Ed Reynolds awarded TranslinkNI Artist in Residence
Vault Visual Artist, Ed Reynolds has been awarded an artist in residence with TranslinkNI. Over the next six months, Ed will travel across Northern Ireland and to Dublin on Ulsterbus, Goldliner Coach, Urby, Metro, Glider, NI Railways and the Enterprise services, capturing the rhythm of daily journeys through plein air painting, sound, and storytelling. His work will culminate in a major public exhibition at Belfast Grand Central Station in early 2026, with one painting retained in Translink’s permanent collection.
Ed Reynolds, Translink Artist in Residence, said:
‘I’ve spent years painting on platforms and in stations, inspired by the light, movement, and stories around me. What’s great about this residency is how easy it is to reach so many different places by public transport. Using the Translink Journey Planner app, I can plan my creative journeys anywhere in Northern Ireland — with all the details right in the palm of my hand.’
Michelle Alcorn, Head of Property Management & Project Delivery, Translink, said:
‘Our Artist in Residence programme brings Translink’s Better.Connected strategy to life — showing how creativity can be embedded within the spaces we design and deliver. By working alongside communities and artists, we’re transforming our stations and transport hubs into places that connect people, places, and possibilities every day. It’s about building civic pride and making art part of the everyday journey.’
Working en plein air the practice of painting outdoors and capturing the atmosphere, light, and life of a place in real time, Ed will reveal the extraordinary in the ordinary the bustle of stations, the quiet rhythms of rural bus stops, and the stories woven through every journey.
Brona Whittaker, Head of Arts, Arts & Business NI, said:
‘This project shows the power of partnership between business and the arts. By working with Translink, we’re embedding creativity into daily life, proving that art isn’t separate from communities but part of how people connect, travel, and experience the world around them.’
The programme features five creative workshops with primary schools close to Grand Central Station BGCS, opportunities for Belfast School of Art students to paint with Ed on location, and a live painting performance at York Street Station during Culture Night Belfast. These activities highlight how Translink’s Better.Connected strategy is about much more than transport—it’s about culture, creativity and connection.
Adam Turkington, Daisychain, said:
‘Public Transport connects people and places every day, and this residency shows how art can deepen those connections. Bringing creativity into stations, buses, and trains transforms ordinary spaces into places of imagination, pride, and community.’
Dr Majella Clancy, Fine Art Tutor, Ulster University, said:
‘This residency offers Fine Art students a unique opportunity to engage with public art and storytelling in a real-world context. Working alongside a professional painter like Ed Reynolds can be transformative, opening up new ways of thinking and shaping how they approach their own practice and future careers.’
The residency also links to Railway 200, a National year-long celebration marking 200 years since the opening of the world’s first passenger railway in the UK. Railway 200 highlights how rail has shaped communities, connected people to opportunity, and sparked cultural and economic change—a perfect backdrop for Ed’s exploration of movement and everyday life.
The project also complements Translink’s wayfinding art intervention between York Street Station, Cityside and Ulster University.
Visti www.bictni.org.uk to find out more.