University of Atypical for Arts and Disability

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University of Atypical for Arts and Disability We are a multi-art form organisation which means we work with all types of visual, verbal, performance, music, craft and creative arts.

University of Atypical is a disabled-led charity based in Northern Ireland, developing, showcasing and promoting art and access to arts by and for D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people. University of Atypical for Arts and Disability is a disabled-led arts charity, taking an empowerment based approach towards supporting disabled, d/Deaf and neurodiverse people’s involvement in the arts. Our focus is working with people across all disabilities, neurodiversities and the d/Deaf community. We deliver a year-round programme of exhibitions and events, training and workshops. Our annual Bounce Arts Festival, The Atypical Gallery, the Ledger Studio performance space and our grant awards for disabled, d/Deaf and neurodiverse artists of all arts disciplines are key aspects of our work. If you are an artist, arts organisation, interested in volunteering or work within the disability sector, we would love to hear from you. We are core funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Belfast City Council, The Ireland Funds and supported by a range of other funders.

'University of Atypical for Arts and Disability' operates under the legal name of 'Arts and Disability Forum'. Registered office address is Ground Floor, 109-113 Royal Avenue, Belfast, Co Antrim, BT1 1FF
Company Registration Number is NI051776
Charity number 101588

Help make arts and culture more accessible to everyone!University of Atypical is recruiting for a new All In Gateway Coo...
16/10/2026

Help make arts and culture more accessible to everyone!

University of Atypical is recruiting for a new All In Gateway Coordinator. This is a short-term role until the end of March 2027.

All In is a new disabled-led access scheme being collaboratively developed by the 5 national Arts Councils of the UK and Ireland. University of Atypical is managing delivery of the initial All In pilot in Northern Ireland, on behalf of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

During the pilot, the All In Gateway Coordinator will oversee local consultation with prospective users of the scheme; guide creation of publicity resources; recruit a cohort of pilot organisations and guide them through the pilot; and contribute to reporting, marketing and budgeting of the pilot.

This is a part-time role of 20 hours per week. It has a limited-term until the end of March 2027, in line with the pilot.

It is primarily based in our Belfast office, with some possibility for hybrid work. It requires some travel across Northern Ireland.

The application deadline is 4:00 pm on Thursday 22 October 2026.

If you want to learn more about the role, or would like to apply, you can find information on our website. You can also email [email protected], or call us on 028 9023 9450.

Arts Council of Northern Ireland

https://buff.ly/iWEYsrb

Help us shape the future of the Bounce Arts Festival!Did you attend Bounce Arts Festival 2026? If so, we want to know yo...
15/10/2026

Help us shape the future of the Bounce Arts Festival!

Did you attend Bounce Arts Festival 2026? If so, we want to know your thoughts.

Your feedback helps us understand what the festival means to the people who experience it, highlight the importance of disability arts across Northern Ireland, and make the case for continued funding and support.

As a thank you for sharing your thoughts, you could win a £50 One4all Gift Card by completing our Bounce Festival 2026 Survey!

It takes just 10 - 15 minutes to complete. Your responses will remain confidential. Questions about your identity will allow you to choose the answer “Prefer not to say”.

Want to enter the prize draw? Simply provide your email address when completing the survey. Your contact details will be kept separate from your feedback.

Complete the survey via the link https://buff.ly/Qg2Ougx

Closing date: Sunday 18 October 2026

Terms and Conditions: One entry per person. The winner will be chosen at random from all surveys that answer all compulsory questions.

13/10/2026

Our Accessibility in Fashion Open Call deadline has been extended, and undergraduate students are now welcome to apply!

University of Atypical, in partnership with the Department for Communities, invites d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists based in Northern Ireland to apply for an opportunity to contribute to our International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPWD) 2026 event in Belfast.

Artists at all stages of their careers, including undergraduate students, are welcome to apply, working across any artform.

Three artists will be selected to develop and deliver a 15-minute presentation exploring the theme of Accessibility in Fashion. Selected artists will receive a total fee of £450, plus reimbursement of reasonable travel expenses and agreed access costs.

The event will take place at the Ulster Museum, Belfast, on Thursday 3 December 2026.

