Craft Corporate Showcase at the Festival of Business
2024-09-18 08:30 - 13:00 (Europe/London) | St. George’s Market, 12 - 20 East Bridge Street, Belfast, Antrim, BT1 3NQ
Craft NI are delighted to take part in the upcoming Festival of Business on September 18th, run by the NI Chamber of Commerce & Industry!

Stop by our stand and find out how craft can enhance wellbeing and staff engagement in the workplace! A craft workshop is the perfect team building exercise, helping your staff reconnect in the context of the now so popular hybrid working.

Craft is also a sustainable choice for awards, conference gifts or individual retirement or speakers’ gifts, while giving a proud nod to local talent. The friendly Craft NI team will answer any questions about commissions, craft experiences or sponsorship opportunities – we look forward to meeting you!

Visitors will enjoy a stunning display of artworks suitable for corporate gifting, as well as a pottery demonstration: Josh from Mud Ireland will be throwing at his potters wheel!

Tickets are free but must be booked before September 11th HERE.

Materials, Messages, Meaning #13
2024-09-28 14:00 - 2024-10-25 17:00 | R-Space Gallery, 32 Castle Street, Lisburn, BT27 4XE, United Kingdom
The annual group exhibition Materials, Messages, Meaning – MMM#13, now in its 13th year, will open at R-Space Gallery on September 28th and run until October 25th. This year’s exhibition is themed SUSPENSION—an exploration of how artists and makers engage with a diverse range of materials to reflect on the concept of suspension in its many forms.

MMM#13 brings together a diverse range of artists, from emerging to established, working across multiple mediums throughout Northern Ireland. This year’s exhibition will showcase the works of Sandra Kerr, Louise French, Maya Todd, Lisa Johnston, and Lauren Martin.

Join in for the opening event at R-Space Gallery on September 28th, where you’ll have the chance to hear from the artists themselves during the Artist Talks at 2:30 PM. This is an opportunity to not only see the work but also hear about the thought processes, methods, and stories behind each piece.
Refreshments will be provided; free entry, all welcome

The 143rd RUA annual exhibition
2024-10-18 10:00 - 2025-01-06 17:00 | Ulster Museum, BT9 5AB, United Kingdom
The Royal Ulster Academy (RUA) unveiled its highly anticipated 143rd Annual Exhibition at the Ulster Museum on October 18, 2024. As Northern Ireland’s premier visual arts event, this year’s exhibition promises to inspire and captivate with over 300 extraordinary works from both emerging talents and renowned artists. With comedian and artist Phill Jupitus as guest adjudicator, the exhibition offers a fresh perspective on the creative talent shaping the arts today.
This year’s exhibition will feature nearly 350 works of art, including paintings, sculptures, audiovisual installations, ceramics, textiles, and more. We are delighted to see craft so well represented by Andrea Spencer, Scott Benefield, Shauna McCann, Sarah Cathers, Stuart Cairns, Cara Murphy, Anna Donovan, Anne Butler, Claire Gibson and Alison Lowry to name but a few!

Intergenerational Connection
2024-11-01 11:00 - 2024-11-29 17:00 | R-Space Gallery, 32 Castle Street, Lisburn, BT27 4XE, United Kingdom
In this exhibition, scientist and artist Dr Lynne Hocking presents handwoven sculptural objects that give physical form to data and concepts related to genetics and ancestry.
These works were created as part of an innovative project focusing on ancestry research and bringing together art, craft and science. Hocking’s research highlighted that the last seven generations of her family were involved with the weaving trade. Following this discovery, she produced artworks that represent the “weaving women / powerhouses” of her family, working with the same materials: jute and flax/linen, and incorporating data on their shared genetics.
Dr Lynne J Hocking is a scientist-turned-handweaver, who previously worked in the field of human genetics. Her textile practice is research-based and experimental, with a particular interest in genetics/ancestry, social history, bioacoustics and environmental/climate data; and the applications of digital technology to craft practice. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, and is held in the permanent collection of Aberdeen Art Gallery, UK. She is based in Scotland.

