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

University of Atypical for Arts and Disability

Name: University of Atypical for Arts and Disability
Address: Ground Floor, Cathedral Quarter Workspaces, 109-113 Royal Avenue, Belfast, BT11FF, GB
Telephone: 02890239450
Price range: $

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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 fo

cus 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

03/09/2026

Open Call: Accessibility in Fashion

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.

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 on Thursday 8 October 2026. Decisions by Friday 16 October 2026

Full details and application information are available on University of Atypical's website: https://buff.ly/42XVjlm

02/09/2026

One to look forward to: An Evening with Tito Bone, aka The World Is Burning So Please Enjoy My Drag Show.

We’re excited to be bringing Sheffield’s own Tito Bone here to Belfast for an evening of glitter, camp and q***r disabled joy, as part of the Bounce Arts Festival.

This drag king cabaret explores aging, ableism and life as a blind, non-binary bisexual drag king through songs, storytelling, integrated audio description, glitter beard glamour and wonderfully epic dad dancing.

When: Friday 2 October 2026
Where: The Studio, The MAC Belfast
Time: 7:30 - 8:30 pm
Tickets: £16.50
Accessibility: This performance will have BSL, ISL, integrated audio description and be a relaxed performance.

Come laugh, celebrate, and enjoy some gloriously q***r disabled joy.

Tickets are available from The MAC Belfast and can be purchased online, by phone or at the box office. https://buff.ly/QXkvSi0

Quiplash

01/09/2026

Limited spaces remaining!

Join us this Saturday 5 September at 11:00 am (UK time) for ‘The radical potential of integrated audio description’ - an engaging 3-hour online workshop facilitated by Amelia Lander-Cavallo (they/them), one half of Quiplash.

Integrated audio description (IAD) is an access tool in which audio description forms part of the main audio track for a performance. Amelia will be exploring how IAD can be used as its own creative method, as well as an access tool.

Book your spot through this link: https://buff.ly/4DhGpzd

This event is part of Very Interesting Perspectives: Blind Artists’ Professional network and is run in partnership with Quiplash CIC and tanzhaus nrw. This Project is funded by the Four Nations International Fund through Arts Council England, Arts Council Northern Ireland, Arts Council Wales, Creative Scotland and Wales Arts International.

31/08/2026

Our final event in the Very Interesting Perspectives: Blind Artists’ Professional Network project will take place on Saturday 3 October at 11:00 am in The MAC, as part of Bounce Arts Festival 2026.

Following a performance by singer Victoria Geelan, dancer and panel chair Helen Hall will present a snippet of her film ‘Tales from the Mother’. Helen will then be joined by Fia Neises, Amelia Lander-Cavallo (Quiplash) and Pádraig Naughton (Arts and Disability Ireland) to discuss the VIP project, as well as their experiences as blind and visually impaired artists and arts facilitators.

This lively discussion will be followed by a networking event, tailored to blind and visually impaired professional and aspiring artists.

Tickets are £5.50 and can be purchased online through The MAC’s website, over the phone or at The MAC’s box office.

This event is part of Very Interesting Perspectives: Blind Artists’ Professional Network, run in partnership with Quiplash CIC and tanzhaus nrw. This Project is funded by the Four Nations International Fund through Arts Council England, Arts Council Northern Ireland, Arts Council Wales, Creative Scotland and Wales Arts International.

Tickets to VIP Online workshops: “The radical potential of integrated audio description” and “Sounding Bodies” are available through this link: https://buff.ly/8kEPbI4

29/08/2026

The Sounds Atypical grant programme supports and promotes access to music for artists and audiences who are d/Deaf, disabled or neurodivergent within UNESCO City of Music, Belfast. Six grant recipients have been funded to coordinate music events over the coming months.

Past Events:
William McLean - Pop-Up Jazz Performances
Date: Monday 3 August 2026, Venue: Royal Victoria Hospital (main foyer)
Time: 12:00 pm, Free Public Event

Date: Monday 10 August 2026, Venue: Belfast City Hospital (main foyer)
Time: 12:00 pm, Free Public Event

Closed sessions took place at Royal Victoria Hospital Stroke Unit, Musgrave Park Hospital, RABIU, and City Way Day Centre.

