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Financing Creativity: Models for Arts & Culture brings together cultural leaders and innovators to explore the diverse ways creativity is financed today. From public funding and philanthropy to earned revenue, crowdfunding, and impact investment, this event examines both traditional and emerging models shaping the cultural sector.

Through case studies and practical insights, participants will gain a deeper understanding of how different funding approaches affect artistic freedom, equity, and long-term sustainability. The event offers tools, perspectives, and conversations that support the development of resilient, inclusive, and financially sustainable creative ecosystems.

We will showcase our research informed by the Blueprint Programme, on social finance and healthy organisational development, and hear from representatives from The Auxiliary Middlesbrough, Maiden Voyage, and The Duncairn on the power of partnership and cross-collaboration rooted in shared values.

Speaker Bios:

Edel O'Reilly, Liam Slevin & The Auxiliary

Founded in 2017 as a self-funded sound-art residency, The Auxiliary Project Space has grown into a leading artist-led organisation in the North East, supported by a thriving creative community. A National Portfolio Organisation for Arts Council England since 2023, it operates an 11,000 sq ft creative complex in Middlesbrough, currently undergoing capital development with support from DCMS and TVCA’s Middlesbrough Development Corporation.

Home to 27 studios, an exhibition space and music venue, The Auxiliary welcomes over 100 artists annually. It plays a key role in revitalising Tees Valley’s vacant spaces, hosting festivals like Sonic Arts Week and Middlesbrough Art Week to support artists at all career stages. A founding member of the Middlesbrough Cultural Partnership and an advocate for the visual arts and festival sector, The Auxiliary has been instrumental in transforming the region’s industrial landscape into a hub for artistic and cultural innovation.

Liam Slevin is the artistic director of The Auxiliary Project Space. After graduating with a Fine Art degree from Limerick University in 2007, Liam opened his first gallery, theSPACE, in Cork city. In 2009 he opened TACTIC gallery, a curator focused gallery space. In 2011 he moved to Berlin and ran several pop-up spaces including Klo, and worked with groups such as Salon Bruit and NK Studios. He has taken part in residencies in Iceland, Detroit and Berlin. He moved to Tees Valley in 2016. Liam devises and manages the artistic programme of the The Auxiliary, Middlesbrough Art Week & Sonic Arts Week

Ray Giffen & The Duncairn 

The Duncairn Arts Centre is based in North Belfast and provides a wide range of arts, culture and entertainment events for everyone to enjoy. As a vibrant, creative hub, it is an important space for the local community and an integral member of the wider arts network across Belfast and beyond.

Ray Giffen is Creative Director of The Duncairn in Belfast. Since 2014, he has developed a bold, inclusive, and risk-taking approach to arts programming. He transformed the former church into a vibrant shared space and creative hub. His work includes bringing Other Voices to Belfast, co-creating *The Ties That Bind* Shared Island project with Levis’ Corner House in Cork, and producing Belfast’s St Patrick’s Day concerts in 2022 and 2023. Passionate about young artist development, the Irish language, and traditional music, Ray promotes social justice through the arts and champions community-focused collaboration.

Nuala McGreevy & Maiden Voyage Dance:

Maiden Voyage Dance is a Belfast-based commissioning and producing company, established in 2001. We create opportunities for artists, audiences and participants to experience high-quality, contemporary dance across stage, public space and community contexts. We commission, produce and tour distinctive work by local, national and international choreographers, with our programme spanning performance, participation and artist development. Our work has been presented across Northern Ireland, Ireland, the UK and Europe. We are a founding partner in Luail – Ireland’s National Dance Company (established 2024), with a commitment to the development of an all-island dance ecology.

Nuala McGreevy is a creative producer with over 20 years' experience in the cultural sector, specialising in participatory and professional dance. She has worked across a wide range of projects, with a particular passion for dance in public spaces, performance for young audiences, and dance as activism. She has held roles at Queen's University Belfast (Culture and Arts), Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, and Historic Royal Palaces at Hillsborough Castle. Since 2021, she has served as Company Manager at Maiden Voyage Dance, working closely alongside the artistic director to sustain and develop the company's work. She is also a Trustee of ASSITEJ UK

Accessibility

We are committed to making our events inclusive and accessible to all. If you have any accessibility requirements or need any adjustments, please let us know when booking so we can accommodate your needs.

If you’d like to speak to someone about accessibility before the event, please contact Holly h.foskett@artsandbusinessni.org.uk or ring us on 02890735150

On the day, our team will be available to assist you—just look for staff wearing pink lanyards. They’ll be happy to answer any questions or provide any additional support you may need.

To find out more about the venue, how to get there and about the building please click here

Environmental Statement

A&BNI is committed to working with our Board, staff, suppliers, funders and audiences to ensure we consider the environmental impacts of our activities.

We are members of Green Arts NI, a sustainability network of cultural and creative organisations. In June 2019 we made a Plastic Promise and pledged to stop further use of plastic bottles and cups and to specify use of reusable sustainable products at our events. We walk, use public transport or car-share as much as possible – and encourage our attendees to consider sustainable transport options where possible.