Nerve Centre

31/08/2026

🔴 ⏳ Extended Deadline for Light in Motion Short Film Competition submissions: Monday 7 September 2026 ⏳ 🔴

☘️🏆 Our 2026 winner for Best Irish Short, the wonderful Aaron Chalke, got in touch to tell us of how entering his short film 'The Death Notice of Eamonn McCarty' has positively shaped his experience on the festival circuit, brought him new exposure and allowed him the space to form further industry connections 🤝 🎬 😎

Thanks so much for the kind words, Aaron! We're always super delighted to hear of such supportive testimonials 😁🧡❤️💛

Foyle Film Festival is Northern Ireland's only Oscar® and BAFTA accredited short film competition, showcasing a diverse selection of homegrown across the UK and Ireland as well as international talent...

Academy Award® qualifying in:
☘️ Best Irish Short
🌍 Best International Short
🎨 Best Animated Short:

BAFTA qualifying in:
🏆 Best British Short
🏆 Best British Animated Short

Sponsored by City of Derry Crystal ❤️

👉 Submit your short film: https://foylefilmfestival.org/awards

28/08/2026

🙌 We are excited to be part of BBC Introducing Regional Partnerships, but what does that mean for us? 🤔🎶🎸🎹

In our recent blog, our Head of Music Martin McGill will talk about how Nerve Centre currently supports live music and artist development, and how this partnership will further support emerging artists and expand the opportunities available to them.

It is great to be working alongside other fantastic organisations including Glasgowbury , Oh Yeah Music Centre , Limelight Belfast , Shine Belfast and ICC Belfast | Waterfront Hall & Ulster Hall in this partnership.

👉 Read more: https://nervecentre.org/news/bbc-introducing-announcement

BBC Music Introducing

27/08/2026

We were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Eamonn Deane, a friend and supporter of Nerve Centre from its earliest days.

In this piece, Martin Melarkey reflects on Eamonn’s lasting contribution to Nerve Centre and the city’s creative and community life...

Nerve Centre was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Eamonn Deane on Wednesday 26 August 2026, community leader and founding member of Holywell Trust…

26/08/2026

🤝 Yesterday we welcomed Secretary of State Sir Chris Bryant and Minister for Northern Ireland Sarah Owen MP to Nerve Centre during their first trip to Derry~Londonderry since taking up their posts.

💬 It served as a window to showcase our work across the creative arts and media, and to discuss the opportunities for artists and young people across Northern Ireland going forward 🎶🎨🎬

👉 Read more 👀 https://nervecentre.org/news/secretary-of-state-sir-chris-bryant-and-minister-sarah-owen-see-creativity-in-action-at-nerve-centre

26/08/2026

🎬 Introducing BFI Film Academy Northern Ireland!

We’re the BFI Film Academy Hub for Northern Ireland, connecting young people aged 16–25 with opportunities to develop their skills, meet industry professionals and explore where a future in film and TV could take them.

Working with delivery partners Cinemagic Film Festival and AmmA Creative Learning Centre, there’s plenty coming up across Northern Ireland:

🎥 Free Introductory Filmmaking Courses for ages 16–19
📍 Cinemagic, Belfast | Sep–Oct 2026
📍 Amma Centre, Armagh | Oct–Nov 2026
📍 Nerve Centre Belfast | Jan–Feb 2027
📍 Nerve Centre Derry~Londonderry | Feb 2027

💻 Free Online Masterclass Series | Sep 2026–Feb 2027
🤝 Networking & industry opportunities throughout the year
🎬 Alumni opportunities

Register with the Hub to join the community and hear about opportunities happening across the region.

👉 Explore more 🔗 nervecentre.org/bfi-film-academy-northern-ireland



BFI Film Academy Northern Ireland is delivered by Nerve Centre, supported by the UK Government, National Lottery and Northern Ireland Screen.

25/08/2026

There is just a week left for artists wanting to apply to play ESNS next year 🎶

⏰ Deadline is 1 September

👉 Apply now: https://esns.nl/en/festival/play-at-esns/

21/08/2026

👏 And that's a wrap on... dare we say... one of our very best Hothouses yet! 🔥🤯🎶

❤️ Thanks to everyone for making the journey to come support our young artists as they graced the Nerve Centre stage this afternoon. We were left super impressed from today's showcase, which presented the outcomes from a week of hard work and dedication across a variety of creative crafts 📸🎸📹✍️🎨

Massive congratulations to our talented teams of musicians, designers and content creators for putting on such a fantastic show. The roars from the crowd said it all! 🙌

💪 The Youth Digital and Music Programme is a project supported by PEACEPLUS, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), and funded through City & Strabane District Council’s PEACEPLUS Local Co-Designed Action Plan 🙌

21/08/2026

🎬 😃 We’re super excited to be leading the BFI Film Academy Hub for Northern Ireland as part of this new UK-wide programme.

Working with delivery partners Cinemagic Film Festival and AmmA Creative Learning Centre, we'll connect young people across Northern Ireland with hands-on filmmaking opportunities, industry professionals, networking and career support, helping the next generation build skills, make connections and find their route into film and TV.

We’ll be sharing details of the first BFI Film Academy Northern Ireland opportunities very soon. 👀

Thanks to Northern Ireland Screen for their continued support!

Want to work in film and TV, but not sure where to start? A brand-new BFI Film Academy Hub has launched near you today.

Hubs are free, welcoming spaces where you can try things out, build confidence and discover opportunities in film, TV and beyond.

Three ways to get involved:

1. Free Year-Round Membership (16-25): workshops, masterclasses, networking and more

2. Introductory Courses (16-19): an opportunity to work with other young people to make your own short film and explore different roles across the film and TV industry

3. BFI Film Academy Alumni Programme: mentoring, career development support and opportunities to help you take your next step

Ready to get started? https://theb.fi/4zp4wwU

Supported by the UK Government and National Lottery Good Cause funding.

20/08/2026

🔥🤘😎 Our Hothousers are ready to raise the roof at tomorrow's showcase... we can't wait to see what our cohort of young artists have produced after an intensive week of creative cooperation! 🎬 🎸🎨 📸

💪 The Youth Digital and Music Programme is a project supported by PEACEPLUS, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), and funded through Derry City & Strabane District Council’s PEACEPLUS Local Co-Designed Action Plan 🙌

19/08/2026

⭐️ The talent of young female filmmakers north and south of the border really does have no limits! 😎🎬

No Limits All Female Film Production project have just wrapped on an intensive two day shoot in Belfast.

Working in partnership with FreshFilm, we brought together two groups meeting for the first time in Dublin at the start of the summer. ☀️

🎥 They formed two film crews, developed ideas and produced their scripts, before working online to prep for their film, and got experience filming in the virtual production studio at Ulster University with Aura Digital. ⚡️

Lorne Estate | Shared Island Civic Society Fund