Category: News

As an organisation, we wish to make our stance clear on the ongoing genocide and humanitarian crisis in Gaza – we stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine today, and every day. At the time of editing, over 140 days have passed since the start of the genocide, with over 38,000 Palestinians losing their lives and over 60,000 injured. We condemn these atrocities, and join others in calling for an immediate ceasefire.

As a new team, we recognise the importance cultural organisations hold in speaking up against genocide and the ongoing censorship artists and practitioners are experiencing within art institutions across Europe. As individuals, we have been engaged in standing up for Palestine, attending marches, donating to MAP and engaging with the BDS movement, and we want to reflect that in the organisation we work within.

In echoing peer organisations in the north of Ireland who have also spoken up in support of Palestine, we recognise the platform that we have. We want to draw attention to the work of the Learning Palestine Group , Artists Against Genocide (a group working across the north of Ireland, attending protests and holding workshops), and also highlight the Museum of Free Derry’s Bloody Sunday 2024 anniversary programme which, now finished, was dedicated to those suffering in Gaza. Further ways to get involved include via IPSC Derry who are organising, marching and sharing, and further into the county, IPSC Mid Ulster are organising vigils, walks and protests.

As an organisation, we will continue to have conversations about how Void can support those who are speaking out and will continue to update you as we make a commitment to use our platform.

Silver Tongued Deviance’ is expanding!

‘Silver Tongued Deviance’ is an open mic platform event hosted by local storyteller, poet, spoken word artist and occasional broadcaster, Frank Rafferty.

In 2020, ‘Silver Tongued Deviance’ was developed in partnership between Void Art Centre and the Gasyard Development Trust (Bluebell Arts). Between 2020-2023, these events ran at least 6 times each year in Void Art Centre and at the end of 2022, the decision was made to run them on the last Thursday of every other month. The regularity built momentum and in turn numbers and demand, so…we are delighted to announce that we have added an additional new partner to the initiative, teaming up with the Waterside Theatre & Arts Centre, to allow these events to run on the last Thursday of every month from now on!

One month they will be held in Void Art Centre and the following month in the Waterside Theatre & Arts Centre cafe space and so on. This three way partnership will begin on Thursday 29th February at the Waterside Theatre & Arts Centre.

Upcoming ‘Silver Tongued Deviance’ events are as follows:

• Thursday 29th February @ 7pm – Waterside Theatre & Arts Centre

• Thursday 28th March @ 7pm – Void Art Centre

• Thursday 25th April @ 7pm – Waterside Theatre & Arts Centre

• Thursday 30th May @ 7pm – Void Art Centre

• Thursday 27th June @ 7pm – Waterside Theatre & Arts Centre

During these sessions, spoken word performers/singers/(acoustic) musicians are invited to come along and perform; they may choose any pieces of work from their repertoire, they can create something new which connects to the world around them, seasonal circumstances, or they can perform something else entirely which simply resonates with them.

The viewing public are also invited to simply attend and enjoy! There is no requirement to perform at these events.

This is a free event but any donations are welcome, encouraged and greatly appreciated. Thank you. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided at all events as a complimentary gesture.

RSVP via the ‘Silver Tongued Deviance’ eventbrite here.

Void Art Centre are excited to be hosting the Women’s Health and Wellbeing Day on Tuesday 27 February 2024, as part of Developing Women in the Community, a project run by the Churches Trust in Derry City. The event takes place from 11am-3pm.

The project has brought together 50 women over the last 16 months. Together, they have explored everyday topics that impact on everyday life, including human development, adversity in childhood, community development and they are now working collectively on the Women’s Health and Wellbeing Day, hosted at Void.

The day consists of a number of talks, community information stalls, relaxation sessions and raffles. A full running order for the day can be found below.

Together, the group wish to empower women to reach out, understanding that support with family, money, relationships and health are often community concerns. By coming together and supporting each other, the group hope to find positive ways to move forward.

Come along and see what’s out there for you! This project is funded by the Department for Communities.

