Every Friday from 9:15am - 12:00noon. Contact staff for details. Tea and Newspapers groups give adults the opportunity to meet new people, socialise and discuss local and national affairs in the newspapers while enjoying complimentary tea/coffee and biscuits.6 libraries, 09:15 to 10:00
Free, booking essential, only open to LCCC residents Get festive, learn a new skill or just have fun creating a beautiful Christmas Wreath to make sure your door is the best dressed in town. We are pleased to announce a number of FREE Christmas Wreath Making workshops for our LCCC residents this festive season.
All materials provided, please bring secateurs and gardening gloves! This workshop is postcode restricted to those living within the Lisburn and Castlereagh city council area only. To get tickets for this workshop please register or log in to your account at islandartscentre.com .
In partnership with LCCC Parks and Amenities. Places are limited! Book your spot now. Date: Friday 27 November Time: 10am-12noon Location: Maghaberry Community Centre Cost: Free, booking essential Get festive, learn a new skill or just have fun creating a beautiful Christmas Wreath to make sure your door is the best dressed in town.
We are pleased to announce a number of FREE Christmas Wreath Making workshops for our LCCC residents this festive season. All materials provided, please bring secateurs and gardening gloves! This workshop is postcode restricted to those living within the Lisburn and Castlereagh city council area only.
To get tickets for this workshop please register or log in to your account at islandartscentre.com. In partnership with LCCC Parks and Amenities. Places are limited! Book your spot now.
Every Friday morning on the First Floor. Everyone welcome Keep your mind active - relax with crosswords, sudokus and word searches in good company whilst enjoying complimentary tea/coffee and biscuits.
Takes place every Friday from 10:00am - 12 noon. A group for anyone who enjoys knitting, crochet, cross stitch and other crafts. Share hints and tips, swap patterns, meet new people and learn new skills. Bring whatever you are working on at the moment or start a new project.
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:00am - 12:00pm. Enhance your well-being and calm the mind through relaxed meditative colouring. A gentle way to reduce stress using intricate colouring patterns and designs. All welcome booking not required.
Join us for a tour of one of Belfast’s most iconic buildings. Find out the history (and the secrets!) of Northern Ireland’s oldest public library. Monthly on the last Friday of every month. Everyone welcome. t: 028 9050 9150 e: belfast_central_library@librariesni.org.uk
Every Friday from 10:30am - 11:00am. Rhythm and Rhyme is an exciting free programme to introduce children aged 0 - 4 years to the wonder of rhymes, songs and stories in the library. Rhythm and Rhyme is a great opportunity for children to have fun and learn in a relaxed venue while giving parents and carers the chance to socialise. Booking advisable. t: 028 9081 356810 libraries, 10:30 to 12:30
Every Friday from 11:00am - 1:00pm. Knit and Natter groups are for adults who enjoy knitting, crochet, cross stitch and other crafts. They are free of charge to attend and participants have the opportunity to share hints and tips, swap patterns, meet new people and learn new skills. Members can bring along a project they are already working on or can start something new. Everyone welcome.
Friday 27th November
12pm - 3pm
Materials included
With the festive season only round the corner, this is the perfect opportunity to get into the spirit of Christmas and create a beautiful hand carved decoration to brighten up your home.
During this class Stephen Ryan from Green Woodwork Ireland will teach you the skills needed to produce your Christmas themed woodcarving, each participant can choose from a number of different festive designs. You will also learn how to use a large variety of woodcarving chisels safely and effectively.
This class is suitable for complete beginners as well as those that want to take their new found skills to the next level. No experience necessary.
NB: Due to the use of sharp tools during the class, sturdy boots or shoes should be worn. Open-toed or low-cut footwear is not suitable and may mean you cannot participate in the workshop. The tutor will supply safety gloves but if you have your own tight fitting safety gloves feel free to bring them along.
Lunchtime Reading Group; Last Friday of the Month. From 12:30pm – 1:30pm Chat about popular titles from a wide range of genres in a relaxed and informal setting. Free tea and coffee will be provided – feel free to bring a packed lunch. Please contact Belfast Central Library for more information and to pick up a copy of this month’s book.
Every Friday from 1:00pm - 2:00pm. A group for anyone who enjoys knitting, crochet, cross stitch and other crafts. Share hints and tips, swap patterns, meet new people and learn new skills. Bring whatever you are working on at the moment or start a new project. All welcome no booking required.
