GoldenThread Gallery

GoldenThread Gallery Golden Thread Gallery is Belfast's leading contemporary art gallery. Open Tuesday-Friday 11-5 and Saturday 11-4. Free entry! Breast-feeding mums are welcome.
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We stay open til 8pm on first Thursday every month for Late Night Art. Golden Thread Gallery prides itself on offering a friendly, open space where everyone is welcome. We are actively committed to enhancing and widening the cultural experience for those living in, working in and visiting the region. Finding Us
The gallery is on the edge of Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter and the old Sailortown distri

ct, just across the Dunbar Link. There are safe pedestrian road crossings at several points along the road, with convenient public parking available at Dunbar Street (pay and display), High Street and St Anne’s Square. We are open for walk-in visitors, but we have some safety measures in place under the current Covid-19 restrictions. Maximum capacity is 30 visitors at one time. We may ask you to wait outside for a short time if we are at capacity. Please go to reception first, so we can take your contact details for track & trace. All visitors are requested to wear a mask / face-covering at all times, unless you have a medical exemption. Please sanitise your hands upon entry and when leaving the gallery. Only one toilet is available for visitor use at this time. If you (or any member of your party) have been feeling unwell, or displaying any symptoms of COVID-19, please do not enter. Our other safety measures include hand sanitisers throughout the gallery with signage to guide you through the exhibitions. Disposable masks are available from our front desk for a donation of £1. We will have one accessible bathroom available to visitors only. If you have any other accessibility needs, please let us know in advance and we will do our utmost to facilitate you. If you have any questions or concerns, or need help, please ask one of the team! We want to make your return to the gallery as enjoyable and safe as we can! We’re signed up to the “We’re Good To Go” tourism industry standard mark, the scheme designed by the UK’s national tourist organisations to reassure visitors that we have clear processes in place and are following industry and Government COVID-19 guidance on cleanliness and social distancing. Accessibility and Social Story
We want to make all our visitors welcome, and are committed to making the gallery as accessible as possible. Should you need assistance in planning your visit please ask at reception, or contact us in advance on [email protected]

Exhibition guide

The gallery is happy to accommodate groups and offers guided gallery tours free of charge. Please contact the gallery at least one week in advance if you wish to make a booking. During gallery opening hours staff are here to answer your questions. Wheelchair users
The gallery space is fully accessible for wheelchair users, with a ramp entrance and level landing. Blue Badge parking is available outside our venue, with a drop kerb. There is a wheelchair accessible toilet in our venue. Braille
Braille versions of our exhibition guides can be provided, please request in advance. Audio description
We offer audio descriptive tours of our exhibitions, please book at least one week in advance. Large print handouts
All exhibition handouts are available in large print from Gallery reception. T-Loop
An audio T-Loop is available at reception – the hearing aid user needs to switch their hearing aid to the ‘T-position’. T-Loop is an assistive listening system that takes a sound source and transfers it directly to hearing aid without background noise, interference or distortion. Family Friendly Venue
We welcome visitors of all ages! Buggies and prams can be left beside reception. Please note: some exhibitions may require parental discretion. Baby changing facilities are available in our accessible bathroom. Sensory Issues – noise and lights
Gallery staff at reception can advise you about exhibition content, including lights / darkness / sounds and other sensory elements. We also have sets of ear defenders available to borrow at reception. We’ve created a unique social story to help make visiting the gallery, understanding safety measures and engaging with visual art, easier and more enjoyable for young visitors who have autism. You can download it from our website.

Ahead of   on Thursday, when we'll exhibit works from our Collection by artist Gerry Gleason, you can read about his car...
03/02/2025

Ahead of on Thursday, when we'll exhibit works from our Collection by artist Gerry Gleason, you can read about his career on our gorgeous new website!

We'll share a new article by Brian McAvera every week, drawn from items held in NIVARLA, our Northern Ireland Visual Art Research Library & Archive.