AGENDA –

11am – Welcome and overview by Mhairi from Void Art Centre

11.10am – Welcome and info about the event – why we are here

11.20am – Developing women

11.30am – Pauline McClenaghan – Angling coach

12.pm – Chair yoga

12.15pm Developing women

1pm – Mayor Patricia Logue Derry and Strabane District Council

1.20pm Developing women

1.30pm – Anne Marie Campbell Health Hub

2.15pm – Marie Dunne

3pm – Churches Trust to close the event

Void Art Centre are delighted to welcome three new members to the team: our new Front of House and Invigilator, a role supported by Jobstart, Alex Cregan, the Coordinator of Production and Dynamics, Sinéad Feeney, and our Press and Marketing Officer (maternity cover) Cecelia Graham.

You can find out more about Alex, Sinéad and Cecelia below.

Alex Cregan (they / him) is our new Front of House and Invigilator, a role that is supported by the JobStart scheme for those aged 16-24 years old. Alongside their role at Void, Alex is a writer and poet based in Derry city. They have publications in The Paperclip Vol. III, Belfast Pride’s Poetry with Pride 2023 edition and the Feb 2024 edition of Beyond Queer Words. Alex is interested in exploring means of advocacy and inclusivity in arts spaces.

Sinéad Feeney (she/her) is Void’s new Coordinator of Production and Dynamics, a role that seeks to promote care principles and empathetic approaches to stakeholder liaison and logistical management of the gallery’s everyday running. Sinéad has a background in textile design and garment production, and has previously worked in Ireland, UK and the Netherlands within global fashion houses. Now working in art and design higher education and community facilitation, Sinéad provides support and technical expertise to multiple stakeholders.

Cecelia Graham (she/her) is currently providing maternity cover support in Void’s Press and Marketing Officer position. Alongside this, Cecelia is an independent curator. Within her practice, Cecelia explores collective knowledge gathering and non-hierarchical labour practices in order to challenge notions of hyper-productivity, disciplinary borders and power structures often relied on within institutions. Challenging the language of professionalism, Cecelia seeks alternative modes of advocating for and supporting a community of artists that resist strict, slick outputs.

The team at Void Art Centre are excited to share the future strategy for the organisation.

2023 was a year of change at Void, as we welcomed our new Director, Viviana Checchia, alongside new roles – Head of Sustainable Growth, Mitch Conlon, Curator of Civic Engagement, Mhairi Sutherland, Coordinator of Production and Dynamics, Sinéad Feeney. As we look to 2024, the organisation is commencing a living practice of Social Permaculture, a concept by which communities look to natural environments to model co-existence and co-creation. Void’s organisational structure will be founded on these principles.

Void’s future ambition is to ensure our programmes and the organisation as a whole are sustainable and civic-engaged. This will entail more attention and care towards the team, our resources and local environment. Responding to this ambition, Void will focus on alternative ways of producing, distributing and presenting art projects. This includes responding to our locality, working within Derry and Northern Ireland to reflect the global changes we are all part of.

What will our programming look like?

Like our internal working, our programming will investigate ways of working together and collaborative and cooperative practices within the arts and with other sectors. We will seek to form organic connections with the site of Derry and its audience, as well as sustainable use of local resources both monetary and non-monetary.

We will adopt a different use of time within our programming. Our activities will include both one-off, recurrent and long term projects, with some projects spanning only the length of the exhibition, and others resulting in further research and public reflections. Some components of the programme will run throughout the year, developing into long term projects across a multi-year period. Process is a key aspect of our programming going forward, with onsite and offsite activities focusing on genuine connection with the public rather than outcome-oriented working. Central to this work will be civic engagement, with public input essential in all stages of our projects.

We’re excited to share and learn more about this way of working in an upcoming project, announced in the next few days, which also reflects on the history of Void, celebrating the organisation across its many iterations.

We look forward to sharing more and working with you in 2024! Make sure to follow us @VoidArtCentre on social media to keep up to date with projects, including the announcement of our upcoming project, Composting for the future.

As the team at Void Art Centre get ready to go on our winter break from Friday 22 December 2023, we want to close the year by saying a big thank you to all the artists, partners, collaborators and funders we’ve worked with across the past year, and to you, our visitors and online audience. 