Step inside the family home of football superstar George Best, as it would’ve been in the summer of 1961 when fifteen-year-old George left to follow his dreams in Manchester. Your guide will escort into George's life as a boy growing up in 1950s and 1960s Belfast. You will discover how football became the centre of this working-class boy's world, how Manchester United changed his life and how he went on to change the game of football forever.
Enjoy flicking through old school reports, letters and photographs with an experienced local guide to discover more about Best's early life in east Belfast’s Cregagh Estate. Tours are limited to x6 places, so early booking highly recommended. Children under 5 go free with a ticketed adult and no booking is necessary. George Best House, 16 Burren Way, Belfast, BT6 0DW
Every Friday from 2:00pm - 4:00pm. B ooking is advisable. For children aged 3 and over for the Duplo Club and children aged 6 and over for the Lego Club ; children aged 8 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Come along to have Lego building fun. Fun and creative ideas for things to make and build.
Perhaps reading isn't as easy as it once was. Maybe your eyesight has changed. Perhaps you find it easier to listen than to read. Or maybe you simply enjoy sharing stories with others. Whatever your reason, you'll find a warm welcome at The Shared Page. Listen to a poem or story read aloud, enjoy a cup of tea and join the conversation, or simply relax and listen.
No pressure to read aloud. No preparation needed. Listen or join in -it's your choice. Takes place on the last Friday of every month. Everyone Welcome. t:028 9050 9216 e: holywoodarches.library@librariesni.org.uk
Thirty-four days before she’s sent to prison, notorious Silicon Valley founder Elizabeth Holmes invites a skeptical film crew to document her every move. Filmed over the course of three years, the film captures Holmes as she continues to vehemently maintain her innocence, and evolves into something far stranger, more intimate, and more unpredictable than a conventional documentary.
Beginning in 2023, in the 34 days leading up to disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes’ prison sentence, filmmaker and comedian Nathan Fielder moves into Holmes’ home with her husband, Billy Evans, and their children.
Junior Lego Club and Board Games every Friday for 4-11 year olds, accompanied by an adult. Come along and enjoy getting creative with Lego. Booking essential on day of activity.
Every Friday 2:30pm - 3:30pm. Come along and enjoy listening to literature being read aloud in real time and be part of a shared reading group discussion. You will enjoy listening to a great story or poem, with no pressure to talk or read. Refreshments provided.
Fridays from 3:30pm - 4:00pm. Storytime sessions help children aged 4 - 8 years develop a love of books, improve their listening skills, inspire creativity and feeds their imagination. Join our friendly staff as they read popular books and introduce children to a whole range of different authors.
Every Friday from 3:30pm - 4:00pm. Storytime sessions help children aged 4 - 8 years develop a love of books, improve their listening skills, inspire creativity and feeds their imagination. Join our friendly staff as they read popular books and introduce children to a whole range of different authors. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
aged 4 - 8 years; Children require an accompanying adultVenue listing
From Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Poh Si Teng, American Doctor follows three American medics who travel to Gaza to volunteer in hospitals overwhelmed by war. Palestinian-American emergency physician Dr. Thaer Ahmad, Jewish American orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Mark Perlmutter, and Zoroastrian trauma surgeon Dr. Feroze Sidhwa come from very different backgrounds but are united by a shared commitment to save lives.
Working amid bombardment, severe medical shortages and constant danger, the doctors treat patients under extraordinary circumstances while witnessing the devastating impact of the conflict. They are compelled to not only care for the wounded but also to speak out about what they have seen.
Filmed on the ground as events unfold, this award-winning documentary follows their journey from besieged hospitals in Gaza to the halls of Congress in Washington, where they advocate on behalf of the patients and colleagues they left behind. A powerful and deeply human portrait of courage, compassion and moral responsibility. Content warning: features images of real dead bodies and distressing scenes
Over the past decade, the Ulster Museum has collected a significant number of important artworks from around the world—many of which have never been seen by the public until now. Art of the Possible features over 40 artworks made from glass, ceramics, silver, metalwork, jewellery, and wood.
These works were created by some of the most talented and important artists and designers working in these materials today.
Craft NI are delighted to be invited back for a second year to present a Guest Showcase at RUA’s 145th Annual Exhibition! The Royal Ulster Academy of Arts (RUA) returns to the Ulster Museum this autumn for its 145th Annual Exhibition, bringing together around 350 works by artists from Northern Ireland, across Ireland and further afield.
