Bounce Festival 2023: Creative Conversations - Big Open Arts Takeover

With Monday Players, Open Arts Community Choir, Luminous Soul, Open Arts Creative Writers, Open Arts Visual Art Groups, Mae Murray Foundation

Step into the world of Open Arts as they take over The Crescent Arts Centre!

During each event the audience will experience performances from Monday Players, Open Arts Community Choir, Luminous Soul dancers; hear readings from the creative writing group and participate in a workshop with visual art participants.

Inspired by the idea of a ‘Living Library’ you will also have the opportunity to chat with the participants, learn about the diverse perspectives and life experiences of disabled people.

There will be 3 events during the day. Each will last a maximum 1 hour 45 minutes including the dance performances below (which can also be booked separately).

3 groups will be guided through the building each time. One group will have an audio describer and another will have a BSL interpreter available for each event. 

Tour times are as follows:

12pm - 2pm - 4pm

 

If you are joining us for the performance only times are as follows:  

1.15pm Mae Murray Foundation

Members from Mae Murray’s Teen Hubs took part in a summer dance intensive facilitated by Helen Hall & Linda Fearon with mentoring visits from members of Luminous Soul. They have continued to work and rehearse together to present this performance. The young people are also working toward achieving Arts Awards.

The work is supported by The Arts Council NI’s Young People & Wellbeing Arts Programme and BT Telecommunity Fund, distributed by Community Foundation NI.

 

3.15pm Fully Charged

Formed in 2022, Fully Charged is a duet of powerchair dancers, Cinzia Savonitti and Marylou McCord. Both are also members of Luminous Soul. Marylou McCord has been supported by University of Atypical through an iDA grant award to develop her music composition skills alongside her choreography.

Fully Charged was born because the dancers wanted to explore how movement and dance could be enhanced, not limited, by their powerchairs!

This piece explores the relationship between the dancers, their own powerchairs and each other.

 

5.15pm Communication

'Communication' is an innovative dance piece choreographed by Andy Paton, Julie Anna Richmond and Talia McDowell. All three are members of Luminous Soul and have travelled to Cork over the last year to participate in Ireland’s first accredited inclusive dance training programme – Inclusive Dance Cork – a partnership between University College Cork and others. Talia has been supported by University of Atypical through an iDA grant award.

This piece explores the theme of how we all communicate differently and the barriers which may be encountered. The choreography challenges the audience to be mindful of and to embrace diversity. 

 

This event is part of Bounce Festival 2023 organised by University of Atypical for Arts and Disability. University of Atypical's main funder is The National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland made possible by Lottery Players.

Bounce Festival 2023 is also funded by Belfast City Council.

 

Open Arts:

The mission of Open Arts is to inspire and support the creativity and artistic development of disabled people. There is no similar participatory work happening in Northern Ireland with the ambition and scope; multiple art forms with so many individuals with such varying disabilities and additional support needs: our activities engage people with physical, learning and sensory disabilities; people with mental ill health and those who are neurodiverse. 

www.openartsni.org