Category: News

Void Art Centre are hiring for a Coordinator of Production and Dynamics ( Maternity Cover).

The role seeks to promote care principles and empathetic approaches to stakeholder liaison and logistical management of the gallery’s programme and everyday running. This is a pivotal role within Void Art Centre’s organisational structure which looks to interdependent forms of team-working and artistic and cultural production. 

Coordinator of Production and Dynamics (Maternity Cover)

Salary: £13,419 per annum

Location: Void Art Centre, 10 Waterloo Place, Derry.

Working hours: 20 hours per week

Contract type: Part time (6 months with possibility of extension)

Reports to: The Head of Sustainable Growth

Deadline: Thursday  22 May 2025, 12pm

The Coordinator of Production and Dynamics is a new position within Void Art Centre. The role seeks to promote care principles and empathetic approaches to stakeholder liaison and logistical management of the gallery’s programme and everyday running. 

This role is pivotal in deeping Void Art Centre’s trust across the city of Derry and surrounding locale, ensuring that those who encounter the organisation, external stakeholders and internal team members are accommodated and supported. The candidate’s position will be built on the principles of interdependence, enabling conversations regarding the importance and value of care duties and access within our work and across our team. 

The Coordinator of Production and Dynamics will recognise the importance of sustainability within logistical operations and events, and will develop strategies for sustainable practice to be implemented in our programming and working environment, working with our external gallery contractors. The candidate will strive to ensure Void’s building is a site for comfort and co-operation, possessing an attentiveness to the needs of those who interact with and work there.

This role marks an opportunity to develop experimental approaches to creative production in visual arts practice, seeking ways in  which the organisation can nurture equity and collaboration in all that we do. The candidate will work with the Void team to shape how we work, embedding care within the organisation’s wider working practices. 

Key Objectives:

1. Be responsible for the day to day operations of Void in line with the needs of Programming, Events, Marketing and Production.

2. Ensure a high level of customer service is achieved for all visitors, clients and building users.

3. Maintain the security of the building and act upon health and safety issues throughout the building.

Job Specification:

This job description describes the nature of the main duties as they currently exist but is not intended to be all-inclusive. The post holder is expected to work flexibly and respond positively to changing organisational needs.

1.Take a lead in ensuring operations meet the needs of the programme and other events, communication is effective and the Centre runs smoothly. This will include:

• Being the main point of contact for artists or users during prep and on the day of event.
• Liaising with relevant colleagues regarding space usage and staffing.
• Setting up rooms for events (including furniture, technical equipment, etc.).
• Working with external staff to meet artists and users requirements.
• Inducting new staff, interns, partners and artists working within the building to Void and its operations.
• Inducting volunteers working within Void and the volunteers responsibilities and remit with regard to health and safety.
• Taking responsibility for artists experience, ensuring their comfort and security during their stay and time working within the building.
• Taking ownership of the use of our gallery spaces, engage space and storage; looking after housekeeping.

2. Ensure the efficient and effective day to day operation  and to understand the aims and objectives of Void and communicate them clearly to staff and visitors:

• Maintain a high level of knowledge of the programming and operational activities and be able to identify problems and solutions.
• Prepare for Operations Meetings wherein building and event issues are discussed and resolved.
• Compile rotas for Staff, Cleaners and external workers.
• Provide day to day supervision of Sales and Cleaning staff. 
• Ensure that standards of customer care are communicated and delivered.
• Handle any problem or complaints efficiently and in line with Void’s standards of care.
• Ensure that the Sales and bookkeeping adhere to the organisation’s financial procedures. All staff are expected to work in line with Void Staff Handbook.

3. Working with the whole team and gathering and providing information as required by colleagues. This will include

• Building, event and exhibition attendance.
• Environmental conditions.
• Feedback on the coordination of space, staffing and technical needs.
• Audience research, visitor and partner feedback and comments to be passed to relevant members of staff.

