Little Palaces

Step into the intimate world of Victorian Belfast in ‘Little Palaces’, a thought-provoking exhibition that delves into the domestic lives of working-class families during a time of rapid industrial growth and social change.

Using first-source materials, including photographs, letters, architectural plans, and oral histories, the exhibition reveals the realities of everyday life in the city’s tightly packed terraced housing—homes affectionately dubbed “little palaces” by their inhabitants. Visitors will gain insight into the challenges faced by large families living in small spaces, where privacy was rare and every corner had a purpose.

Key themes include:

• The Role of Women: Discover how women shaped domestic life and community identity, balancing household responsibilities with grueling industrial labour.
• Linen Workers and Weavers: Explore Belfast’s booming linen industry through the stories of the weavers and millworkers—many of them women and children—whose skilled hands fueled the city’s economic rise.
• Industrial Belfast: Contextualized within the broader growth of Belfast as an industrial powerhouse, the exhibition highlights how class, gender, and urban planning intersected in the everyday experiences of its citizens.

Whether you’re interested in social history, women’s roles, or Belfast’s industrial legacy, ‘Little Palaces’ offers a rich and personal journey into the fabric of 19th-century city life.

Free admission. Suitable for all ages. A ticket must be booked to gain entry.

This event is part of our Shared Roots programme in association with Feile an Phobail. Shared Roots is part of the From Multiculturalism to Interculturalism project led by ArtsEkta, Kabosh and Cairde na Cille under the Belfast Local Community Action Plan, supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body.