At the start of the evening Una will reflect on the political and cultural landscape of early 1980s Northern Ireland, the period in which Queen Street Studios (QSS) was founded. She will explore the art world’s infrastructure at the time, examining the exhibition and funding opportunities available to visual artists. Una will also highlight the key connections between arts organisations such as the Art and Research Exchange and the Artists Collective of Northern Ireland, which laid the groundwork for establishing collective studios.

Using archival documents from the era, Una will illustrate the early years of QSS, offering a rare insight into the studio’s formation. After her presentation, the audience will have the chance to browse a range of copied documents from Una’s personal collection and the QSS archive, allowing for informal discussions and shared memories. The event will conclude with an open Q&A session, where Una will respond to questions from QSS artist Susan Connolly, and the audience.