Events:
Artist Talk – 1 November, at the opening. ‘Presenting Intergenerational Connections’
Artist Talk Online – 13 November, 6pm. ‘Family Ties: unpicking and re-weaving his-/her-stories’
The Gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday, 11am-5pm

The Knitting & Stitching Show Belfast
2024-11-07 10:00 - 2024-11-10 17:30 | Titanic Exhibition Centre, 17 Queens Road, Belfast, BT3 9DU, United Kingdom
Craft NI are delighted to partner with the Knitting & Stitching Show, one of the leading consumer textiles exhibitions in the UK, who are making their debut Belfast Show at Titanic Exhibition Centre from the 7th-10th November 2024 !

Visitors can expect inspiring textile art galleries, a wide range of enjoyable and practical skills workshops, free talks & demos, interactive features, as well as over 100 of the leading specialist craft suppliers.

Craft NI will have a stand so stop by and say hello – featuring a selection of Northern Irish textile artists and their wonderful work, and of course signposting and answering any questions about Northern Ireland’s vibrant craft sector!

Those interested to attend can book their tickets HERE and avail of the CNI24 discount code for £2 off standard admission tickets (not valid on Two-Day or VIP).

Please note, the show ends at 5pm on Sunday.

Aspire: Ventures in Craft
2024-11-07 10:00 - 2024-11-28 16:00 | Ards Arts Centre, Town Hall, Conway Square, Newtownards, BT23 4NP, United Kingdom
Stop by the Ards Arts Centre and see a group exhibition by Homo Faber Fellows 2023: Claire Mooney, Jackson Byrne, Richard Butler, and Noel Donnellan; artists who recently completed an internship ran by the Michelangelo Foundation.
This exhibition explores themes of sustainability, links to the land and the transmission of traditional craft skills in the contemporary field.
The Homo Faber Fellowship enabled this group to develop their practice and work alongside master artisans. This show celebrates the learning, development and collaborations which took place throughout this time. From photographs, drawings, and tests to final outcomes, this show is a window on their learning process while showcasing craft to a new audience.

Big Bauble Showcase
2024-11-07 10:00 - 2024-12-30 17:00 | Craft NI Gallery, 115 - 119 Royal Ave, Belfast, BT1 1FF, United Kingdom
The Big Bauble Showcase is a yearly staple at Craft NI Gallery, featuring a wide range of unique handmade baubles, in limited ranges or one-offs. The event is a highlight for visitors who come back each year to add to their collection.
Stop by to admire and pick up a meaningful gift – these unique designs in porcelain, felt, enamel, textiles or hand blown glass are sure to impress!

'Brilliant Generations' Christmas exhibition
2024-11-07 18:00 - 2024-12-31 17:00 | Craft NI Gallery, 115 - 119 Royal Ave, Belfast, BT1 1FF, United Kingdom
Craft NI’s 2024 Christmas selling exhibition ‘Brilliant Generations’ will open November 7, 6 – 9pm at Craft NI Gallery, Belfast, and run until December 31st!
This year’s Christmas exhibition will showcase the impressive creations of our local designer-makers and aim to inspire discerning shoppers with new, exciting work: whether it is jewellery that sparkles, ceramics with an innovative twist, new exciting work in textiles or wood, Craft NI Gallery are looking forward to sharing their newest creative endeavours with you!
‘Brilliant Generations’ will encompass key messages about what Northern Irish craft has to offer, and hint at the emotions associated with finding the perfect festive gift: awe at the skills and creativity of our local makers; the thrill of discovering a unique handcrafted gift; and the wonder of (re)discovering something new and exciting about craft (and craft makers) Northern Ireland.

In Praise of Shadows
2024-12-12 10:00 - 2025-01-18 16:00 | Ards Arts Centre, Town Hall, Conway Square, Newtownards, BT23 4NP, United Kingdom
A solo exhibition by Maya Todd, ‘In Praise of Shadows’ is an evocative exploration of the interplay between fibre and form, where the boundaries of textiles are pushed to create three-dimensional sculptural shapes.

This exhibition showcases the delicate and ethereal qualities of linen and Irish wool, materials chosen due to their importance in local heritage.
Through the meticulous construction of these textiles, the artist captures and casts shadows that continuously shift and transform, creating a dynamic relationship between light and form. The result is a captivating dance of shadows, inviting viewers to contemplate the transient nature of light and the subtle beauty of crafted textiles.

