About this research project
This blog is part of my ongoing series supported by the Go See Share Fund, a Creative Scotland programme that allows artists and collectives to travel, meet others and share learning across borders. My research focuses on how small, artist-led organisations sustain themselves - financially, emotionally, and creatively - while maintaining accessibility and integrity.
At Flos Collective, we’re currently in our third year as a Glasgow-based collective (now Community Interest Company) supporting women and people of marginalised genders in the arts. We’ve grown quickly, mostly self-funded until recently, and we’re now asking how to build something that lasts. Our goal is to learn from organisations that have weathered change without losing their artist-led core.
Catalyst Arts in Belfast offered a brilliant example of that balance - a 30-year-old, volunteer-led space that continues to thrive through collective energy, community trust and shared responsibility.
The story of Catalyst Arts
Catalyst Arts was founded in 1993 by a group of recent art school graduates - among them Alastair MacLennan, a Scottish artist known for performance and durational work. At the time, there was little infrastructure for emerging artists in Belfast, and Catalyst emerged as a response to that gap, creating a space where experimentation and risk were encouraged.
From the beginning, Catalyst has been artist-run and proudly independent. Its founding ethos - to provide opportunities for artists by artists - remains central today. Over the decades, it has played a vital role in Northern Ireland’s cultural ecosystem, nurturing hundreds of artists and curators who’ve gone on to shape the UK’s art scene.
The organisation’s longevity is remarkable, particularly given how little funding it operates on. But the secret to its endurance lies in its structure - a constantly evolving, rotating collective of volunteer directors who each serve two-year terms.
How Catalyst works
Currently, Catalyst is run by five volunteer co-directors, each contributing around 16 hours a week. They act as both board and trustees, meeting weekly for two-hour management meetings and holding larger board meetings every six months. Every new director goes through a three-month settling-in period before joining subcommittees, ensuring that decision-making remains democratic and transparent.
This system might sound chaotic, but it’s surprisingly efficient. The rotation keeps ideas fresh and ensures that no one person becomes synonymous with the organisation. It’s designed to be self-renewing - when one director steps down, another steps in with new energy and perspective. The trade-off is that institutional knowledge can be lost if processes aren’t properly documented, something Catalyst continually works to improve through shared drives, notes and onboarding practices.
Historically, directors could live in the space or balance their unpaid roles with social security support - both of which helped make the commitment feasible. But changes in policy and the rising cost of living have made recruitment harder. Still, Catalyst’s reputation means many see the directorship as an invaluable opportunity. Alumni have gone on to lead major festivals, galleries and projects across the UK, with the role often described as a “free MA in running an arts organisation.”
Funding and financial sustainability
Catalyst receives an annual Arts Council Northern Ireland grant of around £40,000 - a figure that has remained relatively static for years. Of that, roughly half goes towards rent, leaving around £20,000 for everything else: programming, operations, and materials. To stretch this budget, Catalyst has built several micro-income streams that sustain their day-to-day work:
Membership programme: £3.50–£10 per month, offering members access to exhibitions, newsletters, and events. The scheme has around 20 regular contributors, generating about £200 a month.
Fundraisers: Events like Club Curious, a BYOB club night and fundraiser that doubles as an art-meets-nightlife experience.
Book and art sales: Small, irregular income that also builds community engagement.
Grants and partnerships: Occasional project-specific funding or collaborations with other local arts spaces.
Their financial approach is pragmatic. The small, predictable membership income covers essentials, while larger projects rely on creative partnerships. Every director is encouraged to fundraise collaboratively rather than competitively - another reason why shared ownership works so well.
Programming and community
Catalyst’s annual programme is modest but ambitious. Each year includes:
FIX, a major performance art event (biennial, next in 2025).
Directors’ Shows, where each exiting directors curates an exhibition to conclude their tenure.
Propagate, an engagement programme connecting Catalyst with the wider community.
Members’ Show, an open exhibition for Catalyst’s membership base.
Club Curious, their annual fundraising event.
These recurring projects create rhythm and consistency - a cycle that keeps the space active and ensures each new cohort of directors contributes something lasting.
Catalyst is deeply embedded in the local arts ecology, maintaining strong relationships with organisations like PS², Bbeyond and Array Collective. It’s also connected internationally, having hosted exchanges and collaborations that extend Belfast’s reach beyond its borders. The organisation is, above all, a training ground - a place where people learn how to run things collectively, take creative risks, and understand the mechanics of sustainability from the inside out.
Lessons for Flos Collective
Catalyst has been one of the most useful case studies for me because, in many ways, it mirrors where Flos Collective could be headed - artist-led, multidisciplinary, and community-centred. But it also reveals the challenges of this model and the structures that make it possible to endure.
1. Community ownership is sustainability.
Catalyst shows that sustainability doesn’t have to mean financial security - it can mean belonging. The membership model, alumni support and sense of shared investment all create resilience. For Flos, developing a similar community membership or Patreon-style scheme could strengthen our financial base while building a deeper sense of ownership among our audience.
2. Documentation is vital.
The rotating structure at Catalyst keeps ideas fresh, but it also risks losing knowledge. Their attempt to formalise onboarding and archive processes reminded me of how important documentation is for continuity. For Flos, that means recording everything - contacts, funding notes, budgets, and reflections - to prevent knowledge loss as our team grows and shifts.
3. Small income streams matter.
Catalyst’s success with small but steady sources like memberships and fundraisers proves that no income stream is too small. For Flos, a similar approach - even modest recurring donations - could help cover our running costs, giving us more breathing room between larger grants.
4. Balance idealism with realism.
Catalyst’s structure is radical - five people working 16 unpaid hours a week - but it also demands discipline, communication and boundaries. It works because expectations are clear, and care is built into the model. For Flos, we can embrace collective leadership while ensuring responsibilities are shared equitably and realistically.
5. Stay embedded in place.
Catalyst’s strength lies in its connection to Belfast’s evolving arts ecology. Every project reflects the city and its artists. As Flos continues to grow in Glasgow, I want us to stay equally rooted - responding to our own community and the specific cultural context we’re part of.
Reflection
Catalyst Arts has been running for over three decades without a hierarchical structure, a full-time staff, or major financial backing - and yet, it continues to thrive. That’s not luck; it’s community. What they’ve built is a living ecosystem of artists, alumni and supporters who see the value in keeping the space alive.
For Flos Collective, Catalyst is both a mirror and a mentor. It shows that you don’t need to grow endlessly or professionalise completely to be sustainable - you just need to build something people feel responsible for.
After our final meeting, I have continued to reflect on their ethos: sustainability can look like passing the baton, not holding the torch forever. That ethos - of trust, renewal, and shared ownership - is exactly what I hope Flos can carry forward.
– Esme, Co-Director, Flos Collective
