Behind the Studio Door

Behind the Studio Door opens up the working environments of more than 60 artists across East Belfast on Saturday 24 October, from 11:30 to 17:00. It's a day of open studios where you can wander through the spaces where artists actually work, rather than just seeing the finished pieces in a gallery. You can make your own way around at your own pace, or join a guided tour to hear directly from the artists about their work, their inspirations and their creative processes.

The day draws from two different studio communities. One is Creative Exchange Artist Studios, which was founded in 1996 and is home to a collective working across ceramics, sculpture, textiles and painting, in an atmosphere they describe as one that nurtures creative exchange and experimentation. The other is QSS Studios & Gallery, a charitable group started in 1984 to meet a growing need for artist studio spaces in Northern Ireland; it provides affordable, high-quality studios for professional visual artists at all career stages and runs a year-round programme of exhibitions and events.

Between the two, you'll find more than 60 artists, so there's a fair bit to see. Because you can wander on your own, you can spend as much or as little time as you like in any one studio, and the guided tour is there if you'd rather have someone walk you through and introduce you to the people behind the work. It's a good way to see the different stages of a piece — the sketches, the half-finished versions and the tools of the trade — and to talk to the artists about how they get from one to the other.

Entry is free, and the whole thing runs from 11:30 to 17:00 at Queen Street Studios (QSS) in East Belfast.