i’ve always been someone who thought outside the box.

i’ve had ideas for how life could look that didn’t always make sense to the people around me. sometimes they sounded too ambitious, too impractical or simply a little bit strange.

but i never really stopped believing there could be another way.

i wanted to create somewhere for people who felt the same; people with ideas, desires and possibilities they wanted to explore, even when the obvious path didn’t quite fit.

somewhere you could say, “i’ve always wanted to…”

and the answer would be:

yes. let’s see if we can make it happen.

that is the spirit i wanted to create with riónce.

somewhere to explore what could be possible, make things happen and enjoy the life we’re making along the way.

oleta semple
founder, riónce arts club

we believe life is something we can actively design & create.

there are plenty of ideas about what a good life is supposed to look like. work hard, build a career, buy a house, settle down, keep moving.

there’s nothing wrong with any of these things.

but they’re not the only possibilities.

we’re interested in people having the freedom to decide what they actually want their lives to contain.

more creativity, more adventure, more family, more community, more independence, more beauty, more time, more ambition, more rest.

for us, this is part of self-actualisation: becoming more fully yourself and finding out what you’re capable of.

we’re interested in the moment when an idea stops being something you talk about and becomes something you actually do.

a residency can give someone the time to develop their practice.

a project can turn an idea into something real.

a gathering can put the right people in the same room.

a creative commission can give someone the opportunity to make exceptional work.

a family project can create the time to hear stories that might otherwise disappear.

the format changes.

the principle stays the same:

/// “happiness is when what you think, say & do are in harmony.” ~ gandhi ///

we don’t want a meaningful life to become another job.

there should be music and food and clothes and travel and ridiculous conversations and long afternoons and people around a table.

there should be things you do simply because they make you happy.

we take joy seriously because it’s very easy to postpone it.

life is happening while we’re waiting.

we only get one.

we think it should contain some really good memories.

a four-month family residency, centred around turning time spent together into something you can keep, forever.

it came from the simple observation that we seem to be very good at bringing everyone together when something significant happens.

a wedding.

a funeral.

a big birthday.

but there’s also something beautiful about making time before we have a reason to.

about a bunch of folk from one family spend four months together, sharing stories, making things and creating something worth keeping.

the photographs, film, music and book become part of the record.

but the real thing is the time spent together.

the experience is what you bought. the documentation is what you keep.

explore the family project →

creative people worth knowing.

friends of riónce is our creative talent agency.

we connect people outside the club with photographers, filmmakers, designers, artists, makers and other creative practitioners from within our community.

we know the people behind the work, so we can make thoughtful introductions between people and projects that feel right for each other.

riónce ladywell photo/art studio
our photography and art studio in ladywell, used by members and residents for creative work, shoots, projects and small events. paid dry hire is also available to non-members when the space is available.

riónce ladywell sewing studio (coming soon)
a dedicated space for making, sewing and textile-based creative work, opening soon.

studio dry hire →

good ideas deserve a chance.

the riónce ripple fund is our way of helping good creative ideas move from thought to reality.

because sometimes the thing standing between an idea and making it happen isn’t the idea itself.

it’s having the right space, equipment, people around you, introduction &/or time to actually do it.

or…

simply someone willing to say:

yes, let’s make it happen.

through this initiative, we create opportunities for creatives to access the things that can help move their work forward; from studio space and resources to mentorship, introductions, collaboration and practical support.

we’re interested in what happens when people are given the conditions to do their best work.

because one opportunity can lead to another.

one person makes something.

someone else sees it.

a new connection is made.

another idea begins.

keep an eye on our instagram @rionceartsclub for seasonal ripple fund opportunities.

people with ideas.

people with ambition.

people who want to learn.

people who want to make.

people who want to grow.

people who want to experience more.

people who want to spend better time with the people they love.

you don’t have to know exactly what that looks like yet.

you just have to be open to the possibility that your life can be more than the version you were handed.

we’re here to help make that possible.

riónce arts club

somewhere to fulfil your desires and make good memories together.