NIVARLA will open to the public in the Spring, watch this space for more details soon...

https://goldenthreadgallery.co.uk/artists-from-the-archive-gerry-gleason-by-brian-mcavera

Image: 'Billy the Kid' series skip sculpture by Gerry Gleason, photo by Simon Mills

Happy Lunar New Year 🧧 ✨ A huge thank you to everyone who joined us at today’s Family Art Workshop: Lunar New Year Snake...
01/02/2025

Happy Lunar New Year 🧧

✨ A huge thank you to everyone who joined us at today’s Family Art Workshop: Lunar New Year Snake! 🐍🎨 Your creativity and energy made it a fantastic session.

Next week, we’re back with our Creative Workshop for ages 13+, and we can’t wait to see what you create! 🖌️✨

📅 Book your spot now via the link in our bio. See you there! 🎭

✨all workshops are FREE to book - materials and snacks are included! Donations are always appreciated.



📢 Last Chance to Experience CAN YOU HEAR METoday marks the final day of our powerful exhibition, CAN YOU HEAR ME, featur...
01/02/2025

📢 Last Chance to Experience CAN YOU HEAR ME

Today marks the final day of our powerful exhibition, CAN YOU HEAR ME, featuring the extraordinary works of Susan Hiller and Shirin Neshat.

This is your last opportunity to immerse yourself in these thought-provoking installations that explore themes of voice, identity, and cultural expression. Don’t miss Shirin Neshat’s Turbulent and Susan Hiller’s The Last Silent Movie – two works that challenge and inspire in equal measure.

We’re open until 4pm, so come and see these remarkable pieces before they’re gone!

Thank you to everyone who has visited and supported this exhibition – your engagement has been truly inspiring.



Susan Hiller ‘The Last Silent Movie’ 2007. photographed by Hendrik Zeitler. Courtesy

Shirin Neshat. ‘Turbulence’ 1998. Courtesy of the artist and .gallery

Images by

🚨 DOUBLE OPENING ALERT! 🚨Join us this Thursday, 6th February 5-8pm for Late Night Art Belfast, where TWO incredible exhi...
31/01/2025

🚨 DOUBLE OPENING ALERT! 🚨
Join us this Thursday, 6th February 5-8pm for Late Night Art Belfast, where TWO incredible exhibitions launch across TWO venues! 🎉

🔥 Gerry Gleason - Skip Sculptures | Golden Thread Gallery – Lower Gallery | 6-8 Feb
Experience Gerry Gleason’s unique Skip Sculptures, where fragments of Belfast’s past are transformed into thought-provoking sculptures exploring identity, violence, and resilience.
gleason

📍 Belfast Central Library – HOW WE GOT TO… | 6-27 Feb
A special touring exhibition from Golden Thread Gallery reflecting on our artistic journey, community connections, and the stories that shaped us. Featuring stunning works from some of Northern Ireland’s most exciting and influential artists!



🔗 More info: https://goldenthreadgallery.co.uk

is supported by





🌬UPDATE - LOWER GALLERY IS BACK OPEN! 🌬Thanks to the lovely RMC crew!
28/01/2025

🌬UPDATE - LOWER GALLERY IS BACK OPEN! 🌬
Thanks to the lovely RMC crew!

Golden Thread Gallery closure. Friday 24th January  Due to Storm Éowyn, the Golden Thread Gallery will be closed tomorro...
23/01/2025

Golden Thread Gallery closure.

Friday 24th January

Due to Storm Éowyn, the Golden Thread Gallery will be closed tomorrow to ensure everyone’s safety. We hope to reopen on Saturday but we’ll keep you updated on when we’ll reopen. Take care! 🌧️

🚀GTG NEW WEBSITE LAUNCHES!🚀 Our brand new gallery website is now live! We’ve been working hard with the wonderful team a...
22/01/2025

🚀GTG NEW WEBSITE LAUNCHES!🚀

Our brand new gallery website is now live! We’ve been working hard with the wonderful team at DHD in Belfast for months, and we can finally share it with you.

Thanks to support from Arts & Business NI Blueprint and Art Fund, last year we were able to put out a call to web design companies to bid for redeveloping our website. The team from DHD blew us away with their ideas and enthusiasm and shared our passion for making contemporary visual art accessible and engaging for everyone. Huge thanks to the whole DHD team, and especially Steven, Lucy, Daniel, David and Steffan.