'Surface matters'
2025-01-23 10:00 - 2025-02-15 16:30 | Ards Arts Centre, Town Hall, Conway Square, Newtownards, BT23 4NP, United Kingdom
‘Surface matters’ is group exhibition by the Loft Artists, a professional collective of artists based at The Mill, in Bishop Mills, Portaferry.

The exhibition will feature works by Sara Brown, Owen Crawford, Sally Houston, Kate Rebbeck, and Cecilia Stephens responding to the title of Surface Matters. The work showcased will be an outcome from developing the artists interpretation of the local environment, history, and heritage.
By use of richness in colour, forms and mark making, the artists aim to connect to the viewer, to challenge our contemporary relationship with our land and sense of place.

'Makers Who Teach: ME. HERE. NOW.'
2025-03-06 18:00 - 2025-05-02 17:00 | Craft NI Gallery, 115 - 119 Royal Ave, Belfast, BT1 1FF, United Kingdom
Building on the success of the first ‘Makers Who Teach’ exhibition which took place in 2023, Craft NI are pleased to invite you to the 2025 edition of this unique event. This year’s theme, ME. HERE. NOW. highlights the creative practices of makers who teach others as part of their overall practice, whether it’s in classrooms, workshops and communities.
The show focuses on their current creative endeavours and it shines a spotlight on their recent works, ensuring they are seen and appreciated not only as teachers, but also as makers. As they balance teaching and making, with the demands each makes on the other, these talented makers are ready to share with the public their private artistic practice, influences and inspiration. Whether it is textile art, jewellery, glass, ceramics or interdisciplinary installations, this exhibition offers a rare glimpse into these makers’ private inner world – and the creativity it contains.

Exhibiting makers: Aisling Higgins, Alison Gault, Andrea Hayes, Carol Wiley, Clare Bowe, Heather Burgess, Helen Hancock, Jonathan Williams, Justine Bonenfant, Louisa McCartney, Maggie Napier, Natasha Duddy, Nichola Dalton, Patrick Colhoun, Ruzica Ruane, Sandra Kerr, Scott Benefield, Shauna McCann, Theresa Kelly, Tracey Johnston.

Peter Meanley - A Journey
2025-03-22 14:00 - 2025-04-17 16:00 | Island Arts Centre, The Island, Lisburn, BT27 4RL, United Kingdom
‘Peter Meanley – A Journey’ runs from 22 March to 17 April at Island Arts Centre – a retrospective exhibition celebrating an over sixty-year career as a potter! Known for his salt glaze stoneware, Peter’s inspiration comes from museum collections and drawing the world around him. His work is held in worldwide collections including Victoria & Albert Museum, and the State Collection of Australia.

Decoys & Ghosts
2025-04-15 08:00 - 17:00 | Golden Thread Gallery, 84-94 Great Patrick St, Belfast, BT1 2LU, United Kingdom
‘Decoys and Ghosts’ at the Golden Thread Gallery is an ambitious exploration of two recurring sculptural themes in John Rainey’s work over the last 10 years – imitation and revisiting. Materials, their histories and associated processes have always formed a core component of his practice.
In the staging of work in exhibitions, Rainey aims to create environments and designed experiences where groupings of sculptures form relationships and act as installations. Plinths become sculptural extensions, evolve into dioramas, or morph into viewing platforms for audiences to climb.
This exhibition will feature a combination of retrospective and new work by the artist, centered around a new large scale installation. As the the broadest survey of Rainey’s work to-date, it will be an opportunity to explore recent developments in his practice, alongside works that trace his path to this current moment.

Corinne Price Trunk Show
2025-05-20 10:00 - 2025-06-03 17:00 | Craft NI Gallery, 115 - 119 Royal Ave, Belfast, BT1 1FF, United Kingdom
Stop by and get to know the work of Belfast based ceramicist Corinne Price! The trunk show features Corinne’s brand-new collection of work which celebrates all that is fresh and fragrant this season. Inspired by foliage and flowers, the collection showcases several distinct ranges which converse with one another. The nerikomi vessels are hand-built using slices of clay, usually patterned, and have a sharp, crisp quality to the design which contrasts with their asymmetrical forms. The wheel-thrown neriage vessels, on the other hand, record the swirling movement of their creation in the fluid striations of their swirls, contrasting with their symmetry. Many iterations between the two have arisen, and visitors will be able to see the results around the gallery.

