Marking Time: ArtsEkta at 20 brings together monthly reflections on the projects, people, and moments that have shaped ArtsEkta over the last twenty years — exploring creativity as a force for connection in a post-conflict and evolving society.

Over the past twenty years, artists have been at the heart of Artsekta’s work.

From the beginning, there was a simple belief: that building a more inclusive and connected society means more than creating opportunities for people to experience culture — it means creating opportunities for people to shape it.

Artsekta was founded by an artist who have lived experience navigating the local arts sector. At that time, artists from diverse cultural backgrounds often had limited visibility within Northern Ireland’s cultural landscape. Opportunities to develop work, access networks, or present new perspectives were not always readily available. Creating a more representative cultural sector required more than programming different voices; it required creating the conditions for those voices to thrive.

Artists needed space.

Space to develop ideas.
Space to experiment.
Space to collaborate.
Space to lead.

Over the years, this belief has shaped how Artsekta works. Through commissions, festivals, mentoring, public events, international collaborations, and artist development opportunities, Artsekta has supported artists to create work on their own terms — bringing new perspectives, stories, and creative approaches into public life.

This work has never been about asking artists to fit into existing structures.

Instead, it has been about creating opportunities for artists to influence the shape of culture itself.

Many of the artists who have worked with Artsekta create across cultures, disciplines, and identities. Their work has opened conversations around migration, heritage, belonging, memory, and what it means to live in an increasingly interconnected society. Through music, dance, theatre, visual arts, storytelling, and public spectacle, they have challenged assumptions and expanded how audiences experience culture.

Some have developed new audiences. Some have gone on to lead their own organisations and projects. Some have brought local stories to international platforms.

Together, they have contributed to a cultural landscape that is richer, more diverse, and more reflective of the communities that make up Northern Ireland today.

At the same time, artists have shaped Artsekta itself.

They have challenged us to think differently, introduced new ways of working, and continually reminded us that creativity is most powerful when it creates space for dialogue, curiosity, and connection.

Looking back, one of the most significant legacies of Artsekta is not a single festival, project, or event.

It is the network of artists, collaborators, and creative voices who continue to influence cultural life in Belfast, across Northern Ireland, and beyond. Their impact cannot be measured solely in audience numbers or programmes delivered. It lives in confidence gained. In opportunities created. In conversations started. In artists who have found space to develop their practice — and who now create space for others.

Twenty years on, this work remains as important as ever.

As society continues to evolve, artists help us understand change, imagine new possibilities, and see the world through different perspectives. They bring people together, challenge us to think differently, and help create the conditions for more connected communities.

As we continue our Marking Time: Artsekta at 20 series, this month is a celebration of those artists — past and present — whose creativity has helped shape Artsekta’s story and the wider cultural landscape around it.

Because if the last twenty years have shown us anything, it is this:

When artists are given the space to thrive, communities thrive too.

This is part of our series Marking Time: Artsekta at 20, reflecting on the projects, people and ideas that have shaped Artsekta over the past two decades.