SOME of Belfast’s leading street artists are bringing a burst of colour and creativity to Thailand this weekend, as Hit the North, Northern Ireland’s celebrated street art festival, helps launch a sister event in Chiang Mai.
The Hit the North Chiang Mai Street Art Festival, taking place this weekend, is a pilot collaboration supported by the British Council’s Connections Through Culture grants. The project brings together artists from Belfast and Thailand to create large-scale murals exploring themes such as climate change, cultural connection and urban identity.
At the heart of the collaboration are Belfast-based artists Zippy, Emic, and Rob Hilken, joined by Adam Turkington from Seedhead Arts, founder and organiser of Hit the North. Together with leading Thai artists, they’ll be creating new murals and sharing Belfast’s experience of building a thriving street art scene from the ground up.
Before arriving in Chiang Mai, the artists spent time painting in Bangkok and are now preparing for a packed weekend of workshops, live painting and community engagement in northern Thailand. They are joined by Thai artist Sanchi, who travelled to Belfast for Hit the North in May and has played a key role in helping to organise the Chiang Mai event.
Speaking from Chiang Mai, Zippy, co-organiser and artist liaison for the Hit the North festivals, said: “Tomorrow all the Thai artists will be joining us to start painting, and we’re also holding some walk-in workshops where people can try spray painting, get hands-on, and experience the culture. Sunday’s the main festival day - a street art jam with local artists, DJs and a real festival vibe, kind of like a mini Hit the North.
“We’ve also been able to reconnect with the Thai artists who joined us in Belfast. Sanchi, who painted a beautiful piece at Hit the North earlier this year, has played such a key role in helping to organise things here in Chiang Mai. He’s really brought people together and made the whole exchange possible.”
Zippy’s work combines bold, graphic elements with natural imagery, often blending birds, flowers and barbed wire to explore the tension between city life and the natural world. While in Thailand, she has already painted a swan mural in Bangkok, inspired by the Hongsa Swan, a symbol of peace and purity in Thai folklore.
“The swan has a lot of symbolism in Thailand - it represents peace and calm, and I thought that was a beautiful image,” Zippy explained. “It felt like the right first mural to paint here - something that ties into Thai culture but also speaks to ideas of peace and unity, which feel really important right now.”
For Chiang Mai, Zippy has chosen to feature the centipede, a creature rich in northern Thai folklore.
“In Northern Thailand, the centipede symbolises strength, unity and protection - and it’s said to bring fortune if it walks through your door. That really connects with my own themes of unity and resilience. The mural will feature centipedes, native Thai flowers, and human hands releasing greenery - a reflection of Chiang Mai’s incredible lushness and natural beauty.”
Alongside Zippy, fellow Belfast artists Emic (aka Eoin McGinn) and Rob Hilken will also create new work. Emic’s mural will explore themes of identity and resilience in collaboration with local artists, while Rob’s piece continues his Spaghetti series - playful, looping abstractions inspired by ideas of movement and connection. Hit the North founder Adam Turkington will also take part, leading a talk on Northern Ireland’s street art movement and the power of festivals to build creative communities.
Since its launch in 2013, the Belfast-born festival has grown into Ireland’s largest celebration of street art, commissioning more than 750 murals and transforming the city into an internationally recognised hub for urban creativity.
Zippy hopes this collaboration will help raise the profile of local street art and inspire long-term momentum in Chiang Mai.
“What I love about street art is that it’s accessible - it belongs to everyone,” she said.“Hit the North has transformed Belfast’s streets and brought colour and energy to spaces that used to feel forgotten. Hopefully, this festival can help build a similar culture here in Thailand.
“I think Belfast has a really unique place within street art, especially because of our history of mural painting in Northern Ireland. For years, people came to see the old political murals, but over the last 10 or 12 years, with the growth of Hit the North, that narrative has really shifted. Now, Belfast has so many incredible artists, and the city’s mural tradition has evolved into something new - it’s become more diverse, expressive, and connected.
“It’s that rooted history we have in mural painting, and seeing how it’s changed and integrated over time, that’s really beautiful. When we started out, people didn’t see street art as a big thing - but now, it’s part of Belfast’s identity. It’s amazing to think we might help spark something similar here in Chiang Mai.”
Also speaking about the project was Colette Norwood, Head of Arts at British Council Northern Ireland. She said: “Hit the North is a brilliant example of how the arts can connect people across cultures and create lasting relationships. This new partnership in Chiang Mai builds on our previous work with the Seedhead Arts team, including supporting their participation in street art festivals in Colombia. Belfast has a vibrant community of established and emerging artists, and it’s fantastic to see that creative energy reaching new audiences overseas.
“Through projects like these, artists share skills, ideas and perspectives, inspiring each other and their communities. The collaboration between Belfast and Chiang Mai shows how creativity can cross borders, strengthen understanding and open up new opportunities for exchange.”
Hit the North Chiang Mai Street Art Festival will run until this Sunday, 19 October.
To find out more about British Council’s Connections Through Culture programme visit: https://arts.britishcouncil.org/projects/connections-through-culture-grants
Connections Through Culture grants continues the British Council’s work fostering connections, understanding, and trust between the UK and the world through education, arts, and English language teaching. To find out more about British Council’s work in Northern Ireland, visit: https://nireland.britishcouncil.org/ or follow on X, Facebook, or Instagram.