'Imprints in the Earth'
2025-05-25 10:00 - 2025-06-22 16:30 | WWT Castle Espie, 78 Ballydrain Rd, Comber, Newtownards, BT23 6EA
In this joint exhibition, 11 artists respond to the theme of ‘Imprints in the Earth: Shaping Place through Clay’. The works explore connections between landscape, heritage, and the art of clay. The exhibition invites viewers on a journey through the Northern Ireland landscapes where clay becomes both a canvas and a storyteller.
‘Imprints in the Earth’ explores how the natural world shapes human experience and how ceramics, in turn, becomes a medium to capture those impressions. Each piece embodies the textures, rhythms, and stories of this place, reflecting its tides, its soils, and its human connection.
The artists taking part are: Anna Donavan, Alison Hanvey, Tracey McCoey, Brenda Morgan, Eleanor Wheeler, Patricia Millar, Jacki Trainor, Joanne Gault, Donna Boyle, Anna Smyth, Tracey Johnston.
The exhibition is on in the Graffan Gallery; free admission.

'Art of the Possible'
2025-05-30 10:00 - 2026-11-30 17:00 | Ulster Museum, BT9 5AB, United Kingdom
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.

Belfast School of Art: Product, Ceramics, Silversmithing & Jewellery Degree Show 2025
2025-06-06 18:00 - 2025-06-21 14:00 | Down
The BDes (Hons) Design (Product, Ceramics, Silversmithing & Jewellery) Degree Show celebrates the work of graduating students from the Product Design, Ceramic Design, Silversmithing & Jewellery pathways at Belfast School of Art. This exhibition brings together a diverse collection of outcomes, reflecting a strong culture of innovation, material exploration and critical design thinking.
Across the pathways, students have developed innovative responses to contemporary issues, producing objects that are conceptually rich and materially grounded. The work on display encompasses product design, furniture, lighting, ceramic design, jewellery and metalwork, demonstrating a deep engagement with process, form and function.
Rooted in making, the exhibition highlights how ideas are shaped through hands-on experimentation and refined through technical skill. From speculative designs to functional artefacts, each piece reveals a personal approach to design and a commitment to pushing the boundaries of their chosen medium.
The degree show offers a glimpse into the future of design, where tradition meets experimentation, and where making remains central to innovation.

Opening Night:
Friday 6th June 2025, 6pm to 9pm
Location: BB-04, Belfast School of Art
Exhibition Continues:
Saturday 7th June to Saturday 21st June 2025
Open daily (excluding Sundays) from 10am to 5pm
Final Day: Saturday 21st June 2025, closing at 2pm

Brian McKee & Mary Callan Trunk Show
2025-06-20 10:00 - 2025-07-02 17:00 | Craft NI Gallery, 115 - 119 Royal Ave, Belfast, BT1 1FF, United Kingdom
Craft NI Gallery’s upcoming trunk show juxtaposes two different disciplines and mediums: shown alongside one another, Brian McKee’s furniture and Mary Callan’s textile art find common ground in a celebration of design and craftsmanship!

Brian McKee is a furniture designer-maker based in Co. Down, Northern Ireland. Brian’s primary constructional method is the steam bending of timber, which he employs to unlock the creative potential of bent wood in the design and production of useful and attractive, contemporary, handmade furniture.

And if you’ve watched ‘Derry Girls’ you might remember Ma Mary’s ‘Ulster Fry’ sweater – Mary Callan is the knitwear designer who made it! She is also the creative force behind ‘Callan’, a niche creative knitwear company based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, which specialises in well made, colourful and fun fashion knitwear.

Scott Benefield Trunk Show
2025-07-03 10:00 - 2025-07-28 17:00 | Craft NI Gallery, 115 - 119 Royal Ave, Belfast, BT1 1FF, United Kingdom
Scott Benefield’s trunk show at Craft NI Gallery shines a light on the beauty of blown glass – stop by to learn about the Filigrana technique which goes back to 16th century Venice!

Scott Benefield’s work draws upon a particular heritage in the history of glass: the golden age of 16th century Venetian glassblowing. Filigrana is blown glass made with colourless, white, and sometimes coloured canes – this style originated on the island of Murano in the 16th century and spread rapidly to other parts of Europe. Scott Benefield’s Filigrana functional glassware comes in a range of vibrant summer colours, perfect for gifting or adding a pop of colour to your interior décor. Larger scale decorative works will also be shown alongside his functional range.