Upcoming Events:
Lauren Martin - In Bloom (Supported by Tom Gee)
Date: Monday 7 September 2026, Venue: The Black Box
Doors: 7:00 pm, Tickets £5 via Blackbox

NewParadigm Songwriting Camp and Showcase - Andy Skinner
Song Camp Date: Wednesday 23 September 2026, Venue: Lounge Post Production Studios. Time: TBC.
Showcase Date: TBC, Venue: Oh Yeah Centre. Time: TBC.

Label Me Live - Joe Kenny, Andrea Begley and Future Her
Date: Thursday 1 October 2026, Venue: The Black Box
Doors: 7:00 pm, Tickets £10 via Blackbox

Martin Della Vecchia- Still Here
Date: Thursday 1 October to Sunday 4 October 2026
Venue: UNTOLD: The Museum, 28 Bedford Street, Belfast, BT2 7FE
Duration: 10 minutes

Opening hours:
Date: Thursday 1 October 2026
5:30pm, Screening followed by Q&A.
6:00 pm to 9:00 pm, Screenings every 10 minutes.

Date: Friday 2 October to Sunday 4 October 2026.
2:00 pm to 6:00 pm, Screenings every 10 minutes.

BFrank - Single Album Launch (Featuring Rita Peach, Maiyamoo, and Lee Labaron)
Date: Wednesday 8 October 2026, Venue: Oh Yeah Music Centre
Doors: 8:00 pm, Tickets: £11.11

28/08/2026

Our Bounce programme is live!

We are delighted to have officially launched the Bounce Arts Festival 2026 programme at The MAC in Belfast on Tuesday.

The 2026 programme runs from Wednesday 30 September to Sunday 4 October in Belfast. We have comedy, music, theatre, visual arts, film, literature, and talks - something for everyone!

Browse the full programme via this link https://buff.ly/88SQmQi

You can also find alternative programme formats online, including BSL, ISL and large print versions.

We can't wait to see you at Bounce!

26/08/2026

It was fantastic to have the Lord Mayor with us yesterday at The MAC for our Bounce 2026 programme launch! Bounce is supported by Belfast City Council through the Community Festivals Fund, enabling exciting events including hosting the wonderful Quiplash in the MAC, as well as helping us to make sure that our festival and marketing are more accessible to audiences.

Check out the full programme with events Wednesday 30 September to Sunday 4 October : https://universityofatypical.org/bounce/

24/08/2026

It’s here! Our Bounce Arts Festival programme is officially live. Explore the full programme here: https://buff.ly/N06eENN

20/08/2026

Bounce Arts Festival 2026 is fast approaching!

From 30 September - 4 October, venues across Belfast will come alive with performances, creativity and celebration, and we’d love you to be part of it!

We’re looking for enthusiastic volunteers to join the Bounce team and help make this year’s festival one to remember. Whether it’s welcoming audiences, supporting artists or helping things run smoothly behind the scenes, our volunteers play a huge part in creating a friendly and memorable experience for everyone.

Looking to gain valuable experience in the arts, or know someone who is? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] or register through this link https://buff.ly/eUvApAC

As a disabled-led organisation, we welcome volunteers who are d/Deaf, disabled, or neurodivergent, and those from diverse backgrounds. We are interested in working with you whether you are introverted or extroverted, if you know a lot or very little about the arts, if you have specific skills or if you just want to learn!

Our Bounce Festival volunteer roles are ideal for anyone who:

Is over 18 and can attend at least one of our August training sessions
Is interested in the arts
Wants to know what goes on behind the scenes at a festival
Is keen to develop their front of house skills
Enjoys working as part of a team

17/08/2026

We are very pleased to announce that the sign up link for the second of our two online workshops as part of our ‘Very Interesting Perspectives: Blind arts professional network’ project is now live!

Fia Neises (She/They), who is being hosted by tanzhaus nrw, will be holding an innovative workshop titled ‘Sounding Bodies’. This workshop aims to explore the question: How can a moving body on stage create a rich and engaging experience that goes beyond audio description for blind and visually impaired audiences? Participants are encouraged to wear clothing that makes sound or to bring small instruments.

Book your spot through this link https://buff.ly/usl6BtF

This event is part of Very Interesting Perspectives: Blind artists professional network, run in partnership with Quiplash CIC and tanzhaus nrw. This Project is funded by the Four Nations International Fund through Arts Council England, Arts Council Northern Ireland, Arts Council Wales, Creative Scotland and Wales Arts International.

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

http://www.universityofatypical.org/

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