Our gorgeous new site will help you plan your visit, with detailed accessibility information and insights into our exhibitions, both new and old. Explore and revisit each exhibition through its online gallery, thanks to Art Fund. Discover our Collection, check out our What’s On calendar for exhibitions, events and workshops, watch our fun online art workshops, read special articles drawn from our NI Visual Art Research Library & Archive, and learn more about who we are and our work with communities.

Over the next months we’ll be adding our huge exhibition archive, stretching right back to the very beginning of the Golden Thread Gallery on the Crumlin Road in 1998, through the Great Patrick Street years from 2007... to now!





✨ THANK YOU FOR JOINING US! ✨Today, our junior artists and their grown-ups brought stories to life with their own Story ...
18/01/2025

✨ THANK YOU FOR JOINING US! ✨

Today, our junior artists and their grown-ups brought stories to life with their own Story Telling Through Art! 🌟 We used our imagination and creativity to draw and share stories with each other. 🎇 Some of our favourite stories included a hamster called Sweetie, a dad who lost his lunch baguette to a dog and a Crown-of -thorns Starfish that turns it’s stomach out to eat Coral!

🎨 Fantastic work, everyone!

Remember, all workshops at Golden Thread Gallery are completely FREE, with materials and snacks provided. Secure your spot for upcoming sessions by clicking the link in our bio.

Let’s keep the creativity flowing in 2025! 🌈



🚨 Upper Gallery early closing 🚨 The Upper Gallery will be closed tomorrow from 2 PM onwards for a private event. Shirin ...
17/01/2025

🚨 Upper Gallery early closing 🚨

The Upper Gallery will be closed tomorrow from 2 PM onwards for a private event. Shirin Neshat’s Turbulent will not be available for viewing after this time.

The gallery will fully reopen on Tuesday at 11 AM, and we’d love to welcome you back to experience the complete exhibition then. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

    

✨ LAST CALL! ✨⏳ Applications Close: 14 January 2025, 5 PM GMTDon’t miss this incredible opportunity!Golden Thread Galler...
11/01/2025

✨ LAST CALL! ✨

⏳ Applications Close: 14 January 2025, 5 PM GMT
Don’t miss this incredible opportunity!

Golden Thread Gallery is thrilled to partner with the Centre Culturel Irlandais to offer a one-month artist residency in Paris as part of the CCI’s 2025–26 programme.

This prestigious residency includes:
🎨 Travel from Ireland
🎨 Accommodation in Paris
🎨 A monthly stipend
GTG Co-Director Sarah McAvera shares:
“We’re so excited to collaborate with the Centre Culturel Irlandais to provide this unique chance for a Northern Ireland artist. It’s all about supporting creative talent from this region and helping artists flourish on an international stage.”

📍 Who can apply? Visual artists based in Northern Ireland.
📍 When? Residency dates are between August 2025 and December 2026.
Apply Now and make 2025 the year your art goes global! 🌟

📑 Full details and application guidelines: link in bio
👉 Centre Culturel Irlandais website

Hurry – the deadline is just around the corner!



✨ THANK YOU FOR JOINING US! ✨Today, our junior artists and their grown-ups brought New Year’s celebrations to life with ...
04/01/2025

✨ THANK YOU FOR JOINING US! ✨

Today, our junior artists and their grown-ups brought New Year’s celebrations to life with stunning New Year Firework inspired creations! 🌟 Together, we explored new mediums and mixed media techniques, resulting in some truly dazzling art. 🎇

🎨 Fantastic work, everyone!

Remember, all workshops at Golden Thread Gallery are completely FREE, with materials and snacks provided. Secure your spot for upcoming sessions by clicking the link in our bio.

Let’s keep the creativity flowing in 2025! 🌈



Golden Thread Gallery is thrilled to be partnering to bring an artist to this wonderful resource in Paris. Don't miss yo...
03/01/2025

Golden Thread Gallery is thrilled to be partnering to bring an artist to this wonderful resource in Paris. Don't miss your chance!

The deadline 14th January. Get you applications into Centre Culturel Irlandais soon.