4. As a key holder the Coordinator of Care will have responsibility for:

• Allowing access to electricity and gas meters when required.
• Efficiently use CCTV for purposes of building security.
• Appropriate licensing requirements are met at all times.

5. Take responsibility for building security and health and safety to ensure:

• All staff and building users are safe and secure within the Centre.
• Ensure access for all contractors and tradespeople as appropriate and communicate all relevant information as required. 
• The Void’s Health Safety is adhered to at all times.
• Building access is controlled.
• Our CCTV and door entry systems are monitored and utilised effectively.
• Our security and fire alarm systems are monitored and utilised efficiently.

6. High standards of cleanliness, presentation and display in all public, staff and backstage areas should be continually met. Working with the Director and Head of Sustainable Growth:

• Supervise and direct the activities of the cleaning staff.
• Record and assist the activities of facilities contractors.
• Undertake additional cleaning as required.
• Undertake minor repairs and facility maintenance when requested.

7. Assist the Director as required on any other appropriate initiatives. Facilitating installation of exhibitions. Looking after admin and paperwork required for all art practitioners involved in the programme.

The deadline to apply is Thursday  22 May 2025, 12pm

To apply: Please send your CV and cover letter to hello@derryvoid.com

Interviews w/c 26 May 2025

This post receives a contribution from ACNI. There is no relocation allowance for this role.

To discuss the role and for further information, please don’t hesitate to contact Viviana Checchia (viviana@derryvoid.com)

Tuesday 18 March 2025 – Friday 18 April 2025 at Void Art Centre

As the winter slowly gives way to spring, we’re looking forward to our upcoming programme. Across our internal work, we have been discussing ways to re-imagine Void’s exhibition programme and instead, think about ways we can experiment with the form and temporality of projects. With this in mind, the next month sees us use our gallery spaces differently, with projects continuing or returning to Void.

Deirdre O’Mahony’s work ‘The Quickening’, which communicates the reality of farming life and the centrality of soil to our lives, will remain on site until Friday 18 April 2025; a remainder of the artists’ work, recent exhibition ‘FARMWORK’ and impact on Void’s programme as a whole. The film challenges us to rethink our relationship with the Earth and nature, encouraging us to listen to multiple perspectives and take action towards a sustainable future.

A fragment of Mikail Karikis’ project ‘Acoustics of Resistance’ and work ‘Surging Seas’ will return to Void. The work, which featured placards alluding to methods used in eco-protests, has been further developed and co-created with new placards created by students at NWRC in response to rising sea levels and climate activism . You can find this work in our windows.

‘Staging Seaweed Symbiosis’, a presentation by Queen’s University School of Natural and Built Environment will also continue in our Source Room, showcasing architectural visions and creative works inspired by seaweed’s untapped potential in climate resilience and community rejuvenation.

Image 1 – ‘The Quickening’ by Deirdre O’Mahony, in FARMWORK at Void Art Centre, 2025.
Image 2 – ‘Surging Seas’, placards made by students at NWRC and Mikhail Karikis, 2024-2025.
Image 3 – ‘Staging Seaweed Symbiosis’ with Queen’s University School of Natural and Built Environment, 2024 – 2025.

Now Open, Until April 2025

Staging Seaweed Symbiosis in Void Art Centre’s Source Room, an exhibition showcasing architectural visions and creative works inspired by seaweed’s untapped potential in climate resilience and community rejuvenation.

This digital exhibition explores the vast, untapped potential of seaweed as a solution to climate and ecological crises. Created by staff and students from Queen’s University Belfast, it showcases architectural visions set on Rathlin Island, highlighting innovative ways seaweed can support food systems, biodiversity, sustainable livelihoods, and ocean health. Featuring speculative designs and artistic works that capture seaweed’s natural beauty, this exhibition invites us to reimagine seaweed as a transformative resource for sustainable coastal communities.

