There are normally three Day Meetings each year: the first Saturdays in February, June and October. These consist of experiential art-making and a variety of presentations relating to art therapy, creativity, health and personal development. Everyone is welcome to attend and the atmosphere is open, inclusive and welcoming.
Next Day Meeting
October Day Meeting: Saturday 3rd October 2026. Save the date!
The next NIGAT Day Meeting will be on
Saturday 3rd October 2026, 10.00am-3.00pm.
Presenter(s): Bridget Nugent.
Venue: the Park Room, at Ballynafeigh Community Development Association, 283 Ormeau Road, Belfast, BT7 3GG.
The day’s theme will be announced. In general, it will continue our year long focus on:
‘Looking back to go forward’ – celebrating NIGAT’s 50th anniversary in 2026 and 74 years since the introduction of
art therapy into Northern Ireland by Rita Simon, pioneering UK Art Therapist.
The Day Meeting will be facilitated by the NIGAT Committee.
Registration from 9.30am.
Morning: theme to be confirmed.
Lunch: normally 12.00 noon-12.45. (please bring your own / shops nearby)
Afternoon: art response workshop.
All are welcome to join us for the Day Meeting.
Day Meeting fees: Members £15, Non-members £30. You can also join on the day and thus qualify for the members’ fee.
NB. Attendees: please bring cash on the day.
Places are normally limited, so to book please email: Day Meeting committee member
★★ Throughout 2026 NIGAT will continue to celebrate its 50th anniversary! ★★
About Day Meetings
NIGAT holds three Day Meetings a year. These normally take place on the first Saturday in February, June and October and run from approximately 10:00am-3:30pm, normally in a venue in or near Belfast. These consist of experiential art-making and a variety of presentations relating to creativity and well-being. The atmosphere is open and welcoming. For examples of previous Day Meetings, see also https://nigat.net/news/
Past Day Meetings
Examples of past Day Meetings are detailed below.
June Day Meeting:
6th June 2026, 10.00am-3.00pm.
Venue: Glenaulin House, 141 Glen Road, Belfast, BT11 8BP.
The overarching theme for the whole day continued with our year long celebration of
NIGAT’s 50th anniversary and 74 years since the introduction of
art therapy into Northern Ireland by Rita Simon, pioneering UK Art Therapist.
Day Meeting fees: Members £15, Non-members £30. Attendees: please bring cash on the day.
Saturday 6th June 2026.
The day’s theme continued our year long focus on:
‘Looking back to go forward’ – celebrating NIGAT’s 50th anniversary in 2026.
The Day Meeting was facilitated by the NIGAT Committee.
Registration from 9.30am.
Morning: ‘International influence of Rita Simon’s approach to art therapy.’
The morning featured a reflection on NIGAT’s recent connection
with American art therapists and art therapy students and their
interest in Rita Simon’s approach and theory & contemporary practice.
* Rita’s approach is consistent with contemporary psychotherapy research
on effective and evidence-based practice. *
Lunch 12.00 noon-12.45.
Afternoon: art response workshop.
The overarching theme for the whole day continued with our year long celebration of
NIGAT’s 50th anniversary and 74 years since the introduction of
art therapy into Northern Ireland by Rita Simon, pioneering UK Art Therapist.
All were welcome to join us for the Day Meeting.
The February NIGAT Day Meeting was held on 7th February 2026 – it was a successful event, thoroughly enjoyed by all those who attended.
The theme for the day was:
New Year, new beginnings – looking back to go forward in 2026. Celebrating 50 years of art therapy in Northern Ireland and exploring the beginnings of art therapy here.
See the flyer below for more details.
October 2025 Day Meeting. Due to a bereavement we had to change our October Day meeting to Saturday 25th of October. Sorry for any inconvenience.
June 2025 Day Meeting. The June 2025 NIGAT Day Meeting featured an overview of ‘Trauma-Informed Art Psychotherapy in Northern Ireland’ – a panel presentation accepted for the EFAT International Art Therapy Conference in London in July. Eileen McCourt, Caryl Sibbett and Jacqueline Toal (3 of the 5 panel members) shared excerpts at the NIGAT Day Meeting. (The other two panel members were Gail Calwell and Claire Thompson.) There were opportunities to reflect and make response art.
February 2025 Day Meeting. The February 2025 NIGAT Day Meeting included spending the morning with Katherine Penney at her exhibition in the Ulster Present Gallery Entrance, Block BC at the Ulster University, York Street, Belfast, entitled “Misaligned”, and then meeting together after lunch in 2 Royal Avenue, Belfast (A short walk from the University) to offer opportunities to reflect and make response art.