Follow this link for more information. https://www.centreculturelirlandais.com/en/stay-create/creating-at-the-cci/artist-residency-programme?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR0UXz1b_rRvr0xwiKcTfbAJrK3EG3kWLPE0h6SjnrQw1yenGsuL_OJjXQ0_aem_Gl3pMvOEvWIf5B0zWhHePw

⚠️ 2025-2026 RESIDENCIES AT CCI
Ten days left to apply for next year's Artist Residencies. The deadline is 14 January 2025, 5pm GMT. Full terms and conditions: www.centreculturelirlandais.com/en/stay-create/creating-at-the-cci/artist-residency-programme

We are delighted to be pursuing our partnership programme with Irish organisations for specific Artist Residencies. For 2025-2026, these are: Music Network, The Contemporary Music Centre, Irish Traditional Music Archive / Taisce Cheol Dúchais Éireann, Harp Ireland, Screen Composers Guild of Ireland, Cartoon Saloon, Print Network Ireland, GoldenThread Gallery, Tomi Ungerer Estate, Literature Ireland, Poetry Ireland / Éigse Éireann, Abbey Theatre, Dublin Fringe Festival, Irish Architecture Foundation, RIAI, Ealaín na Gaeltachta, Draiocht Blanchardstown, Meath County Council, Cork County Council, Leitrim County Council, DLR Arts Office/ Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, County Wexford Arts Department.

With the support of the Irish Foreign Ministry

🎨Creative Art Workshop🎨Join us this Saturday for a special Christmas themed workshop with local artist Cony Ortiz. In th...
11/12/2024

🎨Creative Art Workshop🎨

Join us this Saturday for a special Christmas themed workshop with local artist Cony Ortiz. In this workshop you will create origami boxes and Latin American Christmas tree decorations.

Book now via the link in the bio

Cony Ortiz Experience
Artist Cony Ortiz is an intercultural visual arts facilitator from Colombia, who has lived in Belfast since the 1980s. She has facilitated arts outreach for adults for local groups including Beyond Skin, Anaka Collective, Women on World, VSB Foundation and the Multi-Cultural Resource Centre (MCRC). She has trained in intercultural dialogue through art forms and conflict management. Her artistic practice works with textiles, painting and mixed media inspired by community crafts.
Cony is herself an older artist, and advocate for creative projects that are inclusive of older people, too often left out of Belfast and Northern Ireland’s cultural narrative.


🗞️Gallery Closed Saturday 7th due to Storm Darragh🗞️For the safety of our staff and visitors we have made the difficult ...
07/12/2024

🗞️Gallery Closed Saturday 7th due to Storm Darragh🗞️

For the safety of our staff and visitors we have made the difficult decision to close the gallery today. This means that the planned opening of our new Shirin Neshat and Susan Hiller exhibitions have been postponed and our family workshop cancelled. The gallery will open as usual on Tuesday at 11am. We are sorry for the late notice and hope you all stay safe in the storm.

    

✨CAN YOU HEAR ME ✨ Exhibition Launch. Susan Hiller & Shirin Neshat 🗓 Opening Event: Saturday, 7th December⏰ Time: 1 PM -...
05/12/2024

✨CAN YOU HEAR ME ✨ Exhibition Launch.
Susan Hiller & Shirin Neshat

🗓 Opening Event: Saturday, 7th December
⏰ Time: 1 PM - 3 PM
📍 Don’t miss the chance to witness this incredible visual dialogue between two visionary artists. The exhibition runs until 1st February 2025.

📢 Mark your calendars! This Saturday, join us for the highly anticipated launch of “CAN YOU HEAR ME”, an extraordinary exhibition featuring the works of Susan Hiller and Shirin Neshat.

🎨 Susan Hiller’s The Last Silent Movie and Shirin Neshat’s iconic Turbulent (1998) delve into themes of communication, sound, and silence, promising an immersive and inspiring experience at the Golden Thread Gallery.

Arts Council of Northern Ireland Belfast City Council Art Fund Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation - UK Branch Ampersand Foundation
Visit Belfast Belfast One

🔗 Tag your art-loving friends and spread the word!

