Illustrators North launches in Northern Ireland to bring together local artists

Anyone who's gone down the solo career route knows it can be a lonely life. Even if you love what you do, it's easy to get stuck in your own little bubble - something that Ashwin Chacko and Clive McFarland think is especially true for illustrators.

As illustrators and authors themselves, they know first-hand how isolating it can be. So they set up Illustrators North to build a professional community of thriving illustrators in Northern Ireland. The mission? To help illustrators in the region get out of their comfort zones, strengthen the industry, and shine a light on all the amazing talent in Northern Ireland who just don't get enough credit.

According to Chacko, the one thing we all crave most after identity and purpose is community. He says: "We need to feel connected to other people who believe what we believe and are passionate about what we do.

"Unlike the ad or design work, more often than not, illustrators work in isolation, and this tends to be tough because we don't have a sounding board to bounce ideas off or feel validated in our concerns or encouraged when we are in a hard place."

Social media has often been the place where illustrators connect and commune, and it is still a great tool for doing that. The issue, though, is that these connections are not being brought into real life as much as they used to and can leave people feeling isolated in an overwhelmingly connected world, according to Chacko.

He adds, "Over the last five years, there has been a sense that social media platforms can't be relied on, as they have shifted increasingly towards rewarding passive consumer behaviour rather than active connection.

"We think there has been a shift towards private dedicated communities as we are all craving real authentic connection without the fluff and background noise of social media."

Drop In, Exhibit In, Learn In

Of course, many illustrators have chosen the more independent freelance path, so Illustrators North's goal is not to change how people work but rather to create opportunities for connection. This means that, through the community, illustrators would have access to information, form sounding boards to bounce ideas off and have a space to feel validated in their concerns or find support when they are in a difficult spot.

In a practical sense, Illustrators North will be underpinned by three types of events: Drop In, Exhibit In, and Learn In. Drop In will be a monthly meetup in Belfast for creatives of all disciplines, as Illustrators North wants to bridge the gap between the various creative industries and cultural venues.

Exhibit In will be a highly curated annual group show that spotlights the amazing talent of its members. The first one is already scheduled for 4 December at the Black Box in Belfast.

Finally, Learn In will be a series of workshops that create opportunities for professional illustrators to share experience and expertise. We are currently collaborating with the AOI, which is supporting us in delivering four talks throughout this year.

Spotlighting forgotten talent

There has never been a shortage of creativity in Northern Ireland, and there have been more informal support channels for the illustration community. Chacko notes the birth of illustration agency Usfolk, which brought focus to the commercial illustrators, while Children's Books Belfast connected and highlighted its picture book illustrators.

While existing organisations like the AOI(Association of Illustrators) and Illustrators Ireland do a lot for the industry, Chacko and McFarland felt that their focus falls either directly with their members or encompasses the larger industry. Illustrators North is trying to bridge the gap and bring our illustrators together to gain recognition for the talent available in Northern Ireland, which will benefit the industry as a whole.

"We wanted to create a community focused on developing the often ignored talent in Northern Ireland as they tend to be seen as divorced from the UK mainland while also separated from their Irish neighbours," Chacko explains. "Our mission is to ensure that the amazing illustrators gain the visibility necessary to thrive in this industry."

One of the biggest challenges at the moment is that many agencies and publishers are unaware of the Northern Irish talent on their doorstep. Therefore, there is a real need to create a database that collates all available local talent and makes them easy to find.

How can you help?

In five years, Northern Illustrators hopes to shape a culture that encourages local talent by bridging the gap between the design and illustration industries and creating opportunities to build a thriving nation of creatives. "We will measure our success by community engagement and the opportunities we are able to generate for the illustrators that are a part of Illustrators North," says Chacko.

Staying connected with the AOI - which has connected them with similar communities in the UK - is essential for maintaining an open dialogue to learn and share with each other. Chacko reiterates that the primary focus will always be in-person events and opportunities for illustrators in Northern Ireland.

So, what can the wider creative industries do to support this new community and help highlight some of the amazing illustrators in Northern Ireland? Being open to introductions and aware of their members is one thing, as Illustrators North would love to help them build relationships with ad agencies, design agencies and publishers.

"We are in the process of building our membership, but we hope to provide them with a platform to showcase their work and increase their visibility nationally and locally," says Chacko. "We also want to create opportunities to feature in our annual exhibitions as well as networking opportunities with industry connections and opportunities to learn from them and each other."

If you're an illustrator from outside Northern Ireland, you can help by sharing the community across your network. The organisation is also looking for sponsors and partners who align with its ethos to help build its community.

"Never be afraid to ask for help"

For Chacko, the most rewarding part of starting this community has been connecting with many amazing people and seeing the joy they get from the opportunities they provide. He says: "Never be afraid to ask for help - you will be surprised by how much people are willing to share with you to help you thrive.

"The people around you are your biggest asset; invest your time and energy in them."

You can spread the word about Illustrators North on Instagram and subscribe to their newsletter to stay up to date with our latest news, events and opportunities.