Scott Benefield is internationally known as a glassblower specialising in Venetian cane techniques, as well as a workshop leader and a writer covering issues pertinent to contemporary studio glass. Scott has exhibited his work at the Royal Ulster Academy annual exhibition in 2012-2015, the British Glass Biennale in 2015, as well at galleries in Ireland, England, Scotland, the US, the Netherlands, Japan and China.
He works from his studio which is an old farm property on the rugged north Antrim coast, just outside of the village of Ballintoy in Northern Ireland. All of the work is designed, produced and finished entirely by hand.

August Craft Month
2025-08-01 08:00 - 2025-08-31 17:00 | Island of Ireland, Island of Ireland
Established in 2021 and organised by Design & Crafts Council Ireland and Craft NI – the two national bodies for craft in Ireland – August Craft Month is an all island celebration of Ireland’s unique craft sector!
This year’s fantastic August Craft Month programme brings together an array of talented makers hosting over 300 events across the island of Ireland. With the kids off for summer, friends coming to visit or planning staycations for the whole family, there has never been a better time to do something different. From creating your own suncatcher, to sculpting a clay puffin, August is the month to put craft and the joy of making on your radar! That pottery class you’ve always wanted to take? Now’s the time! Whether it’s the excitement of trying your hand at the throwing wheel, catching inspiring exhibitions with friends, seeing makers in action in their studios or finding free activities to occupy the kids during the holidays.

Head over to www.augustcraftmonth.org to browse and book events, and follow @augustcraftmonth25 on social media for all the latest news and updates.

'Common Threads'
2025-08-21 09:30 - 2025-09-13 17:00 | Island Arts Centre, The Island, Lisburn, BT27 4RL, United Kingdom
The second edition of the Northern Ireland Linen Biennale’s headline group exhibition, where flax and linen—whether as story, medium, or substrate—serve as the common thread across a range of fine and applied art practices. Curated by artist and creative producer Meadhbh McIlgorm, the exhibition celebrates the slow, considered, and skilful labour of artist-makers. A theme of weaving runs through much of the work, highlighting interdependence over fragmentation: as in a weave, no thread stands alone. Instead, something is formed collectively through a series of crossovers and junctions. Weaving echoes life—our common ground, shared heritage, and collective material future are all interwoven with the politics of fibre and fabric.
Participating artists:
Helen O’Hare & Wilma Kirkpatrick, Heidi McKenzie (Canada), Zoe Gibson, Lucy Moore (RoI), Maya Todd, Jude Fenton, Margaret B. Russell (USA), Andrea Dickson, Sharon Adams, Karen Hamilton, Kathy Kirwan (RoI, Alison Pascoe, Emily McIlwaine, Claudia Rose

'Sgrafitto'
2025-09-23 10:00 - 2025-11-09 16:00 | North Down Museum, Town Hall, The Castle, Bangor, BT20 4BT, United Kingdom
A solo exhibition of work by ceramic artist Jakki Trainor.

The ‘Sgraffito’ exhibition explores how decorative mark making and sensitive carving can reveal detail, pattern, light and shade.
Jakki draws inspiration from a love of nature and folklore, producing illustrative ceramics depicting both real and imagined flora and fauna that aim to engage the viewer in unravelling the narrative.