✨CAN YOU HEAR ME ✨ Exhibition Launch. Susan Hiller & Shirin Neshat 🗓 Opening Event: Saturday, 7th December⏰ Time: 1 PM -...
05/12/2024

✨CAN YOU HEAR ME ✨ Exhibition Launch.
Susan Hiller & Shirin Neshat

🗓 Opening Event: Saturday, 7th December
⏰ Time: 1 PM - 3 PM
📍 Don’t miss the chance to witness this incredible visual dialogue between two visionary artists. The exhibition runs until 1st February 2025.

📢 Mark your calendars! This Saturday, join us for the highly anticipated launch of “CAN YOU HEAR ME”, an extraordinary exhibition featuring the works of Susan Hiller and Shirin Neshat.

🎨 Susan Hiller’s The Last Silent Movie and Shirin Neshat’s iconic Turbulent (1998) delve into themes of communication, sound, and silence, promising an immersive and inspiring experience at the Golden Thread Gallery.

Arts Council of Northern Ireland Belfast City Council Art Fund Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian Ampersand Foundation
Visit Belfast Belfast One

🔗 Tag your art-loving friends and spread the word!

🎄✨ Join us this Thursday, December 5th, from 5 PM to 8 PM for Late Night Art Belfast at the Golden Thread Gallery!Celebr...
04/12/2024

🎄✨ Join us this Thursday, December 5th, from 5 PM to 8 PM for Late Night Art Belfast at the Golden Thread Gallery!

Celebrate the season with a mix of creativity and community:
🌟 Day With(out) Art 2024 – A special film screening as part of an international day of action and remembrance.
🎁 Christmas Market – Find unique gifts and handmade treasures created by talented local artists and volunteers.

🎉 Refreshments will be provided, so bring your holiday cheer and enjoy an inspiring evening!

📅 Can’t make it on Thursday? Don’t miss the market again on Saturday, December 7th, from 1 PM to 3:30 PM.

Let’s support local art and reflect on the power of creativity this festive season!

  

GTG has been working with Translink & Arts & Business NI to engage with local communities, individuals, businesses and g...
29/11/2024

GTG has been working with Translink & Arts & Business NI to engage with local communities, individuals, businesses and groups, in and around the redeveloped York Street station, celebrating all the possibilities of travel. Our final workshop took place in our brand-new Community Hub. We invited participants from newer communities to Belfast, through Anaka Collective, PPR No-One Left Behind and Women on World. They work to support diverse families and individuals who have moved to Northern Ireland, including refugees and families seeking asylum.

Michael Holmes, Translink Programme Manager for York Street Station said: “York Street Station is more than just a gateway for travel; it’s a vibrant hub that connects communities and celebrates culture. Translink is proud to partner with the GTG and Arts & Business NI to engage with local groups, particularly those from newer communities in Belfast, through creative workshops like this. These initiatives highlight the role of public transport not only in mobility but also in fostering connection, creativity, and belonging for everyone in Northern Ireland.”

For our workshop participants, using public transport is a major part of exploring their new home, through the city and beyond. Taking inspiration from beautiful vintage rail & bus travel posters, they shared stories of journeys they’re taking now, and created their own colourful artwork using pencil, ink & markers, guided by GTG’s Katharine Paisley and Cony Ortiz.

York Street Station is a new £17 million state-of-the-art facility in North Belfast, designed to serve as a major transport hub while fostering community connections. With full accessibility, sustainability features aligned with Translink's Climate Positive Strategy, and social clauses that have provided permanent employment opportunities, the station represents a transformative investment in Northern Ireland’s infrastructure. It has become a community-focused space, featuring an open arts gallery showcasing local creativity. Translink is Northern Ireland’s public transport provider of bus & rail services, committed to connecting communities, supporting economic growth, and fostering sustainable travel.

Address

Golden Thread Gallery, 23-29 Queen Street
Belfast
BT16EA

Opening Hours

Tuesday 11am - 5pm
Wednesday 11am - 5pm
Thursday 11am - 8pm
Friday 11am - 5pm
Saturday 11am - 4pm

Telephone

+442890330920

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