Craft NI will present a guest showcase within the exhibition, bringing together a curated selection of contemporary craft works spanning various disciplines such as ceramics, glass, jewellery, textiles, metalwork and furniture. The showcase brings together works that explore new, contemporary interpretations of the natural colours of the Irish landscape: from bespoke furniture and blown glass to silversmithing, ceramics and handcrafted jewellery, the works sit in conversation with one another, creating a shared canvas of the local landscape and its influence on the makers.
Participating designer-makers include Adam Frew, Andrea Spencer, Anima Roos, Anna Smyth, Cara Murphy (RUA Academician), Carla Pennie McBride, Céline Traynor, Joanne Lamb, John Piekaar, Mark Hanvey, Matthew Chambers, Rauni Higson, Sarah Cathers, Scott Benefield, Seliena Coyle and Shauna McCann.
The showcase highlights the breadth and vitality of the local craft sector, with an emphasis on the quality, creativity and technical skill evident in the work of NI designer-makers.
The Earth is the First Body: an Exhibition by Botanic Gardens Artist-in-Residence Kerrie Hanna
The Earth is the First Body is a new exhibition by artist Kerrie Hanna, created during her residency at Botanic Gardens. Using inks, pigments and charcoal made from plants growing in the Gardens, Kerrie has explored the stories, history and living landscape of this unique place. The exhibition looks at the Gardens' past, including the movement of plants around the world during Victorian times, while also highlighting the important work of protecting plants and biodiversity today.
Through stained glass and other artworks, The Earth is the First Body invites us to think about our connection to the natural world and our role in caring for it.
Join us for the exhibition opening event and be among the first to see the work. The exhibition officially opens to the public on 24 October and runs until 6 December.
Craft NI Gallery in partnership with Future Island-Island, Belfast School of Art, Live Borders Museums & Galleries and The Bernat Klein Foundation, is delighted to present a capsule exhibition of selected work that shares the legacy of Bernat Klein (1922 – 2014), textile designer and manufacturer, artist and colourist.
Colour connects every aspect of Klein’s creative practice that lasted a lifetime. Whether in his innovation of 1960s couture mohair tweeds or printed textiles, or evident in his work as an artist and colourist. Klein encompassed the importance of place in exploring his visual language of colour and texture.
There will also be a sister exhibition (details to follow) at Belfast School of Art and a symposium in November. Both exhibitions illustrate Klein’s influence across design, architecture, visual arts, as well as his significant creative and cultural contribution to Scotland. Original archive pieces give context to the work of contemporary practitioners who have been inspired by The Klein legacy, and which still holds relevance today.
Who was Bernat Klein? Serbian born designer Bernat Klein (1922 – 2014) emigrated to the UK in the post-war period and based his textile manufacturing business in the Scottish Borders (1951 – 1992). In a career spanning six decades, Klein found international success in the interlarded spheres of visual arts, fashion, textiles design, architecture, industrial design, and colour consultancy.
He sold couture fabrics to leading couriers such as Chanel and Dior, gained recognition in Scandinavia and North America, and realised two important buildings with modernist architect Peter Womersley (1923 – 1993).
An annual staple at Craft NI Gallery during the festive season, the Big Bauble Showcase features a wide selection of limited ranges and one-off baubles all handcrafted to a high standard by local designer-makers in porcelain, felt, enamel, textiles or hand blown glass. The event is a highlight for visitors who come back each year to add to their collection. Stop by to admire the skills of local makers and pick up a meaningful gift!
The Gift, Craft NI Gallery’s annual Christmas selling exhibition, opens November 5th! Join us for a festive opening night on November 5th, 6 – 9pm (Late Night Art Belfast) to see the latest creations of local designer-makers and a chance to meet some of them in person! Celebrating the creativity and craftsmanship of local makers, the exhibition brings together a thoughtfully curated collection of unique, handcrafted gifts, from contemporary jewellery and ceramics to textiles, woodwork and much more.
Whether you’re searching for a special gift for a loved one or something to treasure yourself for years to come, discover one-of-a-kind pieces made by talented makers right here on our doorstep. Participating makers: Abbie Dixon, Aisling Higgins, Anna Smyth, Fiona Kerr, Hugh Cummins, Inga Reed, Janice Gilmore, Jill Phillips, Marlene McKibbin, Martin Cameron, Mary Chris, Natasha Heaslip, Nichola Dalton, Rory Shearer, Sarah Elliott, Seamus Gill, Ursula McGivern. The exhibition runs until January 31st, 2027.