Looking back, this year has been a transformative one for Void Art Centre. In May, we gave a warm welcome to our current Director Viviana Checchia, as we said goodbye to our previous Director Mary Cremin, who moved onto a role at Irish Museum of Modern Art. We have had more additions to our team including our Head of Sustainable Growth, Mitch Conlon, our Curator of Civic Engagement, Mhairi Sutherland, our volunteer Neil Doherty and interim Press and Marketing Coordinator Cecelia Graham. We look forward to welcoming two new additions to our team in 2024, our Coordinator of Dynamics and Production and Front of House and Invigilator.

Our current exhibition, son of by Áine Mac Giolla Bhríde, continues into 2024, ending Saturday 3 February 2024. 2024 marks a special year for Void Art Centre, as we celebrate our twentieth anniversary. Keep an eye on our social media and website for a project that celebrates both the past and future of the organisation, sharing Void’s archive with the public and building a collective timeline, starting in January 2024. During this project, the team at Void Art Centre are also excited to share our commitment to the practice of socio-permaculture as we look to the future of the organisation. 

Happy holidays and Happy New Year!

Void Art Centre are hiring for a Front of House and Invigilator as part of the Job Start scheme, open to 16-24 year olds. This role is funded by Department for Communities and is part of Void Art Centre’s investment in young people. 

Front of House and Invigilator

Salary: On a sliding scale [see here]

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

Working hours: Part-time

Deadline: Wednesday 20 December 2023, 12pm

We have another position open at Void Art Centre – a Front of House and Invigilator, open to those aged 16-24 years old. This role will be intrinsic in Void Art Centre’s aim to provide a space that all our visitors can use, in a manner that respects dignity, independence, and choice. Consistent with our vision of being an organisation accessible to everyone, we strive to be as inclusive as possible physically and ideologically – the ideal candidate will support this vision.

Key Objectives:

1.To keep the artwork safe and be the first point of inquiry for visitors.

2.Deliver friendly, efficient customer service creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

3.Complete transactions for publications, merchandise and events as needed and gather qualitative information from visitors and participants .

Job Specification:

• Deliver excellent customer service at all times.
• Know the invigilation requirements for the works on display
• Make sure the works are not damaged by members of the public.
• Any issues are to be reported to a Void team member.
• Keep up to date with current exhibitions, events and projects.
• Be aware of any limitations on viewing of an exhibition (e.g. age restrictions, strobe lighting).
• Recommend upcoming events to visitors as appropriate.
• Check participants in for workshops, talks, and any other education events as needed.
• Assist in keeping the reception and education space clean and tidy.
• Ensure Void information is up to date and in sufficient supply.
• Keep programs, notices and flyers tidy and dispose of out-of-date literature.
• Keep the reception desk tidy as well as the gallery free of hazards.
• Conduct regular checks of the toilet facilities; deal with minor housekeeping issues (e.g. replacing hand towels, replenishing the toilet tissue) and report any major issues immediately to a manager.
• Supporting the other Void staff members as needed. This might include, but is not limited to, assembling Art Packs for children, distributing flyers, folding and stapling gallery guides, data input, etc.

Skills and Qualifications:

Essential Skills

• Happy to speak to members of the public.
• Open minded to all types of people.
• Ability to take initiative.
• Ability to work with a team.
• An interest in making contemporary art accessible to everyone.
• Being able to adapt to different situations effectively.
• Organisational & computational skills.

Desirable Skills

• Experience using Microsoft Office programmes.
• Experience using Adobe Suite programmes.

The deadline to apply is Wednesday 20 December 2023, 12pm

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

Void Art Centre are hiring for a Coordinator of Production and Dynamics, a new position within Void Art Centre’s growing organisational structure which looks to interdependent forms of team-working and artistic and cultural production. The role seeks to promote care principles and empathetic approaches to stakeholder liaison and logistical management of the gallery’s programme and everyday running.

