New Multidisciplinary Exhibition "Tapestry of Life" Celebrates Older Adults' Wisdom and Stories at Belfast Exposed Gallery, Donegall Street, Belfast.
Off the Rails Dance today announced the upcoming launch of Tapestry of Life, a vibrant, multidisciplinary art installation celebrating the visibility, lived experiences, and creative wisdom of older adults. The exhibition opens on Thursday, 1st October 2026, coinciding with Belfast’s Late Night Art event, and will run through 10th October 2026 at Belfast Exposed Studio.
Created over an intensive 12-week programme in the spring of 2026, Tapestry of Life brought local community participants together to explore life’s twists, turns, and transitions through creative expression and shared conversation. Spanning textiles, photography, poetry, and film, this cross-community initiative fosters deep human connection, well-being, and artistic celebration.
The project brought together an exceptional team of lead artists:
Sandy Cuthbert (Project Lead, Dancer & Textile Artist)
Sandy is a freelance dance and somatic artist and practitioner with over 40 years of experience within the dance industry, with a background in contemporary dance and movement improvisation. She holds a BA (Hons) Creative Arts (Visual Art and Dance), PGCE, Post-graduate Certificate in Contemporary Dance & Choreography-London Contemporary Dance School and a MA in Dance and Somatic Well-Being.
As a professional dancer, she has worked with companies including Diversions - The National Dance Company of Wales, In Transit Dance (Artistic Director) Off The Rails Dance Company.
Carrie Davenport (Photographer)
Carrie is a Belfast based freelance photographer specialising in event, portrait and commercial photography. She has regularly worked across Europe and the USA, as well as regular work in Dublin, Glasgow & London. She studied art & Design and completed her Degree at the Belfast School Of Art. She set up her own business in 2005, and has been working freelance since then.
Stiofan DeBúrca (Poet)
Stiofan de Búrca is a writer from Galway. He completed his PhD at the Seamus Heaney Centre, Queen’s University Belfast in 2025 and received the inaugural Poetry Ireland Gerald Dawe Poetry Bursary in 2026. Stephen’s work has featured in Poetry Ireland Review, PN Review, Banshee, Propel Magazine, The Stinging Fly, and elsewhere. His debut poetry collection, Atlantic Fret, was published by The Gallery Press in May 2026.
The Ireland Chair of Poetry is delighted to announce Stephen de Búrca as the recipient of the 2026 Ireland Chair of Poetry Travel Award.
Úna Hickey (Textile Artist)
Úna Hickey is a Belfast based costume designer and textile artist, who works across theatre, film, dance, and community art installations. She earned a degree in Performance Costume from the Edinburgh College of Art in 2006.
She frequently collaborates with local performing arts organisations, theatre companies (such as The Lyric and Prime Cut), and dance initiatives including Off The Rails Dance Company. Úna has served as guest lefturer and costumer supervisor for the Drama Department at Queen’s University Belfast.
Isaac Gibson (Sound Artist)
Isaac is an award-winning Northern Irish DJ, producer and sound designer. He has over ten years of experience in the music industry and is currently studying a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in the School of Arts, English and Languages at Queen's University Belfast, with a focus on Music Technology , Socially Engaged Sonic Arts and Sound Design.
In recent years he has worked on the scores and sound design of many short films and theatrical productions that have been showcased at the Lyric Theatre, the MAC and at various other prestigious institutions in Ireland.
Eileen McClory
Eileen was the recipient of the Major Individual Arts Award from the Arts Council Northern Ireland, in 2022, to develop a new work GUTTER. Eileen has received commissions from Quotidian: Word on the Street, Nemesis: A movement Opera, in development for 2025 & BIND 2021, Maiden Voyage Dance Company: Epilogue 2021 & BRINK 2020, The Playhouse Derry: TURF 2018, Tinderbox Theatre Company: CUCK 2017.
Residencies include: CCN2 Grenoble, France 2022, Belfast City Council: Artist in Residence Bursary 2021, Belfast International Arts Festival: Artist in Residence 2020/21, 2016 Dansmakers, Amsterdam: The Game Show supported by Arts Council NI. The MAC Belfast, HATCH Artist, 2013/14.
As an established dance artist, Eileen has worked with: The Playhouse, Derry; Tinderbox Theatre Company, Theatre of Pluck, Replay, ponydance, Accidental Theatre, DU Dance, Bruiser Theatre Company and Assault Events (UK).
She has performed in international festivals such as Bauhaus Summary (DE) Christchurch Festival, Taranaki Arts Festival (NZ), Darwin Festival (AUS), Greenspace Festival (USA), Feile An Phobail, Pick n Mix Festival, Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival and Outburst Arts (all in NI) and her work as been presented at the Belfast International Arts Festival 2020, British Council & China Showcase 2020 and Attakkalari India Biennial 21-22
Eileen has worked extensively in Higher Education, as a guest choreographer at the University of Cumbria and throughout her post as Teaching Fellow and Course Director of the BA Dance Program at Ulster University 2014-2017, responsible for leading the dance programme during its phase-out.
She received a BA Dance from Liverpool John Moores University (04) and completed a two-year Professional Training Programme at Dance New Amsterdam, New York (09). In 2020 Eileen completed MA Contemporary Performance Practice, from Ulster University with Distinction.
Off The Rails Dance Company
Under the direction of Eileen McClory, Off the Rails Dance (OTR), Eileen is passionate about making new work that explodes topical themes through movement and storytelling. Eileen’s practice brings together dance, theatre, film and technology, creating performances that ask questions, spark ideas, and reflect the world around us.
Off the Rails Dance is a dance theatre company that creates captivating, challenging, and inspiring work for audiences of all ages and backgrounds. The company also delivers engaging community projects using movement, visual arts, and performance to bring diverse voices together—enhancing social connection and individual well-being across Northern Ireland.
Tapestry Of Life is supported by Black Mountain Shared Space, this community engagement initiative is funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, The National Lottery, and the Public Health Agency Northern Ireland, with additional support provided by Belfast Exposed.
EXHIBITION DETAILS
Dates: 1st October – 10th October 2026
Official Opening: Thursday, 1st October 2026 | 6:00 PM (Part of Late Night Art)
Venue: Belfast Exposed Studio (Upstairs), 23 Donegall Street, Belfast, BT1 2FF
Gallery Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Admission Free)
