2025 was a significant year for our arts work in Northern Ireland and internationally. Through partnerships, exchanges, residencies and cultural programmes, we supported artists and organisations to connect and collaborate across borders. The highlights below reflect the range of activity delivered over the year.
Hit the North Goes Global: Chiang Mai Street Art Festival
Belfast’s festival Hit the North expanded internationally for the first time, delivering a new street-art programme in Chiang Mai. Northern Ireland artists joined Thai and international peers to create large-scale works in public spaces, deepening connections between Belfast and global street-art communities.
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Outburst Queer Arts Festival
We continued our long-standing partnership with Outburst, Belfast’s festival of queer arts, supporting international artist exchange and opportunities for LGBTQIA+ artists to present new work. This year, 15 international delegates from Europe, the Middle East, India, Brazil, and Turkey joined Northern Ireland artists to share local queer arts contexts, collaborate, and build lasting creative networks. Through this programme, Outburst has engaged hundreds of artists across 30 countries and four continents. With the festival’s 20th anniversary next year, there is an opportunity to expand these international connections further.
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Exhibition: Anushiya Sundaralingam — Fragmented Crossings
In August, we supported artist Anushiya Sundaralingam to present Fragmented Crossings at Queen Street Studios, marking her first exhibition following a long-awaited return to Sri Lanka. The work, supported through our Connections Through Culture grants, examines memory, displacement and cultural identity, shaped by her personal journey and artistic practice.
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Macalla: Iraqi–Derry Music Collaboration
In July, the cross-cultural project Macalla united musicians from Northern Ireland and Iraq to form a unique collaborative ensemble. Fusing Irish and Middle Eastern musical traditions, the group performed at festivals across Ireland, showcasing shared stories and the power of music to foster connection. These performances will culminate in the ensemble’s debut at Celtic Connections in January 2026.
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Performing Arts Showcases
Edinburgh Festival
Through the UK Nations Spotlight, Northern Ireland Spotlight, and a fellowship programme with Theatre & Dance NI, we supported theatre and dance companies to present work to international programmers. A recent joint report with the Arts Council of Northern Ireland showed that participating artists saw, on average, a 25% rise in income in the year after Spotlight involvement.
Belfast International Arts Festival: Embrace and Our Voice Together Now
We supported BIAF through an International Collaboration Grant, including the dance exchange Our Voice Together Now with partners in Cairo and Ramallah. As part of the festival, we also supported Embrace, a three-day showcase for over 30 international delegates. Companies featured included Big Telly, Cahoots, Dylan Quinn Dance Theatre, Off the Rails, Salma Ataya / BIAF, and the Lyric Theatre Belfast.
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UK/Poland Season 2025
Northern Ireland artists took part in the UK/Poland Season through collaborations supported by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute and Polish Cultural Institute. Highlights included Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble performing in Warsaw alongside Hashtag Ensemble, exploring themes of identity and resilience through contemporary music.