In collaboration with architecture staff and students from Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), a series of architectural visions for a future that relies more heavily on seaweed have been developed, set within the unique landscape of Rathlin Island. The content was produced in Spring 2024 as part of an architectural design studio titled Staging Symbiosis: Seaweed Plus, led by Dr. Nuala Flood and Dr. Sean Cullen. This exhibition unveils these speculative designs and explores how architecture, the built environment, and onshore infrastructure can support the growth of multiple seaweed based industries. From food innovation to art and craft, these design interventions illustrate how seaweed could help rejuvenate Ireland’s declining coastal communities. Highlights include the Seaweed Test Kitchen by Oileán Galligan, a hub for seaweed inspired food innovation; the Seaweed Processing Facility by Jake Newman, envisioning a marine algae processing plant at Rathlin’s port; and the Seaweed Crafting Centre by Imogen Erskine, where local art and craft integrate seaweed as a primary material.

To communicate seaweed’s natural beauty, this exhibition also features seaweed encapsulated in resin blocks created by Natalia Mokras, and photographic explorations of seaweed by Dr. Nuala Flood.

Void Art Centre are looking for two new members to join our Board, including a Chair and a Treasurer. The Board’s role is to actively support our work, advocating for the organisation and the work that we do. Board members promote our work, often attending events, exhibitions and fundraising events. 

The Chair will have previous experience of governance, strategic planning and organisational development, as well as a track record of leadership in a context relevant to Void. We’re particularily interested in a Chair who is passionate about contemporary art practice as well as ecological approaches, with experience of advocacy. The new Treasurer will have previous experience of financial management, in particular in a charitable and/or arts context. 

Per year, Board members are required to attend four board meetings and an AGM, held on site at Void and via online platforms. Additionally, Board members may receive training and be required to attend development sessions. For a full and detailed description of roles and responsibilities, check out the below PDF:

🔗 Join Our Board – Further Information

To apply, please send the following by Monday 10 February 2025, 11.59pm to hello@derryvoid.com

• A summary CV
• A supporting statement outlining your interest in the role and relevant experience.
• Formats: Written (up to 2 sides of A4), Video and Audio (up to 5 minutes)

* For an informal discussion about the roles please email viviana@derryvoid.com

Both roles are unremunerated and no expenses are offered for travel to Board meetings. This is standard as per charity law and we understand this will limit some people’s ability to apply. Board terms are 3 years and trustees can serve a maximum of 2 terms. 

Image: Adrián Balseca filming ‘Nyctalopia’, 2024. Taken by Sinéad Feeney. 

We are looking forward to the festive season at Void Art Centre and to welcoming in the New Year. As we approach the end of 2024, we would like to take some time to reflect on what we have done this year, and how this will inform our progress in 2025.

At the beginning of the year, the team at Void announced that the organisation would adopt a social permaculture approach to programming, internal working, governance, and funding. Social permaculture is the application of permaculture principles to social systems and organisational models, and over the past year, our work has centred on the concept’s three key principles : People Care, Earth Care and Fair Share.

To begin this process, we received training from social permaculture educator Alfred Decker, inviting peers to take part in the process alongside us. We also invited coach Dorian Braun, academic Pascal Gielen, Echo Echo Dance Company and artist Stéphane Verlet Bottéro to feed into this new strategy.

As a reflection on our work across 2024, each team member has identified a particular highlight from the year, which has a personal significance for them and their work at Void.

Cecelia Graham – Curator of Civic Engagement

Towards a Rail Renaissance for the North-West with Into the West

Into the West, a group who campaign for better rail systems in the north of Ireland – including the North West and Tyrone, joined us for a talk and discussion back in September 2024. It was important to hear about the role that grassroots activism plays in supporting our local infrastructure and, in particular, surrounding the north’s collective mobility structures. The work that both the group and their members’ do feels particularly pertinent at a time when car culture has had a significant impact on the environment, as detailed in Nyctalopia, the corresponding exhibition at Void by Adrián Balseca.

