When Late Night Art – an imaginative plan to bring more people into Belfast’s art galleries – kicked off last year, only a handful of curious citizens turned up, and it looked like the project was going to fizzle out before it even started. But since then, it has rapidly gathered pace and has now become a vibrant part of the city’s cultural life, with huge crowds of people touring Belfast’s contemporary visual art, photography and print galleries on the first Thursday night of each month.
An extraordinary diversity of artworks, including Beckett's Doodlesby Bill Posser, are on display across the venues, which you can browse with a glass of wine in hand. Not bad for a free night out, but for those who don't fancy the legwork involved, there's a guided coach tour available at £5 a ticket. One of the best things about the project's success is that it brings in many people who, by their own admission, would never normally have set foot in a gallery. Now they just can't get enough of after-hours art. The next event is on Thursday, February 5th. See belfastgalleries.com.