Exhibition dates: 3 July – 30 July 2025


Exhibition Title: Inner Space, Outer Place

About Us:-

University of Atypical for Arts and Disability is the lead sectoral organisation in arts and disability in Northern Ireland. We are disabled-led, and take an empowerment-based approach towards d/Deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent people’s involvement in the arts, as audience members and creative practitioners. The Atypical Gallery is the only gallery space on this island dedicated to promoting professional artists who identify as d/Deaf, disabled, or neurodivergent. Our Artistic Director, Edel Murphy, is pleased to welcome you to our Art is Collective pop-up exhibition.
About Art is Collective

Art Is Collective is a multi-ability, multi-disciplinary group of artists. They meet every Thursday from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm in 2 Royal Avenue to support each other on their artistic journeys. The Collective emerged when artists Ngaire Jackson and Bronagh Lawson observed that some artists with disabilities or mental health issues needed more of a studio environment to develop their work. 
Art Is Collective provides a supported studio environment dedicated to fostering and nurturing the creative ambition and professional development of their artists. With the support of experienced and established artists including Alastair Mac Lennan and Cobie Moore, those who take part in Art Is Collective can realistically aspire to develop their professional arts practice in a nurturing and creative environment. Art Is Collective continues to develop, evolve and challenge misconceptions around arts, disability, mental health and participation.

About the Artist: Sarah McConnell

Sarah McConnell has been working with Bronagh and Ngaire for six years. She has shown work in several exhibitions across Belfast and held studio space in Belfast School of Art. Apart from the assisted studio time, Sarah says she keeps coming back to the group because of the social aspect to the meetings.
Sarah says her artwork has changed over the years as she has developed and settled on a specific palette. She mainly works in acrylic and watercolours, and occasionally in pastels. Her work is linked to place and nature. She documents the places she has been to through photography that she then works into her paintings.
Art Is Collective is very important to her. As well as the social side to the gatherings, Sarah’s confidence in herself and her work has grown significantly.

About the artist: Jeffrey Roberts

When Jeffrey is asked how long he has been with the group,  he jokes ‘too long’.He agrees with Sarah that being a part of the collective is a great way to meet nice people. 
Jeffrey has been drawing for years. He joined the Art Is Collective group when they were meeting in Castlecourt in 2023, and brought work from home to develop. He also had a studio space with the group when they were based in the Belfast School of Art. Jeffrey had also been drawing in 2 Royal Avenue on a regular basis. They had set up a table to facilitate this. When Art Is Collective needed to find a new space to continue working as a group, they followed Jeffrey to 2 Royal Avenue. Jeffery has been doing colouring in sheets for years but we encouraged him to follow his own idea of what art is and not colour in other peoples lines. Jeffrey sees his designs in his mind and then transfers the outlines onto a surface. He prefers specific types of felt fibre pens of varying thicknesses. He started working on cards and has expanded his range to work on wood and fabric.