info@universityofatypical.org – Page 23

Access and Inclusion Programmes Assistant

Posted on 30 April, 20224 May, 2022 by info@universityofatypical.org

Application deadline: 4pm on Wednesday 8th June 2022.

Alternative formats of application form can be requested at edel@universityofatypical.org

University of Atypical (UofA) is seeking to recruit a new role of Access and Inclusion Programmes Assistant.

UofA addresses issues of participation, inclusion and accessibility so that all people can participate in the arts and creativity sectors. The communities we advocate for include d/Deaf, disabled and people with neuro-diversities who face barriers to participation. We particularly welcome people who identify as d/Deaf, disabled or neurodiverse to apply.

As a new dedicated role within the Atypical team, you will support the organisation in providing advice and responding to enquiries on disability and d/Deaf access and inclusion specialists providers. You will maintain databases in access professionals (translators, audio describers, specialists in disability support) and assist with the Equality and Access Standards Initiative (EASI), assisting with events internally and provide advice to external organisations in meeting their access and inclusion provision, signposting to training and trainers available.

As our you will work alongside the Atypical Team and will have a unique role in developing a database of specialists and in providing advice, advocacy, and support for d/Deaf, neurodiverse and disabled people to be included and active in the arts. As the Access and Inclusion Programmes Assistant you will assist with communications and outreach to networks of contacts within the arts and community sector in Northern Ireland to help them meet their access and inclusion needs.

Application Forms can be found here: APPLICATION PACK

SWADDLE – Dominic McKeown

Posted on 14 April, 202223 June, 2022 by info@universityofatypical.org

The University of Atypical is delighted to invite you to join us for the launch of SWADDLE, a thought provoking new exhibition by Dominic McKeown. Dominic received the University of Atypical’s Graduate Award 2020 and has received mentoring from artists Maud Cotter and Dr Colin Darke in the preparation for his first solo exhibition.

Expressions of Interest – Shutter Art Project (closed)

Posted on 11 February, 20225 March, 2022 by info@universityofatypical.org

The University of Atypical for Arts and Disability and Cathedral Quarter Trust in collaboration with Belfast City Council, Business Cluster and Community Grant Programme invite expressions of interest from artists for a Shutter Art Project.

The project will commission up to 6 original artworks for shutters in Belfast City Centre.

The project theme is entitled ‘Revitalising Royal Avenue: North Street to Donegall Street.’

The project is funded by the DfC Covid- 19 City Revitalisation Programme.

We’re seeking artworks that will engage, surprise and delight in Belfast City Centre

1. Brief

We’re looking for expressions of interest / proposals from artists to:

o enhance the City of Belfast with new artworks on display from the corner of North Street to the corner of Donegall Street along Royal Avenue (see map).
o We will commission 6 artworks
o We will select one artist to produce up to 6 individual artworks
o Selected artwork will be reproduced on shopfront shutters
o Proposed artworks should demonstrate the creative excellence of our city

2. Key dates

o Expressions of interest to be submitted by 22nd of February 2022
o Selection of artist on the 25th of February 2022
o Design work/visuals delivered by agreed by 7th of March 2022
o Painting work begins 12th March 2022

3. Budget

o The commissioned artist will be paid £1000 per shutter.
o The budget covers all costs for preparation, materials, artists fee and final production of the finished artwork.
o Selected artists must ensure safe working practises are in place at all times.

4. Application requirements

o All expressions of interest / proposals must be made through the online form.
o Emailed applications will not be accepted.
o To complete the form, the following information is required:

1. artist/team main contact details
2. artist/team’s short biography or CVs
3. Description of proposed artwork (250 words max)
4. Artist’s images (maximum 10 images).
5. Please ensure that all files are clearly labelled with the applicant’s name.
6. The maximum file size for each file is 5MB.

5. Selection Criteria

Proposals will be assessed against the following criteria:

o creative approach
o Quality of proposal
o use of selected space
o experience of the artist/team
o feasibility of the project

Final selection is at the discretion of the selection panel

6. There is a two-stage selection process

Stage one – an open call for expressions of interest / Proposals:

o Open to individual artists or groups / collectives

Stage two – selection panel will invite shortlisted artist/collectives to submit a detailed proposal.

o 10 designs will be shortlisted
o 6 designs will be selected for reproduction on shutters.
o The artist, group / collective will be paid to develop drawings.
o The development fee is £500

7. Location

Artworks will be sited on shopfronts in the Belfast City Centre along Royal Avenue between North Street and Donegall Street.

8. Submitting proposals
Proposals can be submitted at the following location
CLICK HERE FOR FORM
9. Contact

If you have any queries, please email us at:
deirdre@universityofatypical.org

YES WE ARE IN!