Viviana Checchia – Director

Between coaching and learning!

Choosing a highlight from this marvellous 2024 it is probably one of the hardest things I had to do … I decided to focus on Dorian Braun‘s coaching. In Jan – Feb 2024 Life and Leadership coach Dorian Braun came to visit us and worked with us to embrace our organisational transformation as a team. We were (and are) going through a big shift becoming the first Social Permacultural art organisation of Northern Ireland. Dorian accompanied this process and shared tools and methods to help us as a team. We made the embryonic steps towards a shared mission and shared value, it was a very meaningful experience for the team and for the future of Void Art Centre. Next year is going to be even more brilliant!

Mitch Conlon – Head of Sustainable Growth

Introduction to Stéphane Verlet Bottéro

As a new team taking sufficient time away from programming to reflect, discuss and develop our collective ambitions and values was incredibly enriching. This energy was quickly boosted by the arrival of artist and ecologist Stéphane Verlet Bottero who we collaborated with on a process of re-sensitisation for the organisation. Posing the question: are we insensitive to the ongoing devastation? We aimed to rediscover, through self-reflection, our ability to care for our surroundings and the living beings that make up the world around us.

Sinéad Feeney – Coordinator of Production and Dynamics

Residency with Adrián Balseca at Void

Adrián spent time in Derry this Summer researching and creating site specific pieces for his project at Void Art Centre Nyctalopia. I personally really enjoyed working on this project as it gave me an opportunity to explore different approaches to exhibition making. Archival research and site visits informed Adrián’s sculptures and film pieces, exposing the displaced collective mobility systems. We shot in interesting and challenging locations that explored the geological and material history of the North of Ireland, looking at how the automobile culture shaped our environment and the results presented a sombre reflection on these economic forces.

Tansy Cowley – Press & Marketing Coordinator

Falmouth Residential

In September Void hosted members of the MA Fine Art Online course from Falmouth University. Working in a collaborative way with the team at Falmouth to communicate the Residential to our audience and then capturing it in a meaningful and considered way, was one of my highlights. Moving from a virtual collaboration to then meeting the team in person and seeing the response to the Residential was exciting.

Shakira Nelis – Facilities Assistant

Mikhail Karikis’ Acoustics of Resistance

For me the build up to the opening night of Mikhail Karikis’ Acoustics of Resistance was my highlight. I’d only just started at Void the previous week, but even on my first day I could feel the electricity in the air as the whole team pulled together to make the show a success. Watching Sinéad and the tech guys assemble the technical side of the exhibition was educational, and seeing Tansy create a stimulating and teasing social media journey towards the opening was fascinating. On the opening night Mikhail’s ‘artist talk’ was captivating and of course the social aspect of meeting lots of new people throughout the launch is always enjoyable. I’m looking forward to the next opening on January 11th…

Neil Doherty – Volunteer

Elham Puriya Mehr: The Third Space: The Affective Atmosphere of Coffeehouses

During her time in Derry as curator-in-residence as part of our visitors programme, Elham Puriya Mehr was researching coffeehouses and their potential as learning spaces as part of her ongoing study, The Third Space: The Affective Atmosphere of Coffeehouses. She explained that coffeehouse culture, which emerged throughout Ireland in the 17th Century, was crucial in promoting social and intellectual interaction; providing an environment and atmosphere that encouraged creativity and collaboration and making these coffeehouses vital for cultural growth. Her week-long study in Derry culminated in a social gathering at one of Derry’s best known coffeehouses along the River Foyle. Elham gave a presentation on her study, then opened the floor to those in attendance for discussion. A lovely and insightful evening.

Looking towards 2025…

In January 2025, we are happy to welcome artist Deirdre O’Mahony; an artist with whom we not only share an interest for food and farming but to whom we also feel very connected because of her slow and in depth approach to research and art practice.

