An artist collective currently based in East Belfast is on the lookout for a new home.
Vault Artist Studios was established in 2017 and first operated from the old Ulster Bank building on the Newtownards Road, before moving into the former Belfast Met building on Tower Street a year later.
After four years in their Tower Street premises - which they moved to on a temporary basis - the 120 member-strong team are on the lookout for a new space to operate from.
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The only multi-disciplinary arts collective in Belfast, Vault members include photographers, printmakers, writers, circus performers, visual artists, musicians, and comedians.
As well as working with each other, the team are committed to working alongside the local community and hopes to continue this wherever they move next.
Speaking to Belfast Live, Michael McCullagh from Vault said the collaborative space helps reduce the isolation that can sometimes come from working as an artist.
He said: "We didn't expect to be here four years down the line and it's really come to feel like home, but the plans for the site are progressing. That decision is out of our hands so we thought we better just begin the search for our new space now.
"I'm a musician and writer and do a lot of recording and filming as well. I have a space now where I can do all of that, with 24-hour access where I'm not disturbing anybody.
"It gave us the location to work out of which I think is important. A sense of community, skill-sharing, and having a place to make a living from is so vitally important for self-employed artists.
"We would be working from a kitchen table or spare room otherwise. So to go somewhere you know you have a spot to work from and a support network around you is really vital to forward your ability to seek out a living as an artist in Northern Ireland. It's not easy but this building has definitely helped us."
Their current building on Tower Street was purpose-built as a performing arts college so has been perfect for housing the multi-disciplinary collective.
Although recognising the difficulty in getting a similar space due to the lack of studio spaces for artists in Northern Ireland, the group are hoping they can breathe new life into a derelict location.
"The arts sector here is quite underfunded and neglected," Michael continued.
"Other European countries have policies around securing space for artists, but we don't have it here in Northern Ireland. Studio space is really important for self-employed artists to create a living and contribute to the economy.
"It's important to us to not just come in, pitch up our tents and ignore the area around us, we want to be part of the community.
"We did a lot of community engagement around Tower Street, we did paint jobs here and there as well as alley cleanups.
"There are a lot of buildings in Belfast that are falling into ruin and disrepair, this is a great way to keep the area cultivated and lived in."
The team at Vault still have a number of events lined up at their Tower Street premises, and their doors still remain open.
Michael said: "We're a very welcoming place and very proud of what we've done. This isn't the end of the Vault as a collective or Vault in Tower Street."
If you know of any suggestions that may help Vault Artist Studios in their search for a new home, you can email future@vaultartiststudios.com.
You can follow Vault's journey on Facebook here and on Instagram here.
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