University of Atypical for Arts and Disability

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.

We are a disabled-led charity developing, showcasing and promoting work by D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists, and work to make the arts more accessible for D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists and audiences. 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

Thank you to our brilliant volunteers for another amazing year.Your dedication, professionalism and enthusiasm made it a...
17/12/2025

Thank you to our brilliant volunteers for another amazing year.
Your dedication, professionalism and enthusiasm made it all possible!


The National Lottery Community Fund Northern Ireland Volunteer Now

Our staff and volunteers will be taking a well-deserved break over the holidays. As a result, our office and the Atypica...
16/12/2025

Our staff and volunteers will be taking a well-deserved break over the holidays. As a result, our office and the Atypical Gallery will be closed from 3:30 pm on Friday 19 December, and will reopen on Tuesday 6 January 2026.

We wish everyone a peaceful holiday season and look forward to seeing you in the New Year.

11/12/2025
Sounds Atypical Music Awards Two is currently open. Funded by Belfast City Council these music awards are for disabled l...
10/12/2025

Sounds Atypical Music Awards Two is currently open. Funded by Belfast City Council these music awards are for disabled led music events to take place in Belfast City Council regions in 2026.

You can apply for between £1,000 and £5,000 (rounded up to the nearest £500).

You can also apply for access costs. These costs are in addition to your main budget.

Key Information and Dates

Application opened: Tuesday 25 November 2025 at 12:00pm
Application Closes: Thursday 12 February 2026 at 4:00pm

If you want to know more why not sign up to one of our advice sessions:

In person advice session: Friday 9 January 2026 6:30 to 7:30pm
Online advice session: Monday 12 January 2026 6:30 to 7:30pm

More information on our website. https://buff.ly/IpIoNUS

Belfast Music

Huge thanks to everyone who joined us for our International Day of Persons with Disabilities events! Nearly 600 people c...
09/12/2025

Huge thanks to everyone who joined us for our International Day of Persons with Disabilities events! Nearly 600 people came through our doors to celebrate, connect, and take part

Thank you to all our artists, staff, board members, volunteers, funders and friends for working with us throughout the y...
05/12/2025

Thank you to all our artists, staff, board members, volunteers, funders and friends for working with us throughout the year. We appreciated meeting some of you last night in our Ledger Studio and hope everyone gets time to wind down over the coming weeks.

Arts Council of Northern Ireland Belfast City Council

We are recruiting!University of Atypical for Arts and Disability is delighted to be offering two new roles through the J...
05/12/2025

We are recruiting!

University of Atypical for Arts and Disability is delighted to be offering two new roles through the Jobstart Programme.

You are advised to go through the JobStart portal to apply as University of Atypical is not managing the recruitment process at this stage.

The two roles are:

1. Personal Assistant to the Chief Executive
2. Arts and Disability Facilities Assistant

To be eligible for Jobstart vacancies

• Applicants must be between 16 – 65 years of age and receiving a working age benefit

• Applicants can get up to 25 hours a week for six months at the National Minimum Wage (shorter working hours may be considered).

The advertisements will be displayed on the portal for up to 6 weeks.

To find out more about these roles you must go through the Jobstart portal

The link to the portal is: https://lnkd.in/eNRis5Uw

Click on the link and insert the Vacancy ID for the role under 'Keyword'

The Vacancy IDs for University of Atypical roles are:

1747587 (Personal Assistant to the Chief Executive).

1747573 (Arts and Disability Facilities Assistant).

Arts Council of Northern Theatre and Dance NI Community Arts Partnership NICVA

Thank you to everyone who attended the ‘Art and Our Environment’ workshop as part of our International Day of Persons wi...
04/12/2025

Thank you to everyone who attended the ‘Art and Our Environment’ workshop as part of our International Day of Persons with Disabilities celebrations.

“This was truly enlightening and the tutor was so lovely, patient and caring” Feedback from a workshop participant.

Thank you to our funder Public Health Agency.

Public Health Agency

03/12/2025

Come in from the cold and take a moment of visual respite in a busy overstimulating world.

Join us for the final Late Night Art of 2025 with an installation ‘Half Light’ by Charys Wilson.

We are open Thursday from 6:00 - 9:00pm.

Join us on Friday 5 December at 1:00 - 2:00 to hear our exhibiting artist Charys Wilson talk about her practice and exhi...
02/12/2025

Join us on Friday 5 December at 1:00 - 2:00 to hear our exhibiting artist Charys Wilson talk about her practice and exhibition ‘Half Light’.

Free and no booking required.

British Sign Language included.

This installation is about reconnection with nature, the passing of time, and our role in sustaining the environments we depend on. It doesn’t aim to shock or overwhelm, but instead to gently remind, and soothe the viewer, offering a visual respite in a busy overstimulating world

Flax Art Studios Late Night Art Belfast

27/11/2025

Our Community Engagement Manager Sheena Kelly was delighted to speak on the panel as part of the UNESCO Learning Cities Event. She highlighted the need for genuine inclusion, placing d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people in decision making roles and having artists at the heart of creative decisions.
Congratulations Belfast Learning City on a fantastic event.

Thank you to everyone who attended our final Creative Networking Event of 2025. It was a great way to kick off our progr...
27/11/2025

Thank you to everyone who attended our final Creative Networking Event of 2025. It was a great way to kick off our programme of events for International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Join us for more over the next two weeks including an artist talk with Charys Wilson, Late Night Art, and a film screening of ‘Life After’.

https://buff.ly/81qDlnJ

Theatre and Dance NI Arts Council of Northern Ireland

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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Our Story

University of Atypical is a disabled-led arts charity, taking an empowerment based approach towards supporting disabled and deaf people’s involvement in the arts. The company specialises in developing and promoting the work of artists who are disabled and deaf and in reaching disabled and deaf audiences. Membership of the UofA is free to disabled/deaf individuals. University of Atypical’s lead funder is the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and additional core funding is provided by Belfast City Council. The company attracts project support from a range of other funders and makes earned income from ticket sales. Donations from individuals and from businesses are very welcome - all donations go back into our work with disabled and deaf artists and audiences. Working with all art forms and across all impairments, UofA delivers a year-round programme of exhibitions and events, including Bounce Arts Festival, which presents an exciting range of music, theatre, dance and visual arts by artists who are disabled /deaf, alongside family friendly activities. This year’s Bounce dates are 5-8 September. Atypical Gallery shows work by disabled and deaf artists on a year-round basis. It is on the Ground Floor of Cathedral Quarter Workspaces, at the Belfast Telegraph end of Royal Avenue (opposite the Mace shop/Central Library). University of Atypical manages the iDA grant scheme for disabled/deaf artists, with funds from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

Our Arts & Disability Equality Charter supports venues to be as accessible as possible for disabled/deaf audiences and artists.

Membership is free to disabled /deaf people and others can join for a small fee. Being a member shows us - and our funders - that you value our work. For a membership form please contact info@universityofatypical.org.

You can sign up to our mailing list on our website www.universityofatypical.org.