Coordinator of Production and Dynamics

Salary: £13,419 per annum

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

Working hours: 20 hours per week

Contract type: Part time (3 months probationary period)

Reports to: The Director

Deadline: Wednesday 20 December 2023, 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 Wednesday 20 December 2023, 12pm

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

Interviews w/c 1st of January

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)

In 2024, Void Art Centre will commence a living practice of socio-permaculture. The concept of social permaculture is the application of permaculture principles to human relationships, communities, social systems and organisational models. Social permaculture is about connection between people, economies, and governing structures – creating the conditions for humans to flourish on a societal level, thus to develop beneficial relationships with the ecosystems which sustain us.

In order to do this, we’ve hired two new fantastic team members to help us on our journey. We’d like to extend a warm welcome to our new Head Of Sustainable Growth, Mitch Conlon and our new Curator of Civic Engagement, Mhairi Sutherland. We’re incredibly excited to have them as part of the team here at Void Art Centre.

With both of them having a wealth of experience in working in the arts across Ireland and further afield, they bring so much talent, knowledge and expertise to the team and we are delighted to see what the future holds for Void.

Mitch Conlon

Mitch Conlon is an artist and organiser who has worked across the creative sector and visual arts here in the North for over ten years. Having lived in a number of cities across the island Mitch is deeply passionate about living and working in Northern Ireland and specifically artists’ role as active citizens within our society. He has continuously prioritised working collectively, collaborating with others as a rewarding and fulfilling choice that runs contradictorily to the recommended path, that of individualism and competition within our creative sector. Sharing and learning with like-minded, empathetic organisations such as FRUIT SHOP, PS2, Array Collective, COLLECTED, Catalyst Arts and Knee-jerk, Mitch has chosen to work in peripheral locations within DIY structures and self-organised groups. This eco-system of experimental and community-led infrastructure is critically undervalued in the North and is the seabed from which our larger civic institutions are dependent. It is this similarly minded network in Derry that he will seek to establish the foundations from which a sustainable organisation and programme can flourish.

Mhairi Sutherland

Mhairi Sutherland is a visual artist working in photography, video, and drawing, awarded a PhD in 2012 from the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) and  an MFA (Distinction) from the University of Ulster, Belfast (1994-96). An experienced freelance facilitator, mentor and coach in digital storytelling, photography and the visual arts, Mhairi has recently facilitated a CAWT programme (2022) with rural and other groups through the Verbal Arts Centre, and was Creative Producer as part of the Third Space team, a cross-border PEACE IV programme, delivering a digital storytelling programme to 600 young people across NI and border areas. (2017-21) Previous facilitation clients have included Void Gallery Engage programme, Prison Arts Foundation (PAF), Community Foundation NI, Regional Cultural Centre Letterkenny, The Ark, A Cultural Centre for Children Dublin and the Moville and District Family Resource Centre.

Public projects include a commission from the Hasselblad Foundation and Valand Academy, Sweden, for Drone Vision: Warfare, Surveillance and Protest, a group triptych exhibition shown in Gothenburg, Lahore and Nicosia in May 2018, The Dome, a site-specific research project, supported by a SIAP Award from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and PRONTO,  commissioned by 1418NOW and Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast, as part of the ‘Radio Relay’ cultural programme for Northern Ireland, 2016. Her work has been exhibited in one person exhibitions in the Leitrim Sculpture Centre, Manorhamilton (After the Blacksmith, 2018) Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny (Arc of Fire, 2011) OMAC, Belfast (Fig: YS, 2008) Context Gallery, Derry (Fathom, 2002) and Street Level Photoworks, Glasgow (Blackout, 1999), numerous group exhibitions and is represented in private and public collections in the UK and Europe. Mhairi  has been involved with collaborative and site-specific projects beginning with the Sitework Public Art team, Orchard Gallery, Derry (1988-89), a founding member of artists’ group Not in Kansas, Glasgow (1998-2003) and is currently a member of LOCI (2014-) a group of women artists, researchers and writers.

Acknowledgements

Photographer: Sara Leahy

Void Gallery is supported using public funding from Arts Council Northern Ireland, Arts Council National Lottery Fund, All Island Fund, Austin and Hope Pilkington Foundation, Arnold Clarke Foundation, Bank of Ireland Begin Together Arts Fund, Community Foundation Ireland, Derry City and Strabane District Council, Enkalon Foundation, National Lottery Community Fund, The Ireland Funds, Foundation Foundation.