Catalyst Arts is Belfast

Belfast

Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

's primary non-profit artist led organisation.

Catalyst Arts was formed in 1993 in response to what was seen as a cultural vacuum. In accordance with its constitution it is run by unpaid volunteers, and seeks to adopt a poly-vocal strategy towards the promotion of contemporary art practices by large selection of artists and projects from the widest possible range of disciplines.

Catalyst has strong links with the University of Ulster

University of Ulster

The University of Ulster is a multi-campus, co-educational university located in Northern Ireland. It is the largest single university in Ireland, discounting the federal National University of Ireland...

. Catalyst Arts has shown works of David Shrigley

David Shrigley

-Life and career:Shrigley was born in Macclesfield on 17 September 1968, the younger of two children born to Rita and Joseph Shrigley. Shrigley grew up in Oadby, Leicestershire, England...

, Ross Sinclair, Susan Phillipz, Phil Collins, Michelle D Hannah, Roddy Buchanan, Simon Starling

Simon Starling

Simon Starling is an English conceptual artist and was the winner of the 2005 Turner Prize. He lives and works in Copenhagen and Berlin, and is a professor of art at the Städelschule in Frankfurt am Main.-Biography:...

, Bill Drummond

Bill Drummond

William Ernest Drummond is a Scottish artist, musician, writer and record producer. He was the co-founder of late 1980s avant-garde pop group The KLF and its 1990s media-manipulating successor, the K Foundation, with which he burned a million pounds in 1994...

 to name a few, and has turned the gallery into a sauna with Joanna Karolini.

Catalyst Arts was envisioned as an agency that would act as a 'catalyst' cajoling, supporting and promoting culturally engaged artistic endeavours on a local, national and international basis.

Catalyst Arts was founded on a constitution that provides a structure in which power flows from the roots of its membership to the committee of directors. Catalyst Arts boasts an archive of over 2000 unique documents of Northern Irish

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

 art history, which it is currently preparing to make publicly accessible. Catalyst Arts has also organised projects internationally.

Catalyst Arts Directors

Nathan Crothers

Eoin Dara

Alissa Kleist

Ruaidhri Lennon

Davy Mahon

Tonya Mcmullan

Catherine Neill

Katrina Sheena Smyth

Katrina Sheena Smyth

Katrina Sheena Smyth b. 1985, is a freelance visual artist and Co-Director of Catalyst Arts, an artist-led contemporary art organisation based in Belfast, Northern Ireland...

Catalyst Arts Past Directors

Kim McAleese

Mark De Conink

Anne Mcauley

John Cashin

Charlotte Bosanquet

Aideen Doran

Johanna Leech

Fionnuala Doran

Sarah O Gorman

Rachel Brown

Brighdin Farren

Caelan Bristow

Colm Clarke

Benji DeBur

Fuyulca Shindo

Leo Devlin

Justin Mc Keown

Meabh O’Donnell

Brendan O’Neil

Phil Hession

Lurach Bredin

Cian Donnelly

Clive Murphy

Angela Darby

Allan Hughes

Ursula Burke

Toby Dennet

Mark Orange

Deirdre Mc Kenna

Duncan Campbell

Derval Fitzgerald

Eillis O’Baoill

Elina Medley

Eoghan Mc Tigue

Fiona Ni Mhaoilir

Niamh O’Malley

Niall Mc Cabe

Julie Bacon

Grainne Cullen

Stephen Hackett

Brian Patterson

Stella D’Ailly

Siofra Campbell

Seamus Harahan

Karen Vaughan

Ruth Jones

Robert Peters

Phil Collins

Dan Shipsides

Cherie Driver

Peter Richards

Susan Phillipz

Dougal Mc Kenzie

Sandra Johnston