FARMWORK presents a selection of Deirdre O’Mahony’s artworks made over the past ten years, reflecting on her interest in the politics of landscape, rural sustainability and food security, challenging mainstream narratives around agricultural matters and policy. Please join us for the opening preview of FARMWORK on Saturday 11 January 2025 at 6pm. Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks.

💐 We are feeling very nourished after spending a week with curator Elham Puriya Mehr during her curatorial residency at Void Art Centre exploring the coffeehouse culture of Derry city.

Elham spent her time in the city researching in the Central Library, meeting those working in local cafés such as our neighbours at The Coffee Tree and chatting to local researchers, archivists and historians about the past, present and future of Derry coffeehouses 🤝

At the beginning and end of her residency, Elham invited local inhabitants to gather for coffee, conversation, and collaboration in mapping the city’s coffeehouses through personal stories and memories ☕ The second of these events was held at Offing Coffee, where we discussed cafés that no longer exist in the city, alternative ways of sustaining a business in precarious times and how cafés can act as a space for communal sharing and dialogue.

💌 With thanks to: Stephanie Bradley at Offing Café; Adriana Valderrama Lopez; Martha McCulloch; Gail Mahon; Damien Duffy; Gregory McCartney; Bernadette Walsh, Caoimhe Stones, Sean Beattie, Catherine Hemelryk, and Neil Doherty.

Elham’s residency was supported by the Art Abroad grant from the Canada Council for the Arts and Void Art Centre.

We’re delighted to be spending time with curator Elham Puriya Mehr during her one-week curatorial residency at Void Art Centre. This research, which has been ongoing for two years, explores coffeehouses as unique spaces for sharing and creating knowledge – examining their role as alternative learning environments. 

For the residency at Void Art Centre, Elham aims to explore the potentialities of coffeehouses through a multifaceted approach. This includes on-site exploration, archival research, a curator’s talk, and interviews with local artists, writers, publishers, and scholars. This approach is designed to deepen the understanding of these vibrant social spaces. 

Ireland’s earliest coffeehouses began to appear in the mid 17th Century, establishing a strong connection with the world of publishing, particularly newspapers. Many publishers not only operated these coffeehouses but also used them as venues for distributing reading material. Due to the high cost of books, often driven up by publishing taxes, most people relied on the free copies available in coffeehouses for their reading. These establishments also boasted extensive archives and collections, including international books and newspapers, which were easily accessible to patrons. This availability fostered a vibrant culture of knowledge exchange and discourse in cities such as Derry, significantly enriching social and cultural life during this period. The Derry Journal, launched in 1772, is a prime example of this phenomenon.

Conducted in Tehran, London, Trieste, Istanbul, and Vancouver, the research’s next phase in Derry aims to explore how coffeehouses can foster new vocabularies, practices, and knowledge that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries. In today’s hierarchical learning spaces, where public accessibility is often limited, this research serves as a catalyst to envision innovative techniques and devices for learning. By reconceptualising ‘learning’ as a communicative act involving the sharing, sensing, and exchanging of knowledge, It aims to promote a more inclusive and accessible approach to knowledge making; the form of learning that prioritises the experiences of ‘joy’ and ‘freedom’.

Yesterday, alongside our monthly potluck, Elham presented her research during a curator’s talk and discussion. Together, we exchanged knowledge about informal learning environments within Irish culture, and the difference between transactional spaces and those that enable conversation. We also spoke about gender within the history of coffeehouses, and the role that large corporations play in the loss of gathering spaces. 

The residency is made possible through the generous support of the Art Abroad grant from the Canada Council for the Arts 

📚 Void reading rooms

🖼️ Open Tuesday-Saturday

⏰ 11am-5pm

📍Void Art Centre

💰 Free access

Void Art Centre is delighted to welcome visitors to our new reading area! You can sit, enjoy reading a selection of books, from fiction, reference books, art techniques, and collaborations. We also have a space for kids to sit and draw while you enjoy a cup of tea or coffee – just ask a member of staff!