'Flaxen'
2025-09-27 11:00 - 2025-10-24 17:00 | R-Space Gallery, 32 Castle Street, Lisburn, BT27 4XE, United Kingdom
R‑Space Gallery is pleased to present ‘Flaxen‘, the first solo exhibition in Northern Ireland by British textile artist Alice Fox, as part of the Linen Biennale Festival.
‘Flaxen’ is a collection of new works by Alice Fox, exploring the flax plant at every stage: from whole dried stems to unspun fibre. The works are woven or otherwise constructed to highlight the plant’s strength and delicacy, resulting in textured, structural pieces across different scales.
Since 2017, Fox has cultivated small plots of flax on her allotment in West Yorkshire, studying how growth and retting conditions affect fibre quality. In 2024, she led a collaborative flax‑growing project at Kestle Barton, Cornwall, cultivating a 200‑square‑metre crop with the help of staff and volunteers. By sowing flax simultaneously at both sites, she created an opportunity to compare environmental impacts 400 miles apart.
The resulting works incorporate flax at various stages and explore both its strength and fragility, offering a textured, structural celebration of this versatile plant.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Alice Fox to Northern Ireland for her first solo exhibition here,” says Meadhbh McIlgorm, Linen Biennale Programme Manager at R‑Space Gallery. “Her work is a rare combination of craft, ecology, and experimentation. Visitors will experience how traditional textile techniques can reveal the beauty and resilience of plants like flax, while also encouraging reflection on sustainability, environment and our relationship with the material world.”
About Alice Fox
Alice Fox is a UK‑based textile artist whose practice combines found and reclaimed materials with techniques such as stitch, weave, and basketry. With a background in physical geography and nature conservation, her work engages with landscape, materiality, and sustainability. She works from her studio and allotment in Saltaire, England, and exhibits, lectures, and teaches workshops nationally and internationally.
Her publications, including Wild Textiles and new book Wild Weave, explore similar themes of working with natural fibres and materials, reflecting her commitment to experimental and sustainable textile practice.
The exhibition will include an online artist talk on 14 October 2025 at 6pm.
Gallery Opening Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 11am – 5pm
Opening Reception: Saturday 27 September, 2–4pm
Admission: Free and all welcome

'Under Construction'
2025-10-02 10:00 - 2025-10-31 17:00 | Craft NI Gallery, 115 - 119 Royal Ave, Belfast, BT1 1FF, United Kingdom
For this exhibition, Derek Wilson uses the Gallery as a project space to contemplate the dialogue and interaction between his current research project into collage and painting, and its later translation into three-dimensional sculptural objects.
As a recent recipient of the Rosemary James Memorial Trust Award, Derek’s ‘Under Construction’ ’exhibition at Craft NI Gallery gives insight into his research and creative practice, by showcasing the development of these new ideas, and responding to the themes that are prevalent within: composition and spatiality, structure and balance, tone and colour, line and form. The paintings and collages that catalyse new possibilities are exhibited alongside sculptural ceramic forms, documenting the artist’s journey into new mediums as a mode of research, but also to be viewed as artistic works in their own right.
An unapologetic thrower, Derek Wilson consistently challenges his discipline. He combines his minimal aesthetic with accomplished craftsmanship, material knowledge and a propensity to propel modern ceramics through reinterpretation of its form. Wilson works from his studio in Belfast, regularly lectures and runs workshops. He exhibits extensively at an international level and his work is held in a range of public and private collections.
Late Night Art opening: exhibition opens October 2, Late Night Art, 6- 9pm.

InterWOVEN
2025-10-02 10:00 - 2025-11-07 16:00 | Down Arts Centre, 2 - 6 Irish Street, Downpatrick, Down, BT30 6BP, United Kingdom
This group exhibition brings together artists from the North and South of Ireland whose work and processes reference Linen heritage in a contemporary context. The exhibition weaves together each artist’s creative practice and how it engages, questions or explores sustainability in relation to functional textiles and textile art.
Exhibiting Artists: Katerina Gribkoff, Malú Colorín, Maya Todd, Niamh Ní Catháin, Ruth Osborne
This exhibition is shown as part of the 2025 Linen Biennale.

Craft NI @ RUA 2025
2025-10-19 10:00 - 2026-01-04 17:00 | Ulster Museum, BT9 5AB, United Kingdom
Craft NI has been invited to present a Guest Showcase at the 144th Royal Ulster Academy of Arts (RUA) Exhibition at the Ulster Museum. This exciting partnership between the RUA and Craft NI brings together two leading organisations dedicated to nurturing and celebrating artistic excellence.
The Academy has a long-standing commitment to recognising craft as an integral part of contemporary visual culture: RUA academicians exhibiting this year include celebrated ceramicist Anne Butler, glass artist Alison Lowry and renowned silversmith Cara Murphy, whose exquisite, sculptural silver vessels and tableware have been commissioned at the highest levels, including Downing Street and as the maker of four Grand National trophies.
The Craft NI Showcase will further expand on this celebration of material-based practice, featuring works by Adam Frew, Andrea Spencer, Anne Earls Boylan, Caitlin Murphy, Celine Traynor, Derek Wilson, Grainne Watts, Jack Doherty, Jakki Trainor, Janice Gilmore, Joel Smith, John Piekaar, Mark Hanvey, Mario Sierra (Mourne Textiles), Patricia Kelly and Scott Benefield. From wheel-thrown porcelain to blown glass sculptures, woven textiles to meticulously crafted jewellery, visitors will encounter a diverse spectrum of work that demonstrates both tradition and innovation.