Celebrate 50 years of creativity with the Class of ’76, a group of artists who graduated from Belfast School of Art in 1976. Explore an exciting exhibition of paintings, drawings, photography, ceramics and conceptual art, organised by John Rubery. Showcasing the diverse and unexpected journeys of a generation of artists.
Launch : Saturday 14th November 1pm-3pm
Dates : 14th November – 13th February 2027
Gallery : Upper Gallery & Lower Gallery
Artist Talk : 20th November (TBC)
Ralf Sander’s largest solo exhibition in Northern Ireland to date, this exhibition brings together sculpture, photography, sound, film and satellite data to examine how images shape our understanding of reality.
A “perfect storm” describes a rare and powerful convergence of events. Sander uses this idea to consider the forces that shape how we see the world, and our capacity to influence them.
Sander turns satellite imagery and weather data, tools normally used to observe the Earth, into an artistic medium. Treating the satellite as a camera, he transforms scientific information into another way of seeing the world.
The resulting installation creates an illusion through photography, digital imagery and sculpture. It invites us to consider whether every photograph is, in some sense, an illusion: not reality itself, but one version of it. The work asks how this constructed reality differs from the reality we experience in everyday life.
The exhibition builds on Sander’s long-standing interest in testing the possibilities of sculpture across different materials and media. His work has been exhibited internationally, and he has also initiated and curated exhibitions and art projects.
The exhibition reflects Golden Thread Gallery’s continuing commitment to ambitious and critically engaged contemporary art. It extends the gallery’s programme beyond historical enquiry to address wider questions of perception and representation, and the role visual culture plays in shaping our shared understanding of the world.
About the Artist
Born in December 1963, Ralf Sander is an internationally active sculptor and conceptual artist. His practice ranges from large-scale public monuments and figurative sculptures carved from single tree trunks to experimental projects that connect art and science.
Sander has exhibited worldwide, in internationally acclaimed locations such as Bonner Kunsthalle, Museum of Art Stuttgart, Haus der Kunst Munich, Philadelphia Museum, Nowisibirsk Museum of Art and Seoul MoA.
Sander is a Reader in Fine Art at the Belfast School of Art , Ulster University. Originally from Berlin, he is now based in Islandmagee, Northern Ireland.
Accessibility
The Lower Gallery is accessed via the ground floor, which is step-free. The Upper Gallery is accessed via wheelchair accessible lift or by the stairwell.
Large print versions of exhibition texts are available.
Access videos of the gallery are available on our website here , with BSL and ISL signed versions.
Please let us know if you have any questions or additional requirements, we are working hard to make the gallery as accessible as possible for everyone.
Golden Thread Gallery is proud to hold an Arts & Disability Access Award Venue Accreditation.
Golden Thread Gallery is supported by:
Details Outburst Arts and the MAC proudly present Unruly Ordinances, a major group exhibition of queer artists from the last two decades. Collectively curated through conversations on queer practice between Outburst collaborators Dayna Ash, Eoin Dara, Haven for Artists, Laima Kreivytė, Kim McAleese, Ruth McCarthy, Iarlaith Ní Fheorais, Monica Pearl and Lyónn Wolf, this selection of installation, sculptural, drawing, photographic and video works opens up expansive and radical conversations on queerness, embracing all of its dissident and tender potential.
From newly commissioned works that playfully disrupt thinking on archiving and remembering; to reflections on land, language and material conditions, Unruly Ordinances recentres queer as a generative, slippery, critical and unfixed thing, inciting imagination and catalysing daring possibility.
Launching as part of the 20th annual Outburst Queer Arts Festival on November 12, the exhibition will be accompanied by a dynamic three-month public programme, bringing together artists, activists, academics and audiences through talks, screenings, publishing, performances and workshops Artists Array Collective Kian Benson Bailes A.Mac Giolla Bhríde Reuben Brown Batool Desouky Sarah Joy Ford Caoimhín Gaffney Agnė Jokšė Breda Lynch Ebun Sodipo Eimear Walshe Lyónn Wolf Supported by The Ampersand Foundation w ith additional support from Paul Hamlyn Foundation Art Fund and Lithuanian Cultural Institute.