Void Art Centre is kindly supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Derry City and Strabane District Council, Future Screens NI, Garfield Weston Foundation, Halifax Foundation for Northern Ireland, the Henry Moore Foundation, Northbound Brewery and Ulster University.

⛅Self Seeding

These are shapes of seeds which were produced by MFA students at Falmouth University along with adults and children who participated in the art of seed making at Void Art Centre. The shapes are made using layers of materials to represent the dimensions of a seed with its seed coat, embryo, roots and food sources.

The seed shapes represent both darkness and light; seed conditions which correspond to both germination and growth. Self seeding refers to our capacity to produce new ideas and endeavours. These themes align with the season of Lughnasa, a festival marking the beginning of harvesting and the gathering of seeds as acts of hope and potential for the next growing year.

Self seeding is also the cultivation of new territories and the capacity to occupy space on one’s own terms. Seeds in the wild do what they want. They are released in order to make something happen, as in a new beginning after dormancy. These seed shapes were inspired by photographs in the book Seeds: Time Capsules of Life by Rob Kessler, which feature magnified seeds as biological structures and forms of sculpture. The wrapped and assembled forms also reflect each person’s capacity to identify with seeds that shape their worlds. On display is a representation of seed biodiversity in a myriad of configurations that reflect the people who made them.

Keep an eye out for more about Pamela’s project in the coming weeks!

The AHRC IAA Practice-Based Researcher in Residence Programme 2024-25 aligns with the 175th anniversary celebrations for the Belfast School of Art – with partnerships forming one of the core themes of the birthday celebrations.

Void Art Centre is kindly supported by Arts Council Northern Ireland, Derry City and Strabane District Council, Future Screens NI, Garfield Weston, Ulster University, Halifax Foundation for Northern Ireland, and the Henry Moore Foundation.

The Belfast School of Art is the oldest provider of design education on the island of Ireland as well as being one of the oldest creative art schools in the UK. 2024 marks its 175th anniversary.

Ashab Ahmad is a new researcher about to commence a PhD at the Magee campus of Ulster University with a project entitled: Processes and legacies of artistic self-historicisation: curating, documenting and preserving Derry’s Arts Centres activities since the 1970s. This project is in collaboration with Void Art Centre and will be concerned with a survey of archival material relating to Derry’s art centres.

Ashab said: “Hello everyone, I am Ashab, a new researcher about to commence my PhD at Ulster University’s Derry/Londonderry campus in collaboration with Void Art Centre. The PhD project that I will be undertaking is entitled: Processes and Legacies of artistic self-historicization: Curating, documenting and preserving Derry’s Arts Centres activities since the 1970’s. This is centred around a survey of the archives at Void which includes material from the Orchard Gallery, Context Gallery, DaDA, as well as other local artistic activity. Through my work, I hope to contextualise the institutional histories of these art centres and interrogate the implications of the specific archival mechanisms that were used. 

I am originally from Bangladesh and have spent the last seven years in St Andrews, Scotland. I completed my undergraduate degree in Art History and my masters degree in Museum and Gallery Studies at the University of St Andrews. After completing my previous university studies, I worked as the Project Outreach Officer at the St Andrews Heritage Museum and Garden for the last two years.” 

This PhD project coincides with Void’s aim to become an art research centre and we look forward to working with Ashab.

Void Art Centre is kindly supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Derry City and Strabane District Council, Future Screens NI, Garfield Weston Foundation, Halifax Foundation for Northern Ireland, the Henry Moore Foundation, Northbound Brewery and Ulster University.

This project aligns with the 175th anniversary celebrations for the Belfast School of Art – with partnerships forming one of the core themes of the birthday celebrations.

The Belfast School of Art is the oldest provider of design education on the island of Ireland as well as being one of the oldest creative art schools in the UK. 2024 marks its 175th anniversary.