Posted on 7 January, 202211 March, 2022 by info@universityofatypical.org

An international inclusive livestream adventure
IO1-Meeting Brussels

Description:
Five days of intensive training with five theatre groups. All participants, five ambassadors per theatre group are persons with disabilities, full of enthusiasm to perform, to show their theatre and dance skills. This documentary brings an overview of the workshops, interviews with art directors and actors, and reflections on the long-term aims of the YES WE ARE IN project. The documentary shows the diversity of the participants. How some of them, without theatre experience learned a lot from those who are active already for several years. Four of the five groups were never before involved in European projects. For them, and for the city where they come from, this project has a certain impact; proud to be part of a European Erasmus+ project. The five days of cooperation showed also the diversity in the group of art directors and the challenge to become co-creators of the finale live-streamed theatre performances at the end of the project.

An international inclusive livestream adventure
IO2-Meeting Zagreb

In this documentary about the second intensive training meeting of the five theatres in the project, it’s clear that the group immediately felt the results of the regular online meetings since the first physical meeting a year before. the ambassadors had become friends and their interaction in the workshops was much more intense. This allowed the training to go a lot deeper than during the first meeting. The social events were also more open, enjoying the moment together, music, karaoke, dancing. The art directors could finally also meet again physically to exchange their ideas towards the final performances. And the experts from Mediaraven could do in the different rooms from the Tresjnevka Cultural center experiments to go deeper into the live stream technics.

A friend called Loneliness YNY
IO 3 20082021 1 1

A FRIEND CALLED LONELINESS -VISUAL ALBUM is an 8-part video series. It is a
poetic, visual and auditory collection where different aspects of being alone and the
sense of loneliness emerge. How can you be alone? How lonely can you be? Is life
collapsing? How important is friendship? The piece has been created entirely by Theatre
Wärjäämö, a group of artists with disabilities from Tampere, Finland, lead by director
Jarmo Skön. The multidiscplinary art group has been working weekly for 15 years at the
Tampere City Activity Center Wärjäämö in co-operation with Ahjola Adult Education
Center. A FRIEND CALLED LONELINESS- VISUAL ALBUM is also part of the `Yes we
are in’ Erasmus+ -project, in which the group has been involved since 2018 as a partner
with ACCAC Global (Finland). The other partners in the project are from Belgium
(Community Center De Zeyp), Croatia (Culture Center Tresvnejska), England (University
of Wolverhampton) and Northern Ireland (University of Atypical and KIC).

Documentary The power of connection
IO4

YES WE ARE IN! The power of connection” is a concluding documentary about an
Erasmus+ project 2018-2021 in which five theatre groups, with people with
disabilities, made a digital and artistic journey. The ultimate goal would be five live
streamed performances with the online participation of the four partners, from the
other European cities. Due to the pandemic, this goal has not been achieved. The
documentary tells the story of the project through interviews and images from our
international encounters. When Thomas says that he is no longer afraid to look for a
future as an artist instead of his current work, he is expressing what many
participants experience: a growth in self-confidence because they could participate in
a European Erasmus+ project!

CLICK BELOW TO DOWNLOAD LIVE STREAMING GUIDELINES

IO05 YES WE ARE IN some guidelines on live stream

Chris Ledger Legacy Award Winners

Posted on 17 November, 20215 March, 2022 by info@universityofatypical.org

£20,000 Awarded to the Chris Ledger Legacy Award Winners

Four disabled artists have won the Chris Ledger Legacy Awards from The University of Atypical in memory of its much-loved former CEO who died in 2020.
Each of the artists will receive £5,000 to help them continue with their practice and create new work.
The Awards, which have been funded by Unlimited and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, recognise the major contribution Chris made to the arts and cultural sector in Northern Ireland and especially her many initiatives to support d/Deaf, disabled, and Neurodiverse artists.
The four recipients are:

Ruth McGinley. Ruth is a musician and composer originally from Derry/Londonderry but now living in Belfast. Ruth will use her award to focus on creating her second album.
Larry McAree. Larry is a learning disabled artist and storyteller from Belfast. Larry will use his award to create new work.
Shiro Masuyama. Shiro is a Japanese artist who has been living in Northern Ireland since 2010. Shiro will use his award to create a new work that will take place between Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Jonny McAllister. Jonny is a composer, musician and DJ from Derry/Londonderry and will use his award to create a new album.

Damien Coyle, CEO, University of Atypical said: “We are delighted with these awards being made to recognise Chris’s achievements and the inspiration she was to so many people. She’d be thrilled to see this level of award going to support new work by D/deaf, Disabled and Neurodiverse Artists.”

Chris Ledger joined the University of Atypical (then known as the Arts and Disability Forum) as Chief Executive in 2009 and was instrumental in supporting D/deaf, Disabled and Neurodiverse Artists. Her passion and determination shone through everything she did and she touched the lives of so many people in the arts sector.
Jo Verrent, Senior Producer at Unlimited said: “I want to thank every artist from Northern Ireland who applied for the Chris Ledger Legacy Awards, the applications were stunning, and it was so difficult to choose the four recipients but what an amazing four we have and what an amazing range of work and depth of experience those artists are going to bring to us.”

The Chris Ledger Legacy Awards winners video