Exhibitions mounted regularly. Useful for visitors to N…read more Ireland. Central but one needs to use local car parks. Shop for tourists and a delightful cafe with an outlook to the town centre. Public Toilets available. Friendly Information Desk. Museum has many interesting photos and exhibits.

The Irish Linen Centre has an excellent exhibition that includes a reconstruction of a linen…read moreweavers cottage and a nice costume display of old fashioned linen dresses. When I visited there was also a fascinating demonstration of spinning and weaving using the original equipment by staff who were clearly most enthusiastic about the subject. There's also a good explanation of the development of the history of Lisburn - you can pick up a lot of interesting information if you like this sort of thing as I do. Downstairs the museum shop has some high quality goods such as linen damask and some other nice textile items - tea towels, oven gloves among other gifts. The teashop is good value and altogether the museum makes a great focal point to the centre of Lisburn.

Mossley Mill, the other name for this centre which includes council offices and exhibition space in…read moreaddition to the theatre, is a triumph in the art of repurposing an old industrial building. The architects have come up with a glass fronted extension to the Victorian mill which looks brilliant especially with original chimney standing beside it - a wonderful combination of modernity and history, on an impressive hillside site. It's certainly drawing plenty of people, at least there was a good number of visitors on the evening I saw a powerful exhibition there about Anne Frank, which was on tour and is now moved elsewhere. There is a wide programme entertainment on offer at the theatre throughout the winter including both professional productions and shows involving local groups hopefully providing a healthy mix of culture and community.

Went to Theatre at the Mill for the first time this week to see the Harlem Gospel Choir. I was very…read moreimpressed with the theatre, particularly the setting- the restored mill is stunning! The acoustics were great so at times, the choir was able to sing without microphones. The theatre has free parking and a licensed bar. I will definitely look to see what future shows are coming up!

Great street full of character and spraypaintings. Book shops, travel agents and the chip show that…read morefeatured on the Rhianna video! #FoundLoveInAHopelessPlace

Wonderful street art has transformed North Street. Worth a wander through just to admire the…read moreregularly updated urban art. Really fabulous!

A quirky spot to find art and comedy…read more Drink and Draw is on once a month - A great event to unleash the artist within you, just bring along your sketching materials and your favourite tipple for a night of creative fun. A donated piece of art is awarded to the best drawing of the evening. Full review here: ;-) http://nilights.info/event-46-drink-draw/ Voicebox comedy runs on the last Friday of every month. A bring your own comedy club where you'll find great local comedic talent trying out new material. Expect a night of various comedy acts including improv, performance poetry and musical comedy. A bargain giggle.

Loft Studios reverberate with creativity. Stressed wooden staircases, exposed attic beams and huge…read moresouth facing windows contribute to a light flooded space that hums with an atmosphere of expectation. As soon as you walk in you can immediately tell that great things happen here. This collective of bright young Artists currently includes Brian Kelt, Louise Younger, Jan Gorman, Christina Ellen Maher, David-Lee Badger, Mike Harvey, Gemma Gallagher, Eoin McGinn (aka Emic), Chris Loughlin and Erin Hagan. A real melting pot of talented painters, illustrators, photographers and installation artists. On a recent visit to Loft it was a delight to view paintings by Eoin McGinn and Brian Kelt as I've long been a fan of their work. I also heard from David-Lee Badger about Deadbeat, which is an online platform for the arts, filled with music, design and arts related interviews and reviews. You can check out and follow Deadbeat's Twitter account @deadbeatweets. The Loft Collective run monthly Drink and Draw events, which are informal drawing sessions. It's BYOB and some art materials are supplied by Inkmonkey art shop. They also host comedy nights. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for more event information: https://www.facebook.com/loftbelfast.

A hidden gem, the Crescent Arts Centre may look basic, but this modern venue is a great open space…read morewith everything you need to host an event. Clean, functional and accommodating, I have seen numerous events here from poetry slams to comedy improv shows. It's BYOB too, which is a great addition!

The Crescent Arts Centre is a basic but contemporary looking venue…read more It functions as a community arts centre for the people of Belfast and holds a variety of dance, music, creative writing and visual art / craft classes for all. They also push the boat out by holding a artistic participatory events, exhibitions and performances. The Crescent Arts Centre are also the curators of the City Dance Festival and Belfast's longest running literary festival - Between the Lines. I was there recently for the Trans:mission night, showcasing the best Irish electronica musicians, as part of Belfast's innovative trans festival. I was itching to see Nouveau Noise, from Dublin who play deliciously glitchy and lush electronica. The set up was very relaxed. It was a mere £5 in and BYOB. Everyone in the main room was seated round tables dotted around the venue and chatting away. On stage there were electronica acts playing some really interesting and innovative stuff with some cool visuals being projected behind them. In the middle of the night, there was a drawing competition- where two massive boards were erected each side of the stage and a 'crew' of illustrators and street artists from Dublin had to freestyle a picture, with a Dj playing in the background. It made for such an interesting night. I'm all for Arts spaces opening up their doors to gigs, like Block T in Dublin. And the bring your own booze door policy is always a winner.