Bronagh Lawson is an artist based in Belfast who has written a blog about the vibrant local contemporary visual arts scene for the last ten years. Previously starting as a participant then manager she ran cross-community cross border development programmes for 13 years.
Originally from Portaferry and Strangford she is a Fulbright scholar and graduate of Winchester School of Art.
Bronagh is a co-founder of the Hydrangea project a Belfast — a Chicago collaboration which uses contemporary art underpinned with art therapy to act as a healing mechanism. Her book 'Belfast City of Light: Looking and Listening to Belfast Come with Me' is based on her experience as a non-churchgoer attending every church in Belfast for a service over a ten year period.
A SOLD-OUT Belfast Exposed conference gathered therapists, photographers and interested parties to the Mac to learn more about healing through photography in 'Trauma and the Art of Recovery'.
THE Belfast Archive Project, with Frankie Quinn as its Director, is known for its eclectic gems of our photographic history.
THE National Folklore Collection at University College Dublin is often an inspiration for artists. Niamh Coffey's current exhibition at An Chultúrlann shows the power of the archive in a different way as it's chopped up, used for collage and then made into rugs.
THE Imagine Festival of Politics and Ideas has always brought its own slant on unusual and interesting events across the city. Now, with a new director at the helm – Mags White-O'Kane, who came from the Belfast International Festival – it has a myriad of opportunities to engage and move you.
AS Connswater shopping centre in East Belfast announced its closure five different arts organisations that had found shelter from the storm of arts funding and had units there are now homeless.
DERVLA O'Flaherty's artwork in the Cultúrlann could benefit from some non-reflective glass but the 'Other World Trouble/Trioblóid sa Domhan Eile' exhibition of paintings has a strange and gentle charm.
Deborah Stockdale textile artist talking about her work at the Guildhall on the Plantation @ConflictTextiles #StitchingSolidarity pic.twitter.com/jd3ZdIfIlV — INCORE Ulster University (@INCOREinfo) March 1, 2025
THE plight of Afghan women cannot be overstated. My first experience of them was in Chicago when a group of young women who had been studying in Canada and were lobbying to stop the war in Afghanistan formed Afghans for Peace. They joined Iraq Veterans against the war on a march against NATO in 2012.
University of Ulster Derry and Belfast is hosting a free Conflict Textiles symposium. You may not have given the idea of textiles and conflict much thought, but it's a fascinating subject nevertheless.
THE 4 Corners Festival in its 13th year invited us to contemplate 'Home'.
A CORNER of my heart opened for North Belfast when I worked there and met the people, saw the places, heard the stories and saw the potential for it to shine.
FANCY designing a poster for International Women's Day?
THE lurgy took away the first two weeks of my year, just as it did with a lot of people. Emerging in recent days out of a cocoon of illness and being able to be in public without having a coughing fit has seemed like an achievement.
THE 4 Corners Festival theme this year is 'Home'. Father Martin Magill, Reverend Steve Stockman and the entire 4 Corners team invite you to experience yourself differently.