Application deadline: 4:00 pm, Tuesday 20 October 2026.
Decisions will be communicated by Thursday 22 October 2026.

Full details and application information are available on the University of Atypical website. Visit the link to find out more and apply.

https://universityofatypical.org/idpwd-open-call/

We need to hear from you!Did you attend Bounce Arts Festival 2026? Tell us what you thought.Your feedback helps us under...
10/10/2026

We need to hear from you!

Did you attend Bounce Arts Festival 2026? Tell us what you thought.

Your feedback helps us understand what Bounce means to audiences and participants, demonstrates the impact of disability arts in Northern Ireland, and shows funders why continued support for the festival is so important.

Complete our Bounce Festival 2026 Survey for your chance to win a £50 One4all Gift Card!

The survey takes just 10 - 15 minutes to complete. Your answers will be treated confidentially and will not be used to identify you personally. All questions are optional, and you can choose “Prefer not to say” for questions about your identity.

If you’d like to enter the prize draw, you’ll need to provide your email address. Your email address will not be used alongside any feedback you provide.

Complete the survey via this link: https://buff.ly/dnm6OQQ

Closing date: Sunday 18 October 2026

Terms and Conditions: One entry per person. The winner will be chosen at random from all surveys that answer all compulsory questions.

We’re extending the application deadline for our Accessibility in Fashion Open Call!University of Atypical, in partnersh...
09/10/2026

We’re extending the application deadline for our Accessibility in Fashion Open Call!

University of Atypical, in partnership with the Department for Communities, invites d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists based in Northern Ireland to apply for an opportunity to contribute to an International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPWD) 2026 event in Belfast.

This call is open to artists who identify as d/Deaf, disabled or neurodivergent.

We’ve also extended the eligibility criteria to include undergraduate students. Artists at any stage of their career are welcome to apply.

Three artists will be selected to develop and deliver a 15-minute presentation exploring the theme of Accessibility in Fashion. Artists working across any artform are welcome to apply.

Selected artists will receive £450 in total fees, plus reimbursement of reasonable travel and agreed access costs.

The event will take place at the Ulster Museum, Belfast, on 3 December 2026.

Deadline to apply: 4:00 pm, Tuesday 20 October 2026. Decisions by Thursday 22 October 2026

Full details and application information are available on University of Atypical's website and from this link: https://buff.ly/0dmf16T

Communities NI

Bounce Arts Festival 2026 has come to an end!From 30 September to 4 October, we welcomed d/Deaf, disabled and neurodiver...
06/10/2026

Bounce Arts Festival 2026 has come to an end!

From 30 September to 4 October, we welcomed d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists and creatives to Belfast for a brilliant few days of performances, exhibitions, talks, workshops, writing, music, networking and plenty of great conversations.

We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who made Bounce 2026 possible, from the incredible artists, performers and speakers to the venues, volunteers and everyone who worked behind the scenes to make the festival happen.

We want to say a special thank you to our funders. They include the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, and Belfast City Council. We’d also like to thank Creative Scotland; Film Hub NI, part of the BFI Film Audience Network; Cathedral Quarter BID; and the Four Nations International Fund.

And to everyone who came along, supported the artists, joined in the conversations and helped us celebrate the brilliant work of d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists and creatives, we’re so glad you were part of it.

It was fantastic to see so much creativity, talent and activism across Belfast over the past few days. We hope you enjoyed Bounce 2026 as much as we did.

We’ll see you next time!

Impaired Creators Scotland #

What a brilliant weekend at Bounce Arts Festival!On Saturday, Very Interesting Perspectives: Blind Artists’ Network brou...
05/10/2026

What a brilliant weekend at Bounce Arts Festival!

On Saturday, Very Interesting Perspectives: Blind Artists’ Network brought together blind and visually impaired artists and arts facilitators for discussion, sharing experiences and networking. We also had CAREAID, a creative workshop and discussion exploring disability aids, accessibility and identity.

We enjoyed Four Out of Five by VICS, a powerful performance exploring how visually impaired people navigate the world through their four senses, with an interactive experience for audiences.

Sunday brought a screening of Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore, the acclaimed documentary exploring the life and career of Deaf actor and advocate Marlee Matlin, including her groundbreaking career in Hollywood and her fight for greater accessibility.