‘Materials, Messages and Meaning #14: Experimental Dialogues’
2025-11-01 11:00 - 2025-11-28 17:00 | R-Space Gallery, 32 Castle Street, Lisburn, BT27 4XE, United Kingdom
‘Materials, Messages and Meaning #14’ features Lydia Bell, Michael Geddis, Patricia Kelly, Ruth Osbourne and Ioana Petcu-Colan, five visual artists selected from our annual open call, each responding to the theme ‘experimental’.
Experimental – 1. based on untested ideas or techniques and not yet established or finalized. 2. involving a radically new and innovative style.
The group exhibition presents the work of these five artists, allowing its ‘experimental’ nature to emerge through their diverse approaches – in the materials they choose to work with, the messages and meaning they convey through those materials, and the processes they employ to make their work.
Michael Geddis re-sites and re-purpose scientific tools and processes using patterns from nature as inspiration. Patricia Kelly’s textile practice entails working with the landscape, stitching, natural dying, and folklore. Ruth Osborne similarly draws from the landscape using soil, chemistry, place and the elements as tools to create new textile outcomes. Lydia Bell’s work likewise uses the rural landscape as the starting point to tell stories of change, survival and impact on nature, history and communities. Finally, Ioana Petcu-Colan starts with a musical landscape to generate exploratory ways to see music and hear visual art.

Curved Earth - Ceramic Forms in Spiral Balance
2025-11-01 14:00 - 2026-02-14 17:00 | Enniskillen Castle Museum, Enniskillen Castle, Co. Fermanagh, BT74 7HL, United Kingdom
“Curved Earth” showcases work by Enniskillen-born, London-based ceramic artist Pádraig Drugan.
Pádraig’s striking hand-crafted ceramic sculptures flow with spirals, curves and rhythmic lines. Inspired by the natural world, the forms suggest harmony, movement and balance, inviting us to pause and reflect. Short media clips reveal how Pádraig creates his work from first sketches to finished clay pieces. Photographs of his stone installations along the Irish Atlantic coastline provide a further insight into the landscapes and traditions that inspire the artist.
“Curved Earth” invites visitors to reflect on form, beauty and rhythm in a way that speaks to universal experience.

Admission tickets to Enniskillen Castle are necessary.

Please note opening hours as follows:
Mon – Fri: 9.30am – 5.00pm, Sat: 11.00am – 5.00pm

Big Bauble Showcase
2025-11-06 18:00 - 2025-12-30 17:00 | Craft NI Gallery, 115 - 119 Royal Ave, Belfast, BT1 1FF, United Kingdom
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
2025-11-06 18:00 - 2026-01-31 17:00 | Craft NI Gallery, 115 - 119 Royal Ave, Belfast, BT1 1FF, United Kingdom
THE GIFT, Craft NI Gallery’s Christmas selling exhibition, will showcase thoughtfully-designed and beautifully-crafted works that highlight the concept of considered gifting, as well as showing the gifts and dedication of designer-makers, reflecting their mastery of material and unique design. These contemporary works, functional or decorative, will be objects made to be cherished and given with intention. Visitors can expect to see unique creations, whether it is jewellery, ceramics, textiles, glass, wood, jewellery and mixed media.
The exhibition will refresh the concept of festive gifting with unique, handcrafted gift ideas that celebrate and support talented makers, thoughtful gift givers and cherished receivers in equal measure.

Participating makers: Andrea Hayes, Andrea Spencer, Anne Earls Boylan, Claire Hart, Egle Banyte, Gail Kelly, Hugh Cummins, Jakki Trainor, James Gilbert, Janice Gilmore, Joanna Komorowska, Joel Smyth, Patricia Kelly, Sue Cathcart, Ursula McGivern.
