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Our Services

Project Support

We offer support and advice for disability organisations and artists to identify, apply for and run arts projects. If you would like some advice on running an inclusive art project or general support please contact Eileen, eileen@openartsni.org

Corporate Events

Open Arts can provide high quality entertainment at any civic and charitable event. Whether you are looking for entertainment at a drinks reception or a performance at a festival, we can provide unique entertainment providing that the venue is accessible (we will discuss this with you). To book our Luminous Soul Dance group or Open Arts Community Choir please get in touch.

Team Building

Open Arts offer a range of creative interactive team building activities for businesses and organisations to help reduce employee stress, improve mental health and give team members the opportunity to build relationships in a fun and creative way. All our facilitators are professional artists and have received disability equality training.

Advantages of participating in a creative team building activity:

  • Increased workplace engagement and interaction.
  • Increased staff morale, fun and happiness.
  • Increased workplace problem solving and productivity.

Disability Equality Training (DET)

DET is designed for organisations and groups to a maxium of 20 people. Participants engage with people who have lived experiences and learn about disability in a fun and interactive way. The training is facilitated by Open Arts staff, board and / or participants who all have disabilities. Their disabilities include physical disabilities, blindness, mental health illness and hidden disabilities such as epilepsy. The basic training lasts 2 hours, but there is the option to extended it to a half day (3-4 hours) should you like a more in depth understanding.

In a 2 hour session you will 

  • Gain an overview of many different disabilities from people with lived experience
  • Engage in discussions around disability terminology and language
  • Receive a brief demonstration on how to be a sighted guider for someone with a visual impairment

In a half day (3 – 4 hours) session

In addition to the basic training participants will: 

  • Experience, for example, using a wheelchair, crutches or being sighted guided
  • Have facilitated discussions around attitudes towards people with disabilities
  • The session will also be interspersed with creative activities, for example, singing or movement
  • Brief introduction to BSL (British Sign Language)

The training can be delivered anywhere providing that the venue is accessible (we will discuss this with you).

After the training participants will have a better understanding of many disabilities, the use of language around disability and have reduced misconceptions and misunderstanding.   

If you would like to know more about Disability Equality Training please contact Bev, bev@openartsni.org.

Gamelan Workshops

Open Arts owns the only full Javanese Gamelan in Northern Ireland. It is an extraordinary collection of melodic percussion instruments from Indonesia comprising gongs, metallophones and drums of various shapes and sizes. We provide gamelan sessions for 5 – 12 people and is a great way for a team to work together in a creative and fun way. The instruments are uniquely accessible to play, so no musical experience is necessary and everyone will be playing music together as a group within just one session.

1-2 hour Gamelan session

  • Be introduced to some of the cultural elements of Java
  • Participants will have the opportunity to play a selection of instruments in the Gamelan orchestra in rotation
  • Learn together how to play a piece of traditional gamelan music
  • Musical team-building exercises and games are also included

3-4 hour (half day) Gamelan session

In addition to above participants will: 

  • Have the opportunity to create their own music as a team
  • Learn more about Javanese culture, including traditional dance and wayang (shadow puppets)
  • Get to play all the different instruments in the gamelan of which there are 4 types
  • Short ‘Gong Bath’ at the end to promote relaxation 

5-6 hour Gamelan session (full day)

In addition to above participants will: 

  • Learn to play one or two additional gamelan pieces
  • Delve deeper into Javanese culture
  • Learn more about the structures of gamelan music
  • Have the opportunity to perform and record their music, either as an audio track or a video which can then be shared on the company’s website and social media platforms
  • Extended ‘Gong Bath’ at the end to promote relaxation

Positive effects of playing the Gamelan:

  • Musically challenging – but can also be simplified to any level.
  • Relaxing / therapeutic.
  • Improved concentration, co-ordination & memory skills.
  • Thrill of performing as a group.
  • Joy of learning about a different culture and musical tradition.

If you would like to know more about our bespoke Gamelan workshops please contact Bev, bev@openartsni.org.

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