Crescent Arts Centre

The Crescent is a diverse community arts centre which has served the population of Belfast and beyond with a wide range of arts and cultural activities for over 30 years. It is housed in an historic four storey listed building located at 2-4 University Road, built originally in 1873 as what would later become Victoria College. The neutral location of the building, with central rail and bus access encourages visits and attendance from all communities, and has provided excellent opportunity for cross-community work. The outreach programme is developing and growing, embracing new arts and cultural developments and creating new partnerships. The programme offered by the Crescent embraces the visual arts, many forms of dance and movement, verbal arts, music in many forms, theatre and drama activities, crafts, and an extensive programme of activities and workshops for young people. The wide-ranging programme has been a key and critical provider of culturally diverse activities throughout the centre’s existence. Many of those attending classes and workshops in the Crescent have had their first encounter there with a particular art form or activity. Professional tutors work with all ages, ranges of ability and disability, and at all levels of expertise. There are two key festivals each year, ‘The Belfast Book Festival’, and ‘Citydance’. Exhibitions are held in the dedicated gallery spaces. The Crescent offers to a number of carefully-selected tenants the opportunity to have office space, with classes/workshops/event spaces as needed, in an appropriate cultural environment. It also hires spaces for appropriate activities by accredited arts and cultural organisations and individuals.