We finished the weekend with Stage Beyond Theatre Company’s production of The Caucasian Chalk Circle, a powerful story exploring love, justice, morality and belonging, told through their distinctive inclusive approach to theatre-making.

Thank you to all the artists, performers, speakers, facilitators and audiences who made the weekend so special!

Impaired Creators Scotland #

University of Atypical is recruiting for a new All In Gateway Coordinator. This is a short-term role until the end of Ma...
05/10/2026

University of Atypical is recruiting for a new All In Gateway Coordinator. This is a short-term role until the end of March 2027.

All In is a new disabled-led access scheme being collaboratively developed by the 5 national Arts Councils of the UK and Ireland. University of Atypical is managing delivery of the initial All In pilot in Northern Ireland on behalf of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

During the pilot, the All In Gateway Coordinator will oversee local consultation with prospective users of the scheme; guide creation of publicity resources; recruit a cohort of pilot organisations and guide them through the pilot; and contribute to reporting, marketing and budgeting of the pilot.

This is a part-time role of 20 hours per week. It has a limited-term until the end of March 2027, in line with the pilot.

It is primarily based in our Belfast office, with some possibility for hybrid work. It requires some travel across Northern Ireland.

The application deadline is 4:00 pm on Thursday 22 October 2026.

If you want to learn more about the role, or would like to apply, you can find information on our website. You can also email [email protected], or call us on 028 9023 9450.

https://buff.ly/yn7pq1R

Friday was another brilliant day at Bounce Arts Festival, with a fantastic mix of discussion, performance, writing and c...
04/10/2026

Friday was another brilliant day at Bounce Arts Festival, with a fantastic mix of discussion, performance, writing and creativity happening across the city.

We brought together disabled artists and creatives for a day of networking, discussion and performance around this year’s theme of Arts and Activism. We were delighted to welcome Chair Emma Campbell and Jenny Sealey from Graeae Theatre Company, alongside contributions from Alan James Burns and Kirin Saeed.

Over at The MAC, we also had a brilliant evening with Tito Bone as they performed their drag show: The World Is Burning, So Please Enjoy My Drag Show, bringing plenty of energy, performance and personality to the festival.

At the Seamus Heaney Centre, The Mighty Pen brought together three fantastic sessions. Brain Injury Matters presented Concrete Poetry, Open Arts’ Open Pen Writing Group shared work inspired by Gulliver’s Travels, and Off the Page with Bounce Festival featured rehearsed readings of new activism themed writing by disabled and neurodivergent writers.

A huge thank you to everyone who performed, shared their work, contributed to the discussions and came along on Friday.

.Saeed.9

02/10/2026

Only 1 week left to apply for our Accessibility in Fashion open call!

University of Atypical, in partnership with the Department for Communities, is inviting d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists based in Northern Ireland to apply for an opportunity to contribute to an International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2026 event in Belfast.

The open call is open to disabled artists and makers working across all creative disciplines, as long as there is a connection to fashion. We’re interested in disabled artists who are inspired by accessibility, disability, and fashion, whatever that means to you.

Perhaps you’re a fine art sculptor or ceramicist who has ventured into wearable art; a jewellery, hat or costume maker; or someone who makes bags or customises shoes. Maybe you’re an editorial makeup artist, a photographer working in fashion and editorial, or who has worked with disabled models to widen the lens of fashion photography. Perhaps you’re an illustrator creating fashion illustrations for publications, a textile artist designing prints and patterns for garments, or a fashion designer who is disabled and has adapted or developed your working practice to suit your needs.

Three selected artists will develop and deliver a 15 minute presentation exploring the theme of Accessibility in Fashion.

Each selected artist will receive a total fee of £450, plus reimbursement of reasonable travel and agreed access costs.

Deadline: 4:00 pm, Thursday 8 October 2026

Find full details and application information on the University of Atypical website or via this link https://buff.ly/0dmf16T

Address

Ground Floor, Cathedral Quarter Workspaces, 109-113 Royal Avenue
Belfast
BT11FF

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 10am - 5:30pm
Thursday 10am - 5:30pm
Friday 10am - 5:30pm

Telephone

02890239450

Website

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