudios.com
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We always need donations to help sustain our mission of providing affordable studio spaces for the arts sector in Belfast. If you can afford it, we’d love a donation. Click Here.
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We are very close to having our hireable spaces ready for you (honestly, really close). In the meantime message bookings@vaultartiststudios.com
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Don’t get us started. We are really trying to tackle this issue and expand to additional long-term secure premises. We’re tired.
Already a member and have specific questions?
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