R-Space Gallery Lisburn is awarded a £99,352 grant by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to implement the 2023 Linen Biennale.

Made possible by money raised by National Lottery players, this project will feature a full programme of events, initiatives and community outreach that will celebrate the heritage, and future, of linen and flax on the Island.

The 2023 Linen Biennale will run from July 26 - August 26 and partners will include PRONI, Northern Ireland National Museums, and Portview Trade Centre.

Supported through The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the project will create employment, projects, and new stories of the heritage of linen that we can all enjoy on this Island. Artists, makers, growers and producers are all standing by to partner on the project, which will be organised and administrated from R-Space Gallery in Lisburn.

R-Space Gallery hosts contemporary visual Art and Craft exhibitions, initiates Heritage Projects and provides Public Engagement Programmes in the heart of Lisburn City, Northern Ireland.

Their ambition is to increase access, understanding and enjoyment of contemporary visual arts, crafts, design and other related arts activities. They collaborate with a diverse range of excellent and challenging artists and designers working in different media, providing audiences from a wide range of educational, social and cultural backgrounds with different points of access to the arts.

The first Linen Biennale in 2018 was a great success, bringing international visitors from the US and Europe to celebrate and share the unifying story of Irish Linen: its past, present, and future. Having postponed the 2020 Biennale due to the pandemic, the organisation is more than delighted to see this, its long overdue return.

Commenting on the award, Robert Martin, Curator of R-Space, said: “Irish Linen is a story that has travelled the world. We want it to continue to be part of the future history of Ireland.

"We are thrilled to have received this support thanks to National Lottery players and are confident the project will celebrate the heritage of flax and linen and inspire future generations in its revival.”