Dress Up Drink And Draw

Dress Up Drink And Draw

Bedroom Pop at Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival

Thursday 28 April, 5-8pm

 

We’re excited to continue the Bedroom Pop celebrations with the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival! Dreambean is hosting a ‘dress up drink and draw’ at Catalyst Arts. The general public will be encouraged to queer the streets of Belfast, dress up as someone or in something that sparks joy, or simply dust off an old halloween costume.

Bedroom Pop is a colourful installation by Dreambean that explores childhood memories, identity and celebrates queer joy. Dreambean aims to create an inclusive space for everyone, they want the viewers to be curious and explore art through their immersive use of colour and humour.

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The aim of this ‘dress up drink and draw’ is to allow the participants to become apart of Bedroom Pop and take on the role of the Artist by exploring the gallery space through a different identity. Dreambean believes that we have missed enough parties over the last few years and wants to take this opportunity to bring the community together through art and celebration!

Announcing our Graduate Award 2021 🎉 Dreambean, Bedroom Pop

We’re excited to announce our 2021 Graduate Award Show - Bedroom Pop with Dreambean. The exhibition opens on 14 April, with a late night opening at Catalyst Arts, 6-8pm

Dreambean’s art evokes nostalgic childhood memories and celebrates queer joy. Like many artists, Dreambean’s studio and living space are one and the same. Not being able to separate their art practice and place of rest, the two worlds collide, manifesting Dreambean’s alternative reality of Bedroom Pop.

The exhibition runs from 14 April to 5 May 2022.

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In their work, Dreambean often blurs the lines of gender, identity, time and place. Bedroom Pop does not aim for realism, this is because Dreambean is creating their own queer folklore; a place that exists somewhere between the waking and sleeping state. They reimagine this world through installation, creating hybrid creatures and psychedelic landscapes, using overwhelming colour and patterns to transport the viewer into Bedroom Pop.

Dreambean is honest and often extremely critical of the present. In the work Read Me Like An Open Book they discuss their daily anxieties: questioning social norms, deconstructing capitalism and discussing traumatic current events. Despite this, Dreambean remains hopeful and uses humour to counteract troublesome thoughts sprinkling in silly quotes, their favourite queer icons and positive affirmations amongst the negativity and chaos. They believe that being unapologetically honest and depicting their imperfect queer self will allow the audience to question social conventions in a safe space and prompt a change. Bedroom Pop is a place that encourages the viewer to be critical but to also not take things too seriously!

Dreambean believes in the power of reclaiming the inner child; by doing so, this allows them to harness their creativity through play. They often choose materials that most people associate with being ‘childlike’ such as crayons, air dry clay and cardboard. These unconventional materials are often rejected by Dreambeans contemporaries, in their art practice they aim to bring value to things that most deem invaluable. Dreambean, therefore, feels the most comfortable identifying with the DIY philosophies and aesthetics, having this approach to art is their best way to disrupt realism and allow for unconventional thought and change.

Ultimately, Dreambean wants to make people smile. In some ways, they are no different to the queer icons that they celebrate in their art, from the fictional Tinky Winky to the very real Bimini Bon-Boulash. Dreambean celebrates and emulates these queer pop cultural icons because of their powerful ability to spread positivity whilst breaking gender norms in the mainstream.

Dreambean can be considered an energy that can be embodied, a philosophy and a symbol of hope.

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Late Night Art, March 2022 | Padraig Regan

Join us on Thursday 3 March at 6pm for a very special event with poet Padraig Regan, which marks the final event of FIX21, and the first Late Night Art in our new gallery.

During the past few months, Padraig has been writing a response to the work featured in FIX21. We are excited to launch the publication with a presentation from the poet.

The presentation will include a communal reading event, where the audience will be invited to read a response by Padraig.

The event will last 30 minutes, and the presentation will begin at 6pm sharp, lasting until 6.30pm. Please arrive promptly.

Drinks will be served.

Applications Extended | Become a Catalyst Arts Co-Director !

With the new year in sight we are opening applications for new Catalyst Co-Directors to join our board <3 

We are welcoming applications to become a Co-Director at Catalyst Arts.

Application deadline: Friday 31 January, midday. 

We are encouraging applications from passionate individuals who are interested in joining a collaborative board, who centre peer-learning and experimental approaches within the visual arts. As a Catalyst Co-Director, you will learn a range of skills, and have the opportunity to immerse yourself within the arts ecology of Belfast and beyond. If you would like to gain experience in the operational running of an arts organisation, curation, project management, research and technical skills, we encourage you to apply. 

This is a voluntary position with a two-year commitment following a trial and training period.

Please note, due to time commitments we are asking for applicants to be based in or close to Belfast as you will be required to travel for weekly meetings, events and gallery invigilation. 

Catalyst Arts is a registered charity, artist-led space and member’s led organisation. 

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To Apply:

The full job description can be found here.

The job application form can be found below:

PDF Format

Word Format

Please email your completed application form to catalystarts@gmail.com. Invitations to interview will be sent in January. 

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If you would like to apply, but have particular access needs or submitting a written application is difficult for you, please get in touch with Catalyst at catalystarts@gmail.com by email and we can arrange an alternative application method.


Catalyst Arts strives to be an Equal Opportunities employer, and we particularly encourage applications from those who identify as underrepresented in the arts, for example Black and POC artists, artists from lower socio-economic backgrounds and artists from the traveller community.


Some news from the Cats

We have some news at Catalyst.

Install image from Double Parrhesia

Install image from Double Parrhesia

Some of you may know that we will be leaving our current premises, 5 College Court, at the end of this year.

The gallery is full of memories and scraps of past events, and has housed us well over the years, but it’s time to move somewhere new. 

If you’ve found yourself in the office or assisted with an install, you’ll know what a mammoth task this could be - so any support with packing, moving (going through the many boxes of wires...) would be much appreciated in the next few months. We’ll be doing a call out for support within the next month or so.

Although we’re sad to be leaving, and will even miss this alley way, we’re excited about what the future holds for Catalyst and our programme in a new premises. For now, we look forward to our upcoming event and exhibition programme - with FIX21 beginning in October 🔜🔜🔜

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Becoming a member is a great way to support artist-led spaces similar to Catalyst, as well as receive access to members opportunities. A link to becoming a Catalyst member can be found here.