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Date: 18 February 2026
A new £1.5 million arts and digital hub in south Belfast was officially opened by the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Tracy Kelly.
The Sandy Row Arts & Digital Hub will be operated by Belfast South Community Resources and will include a community arts programme managed and delivered by Flax Art Studios.
An art studio on the ground floor will see Northern Ireland’s first community-based artist-in-residence deliver arts projects and classes to schools, individuals and community groups.
A new digital training suite on the first floor will provide IT training courses, exams and testing facilities, plus support for local people who need assistance with online services.
The top floor of the building will be the artist-in-residence’s new home.
The project, which has transformed a previously derelict building, was jointly funded by Belfast City Council and the Executive Office’s Urban Villages Initiative.
Councillor Kelly said: “I’m delighted to help officially open this fantastic new hub in the heart of south Belfast which will provide state-of-the-art facilities for the community, while also helping to bring people from further afield to the area.
“Belfast City Council has been working very closely with the local community to plan and deliver this and several other projects, which we hope will act as a catalyst for further regeneration in the area following a few challenging years.
“The council recently delivered the £250,000 Sandy Row Revitalisation Scheme, which was funded by the Department for Communities. It saw small grants distributed to a range of local businesses adversely impacted by road closures and work being carried out in the city centre. But we’re hopeful that the area is now beginning to recover and we’ll see more footfall in the months and years ahead.
“This week has been a very positive week for Sandy Row, with work also getting underway on Coffee Culture, a £1.2 million project which will transform another vacant building into a new café and barista training centre. The project, which is funded by the Belfast City Council, Urban Villages and the Department for Communities, aims to create job opportunities for the community while also providing a pool of skilled workers for the city’s hospitality sector.
“Looking to other regeneration projects in the pipeline for the area, the council has been working closely with partners on the Sandy Row Open Space Project. Once completed later this year, it will bring Blythefield Park back into public use, providing additional green space, new paths and a dog park.
“We are also working on plans to add new sensory equipment to the play park at Bentham Drive, helping to ensure it is accessible and welcoming to all residents and visitors to the area.”
Nikki Johnston from Belfast South Community Resources said: “The Arts & Digital Hub is a major step forward for Sandy Row, representing a significant investment in local people and transforming a vacant site into a vibrant centre for creativity, digital learning and opportunity.
“Through our partnership with Flax Art Studios and the expansion of our community-run Examination and Digital Centre social enterprise, the Hub will support qualifications, skills and confidence while reinvesting in local programmes and ensuring the area is not left behind as Belfast advances its wider innovation and digital ambitions.”