Welcome

We worked really hard, we had a ball and we achieved fame, for a while, but now the Open Arts Choir has been stood down. We sang out best on Saturday and Sunday but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to get us through to the public voting stage.  All choir members are enjoying a well-earned rest before they set off for Liverpool where they’ll be singing at the Dada Fest on Saturday 6th September.  See you there.

Inspired by an exhibition of Korean ceramics at the Ormeau Baths Gallery the Open Arts visually impaired art group worked on their own ceramics.

Usually the choir  has a break over the Summer.  Not this year!  Since its success in Last Choir Standing (having made it through to the last 15) the choir has been working flat out as they are determined to be one of the final 6 and take part in the live shows.  Thye’ve been rehearsing almost every night this week and a choreographer came over from London to help extract every last ounce of feeling from the new songs they are learning .  The next show they appear in will definitely be a winner.

Open Arts festival Choir took part in the Ballymena Music festival on Saturday 1st march. They were the only choir to sing in the Mixed Vocie Choir section, but sang their two songs beautifully, received a very complimentary report from the adjudicator, Elizabeth Bicker, and a wonderful cup. They also came joint first in the Best Choir category, taking home a superb silver trophy to keep for six months and half the bursary of £500 donated by Ballymena Borough Council. It was a great night for everyone as we all were able to  see the brand new Braid Arts Centre, which has been built around the refurbished Town Hall.  Well  done to the Festival Choir!

There are two visual arts classes running every week. One takes place in Morton Community Centre on the South of the city, the other in Dee Street Community Centre, to the East.

Our Javanese gamelan with gongs, metallophones and wonderful sounds is currently working in Cregagh Youth Centre as a Creative Youth Partnerships project with pupils from Cregagh’s hard of hearing unit and pupils from Knockbreda’s learning support unit. The talented musical facilitators, Bev and Iain, are making a dvd to demonstrate to teachers how the musical techniques they use with the gamelan can be equally successful on class-room instruments or even household objects, such as saucepans, pyrex bowls and teapots! The project continues until 19th February and the dvd should  be available by April.

Be in at the start of our dance class with Nicola Currie.  If you like music and need exercise and love to have fun, this is the class for you., regardless of age, ability or background.  It starts at 11.30 in the Crescent and lasts for an hour.  There’s a gentle warm up at the beginning and the chance to practise learning sequences of movements, then if you want to star you can always perform for the whole group.  Come and enjoy yourself.

A LOT LIKE YOU
Open Arts Drama Group presents sketch show in Black Box, Belfast

The Monday Players, a diverse group of people with disabilities, who meet every Monday at the Crescent Arts Centre will be showing ‘A LOT LIKE YOU’, a comedy show at the Black Box in Belfast on Friday 8th February at 1.30pm and 3.30pm. A comedy show is probably not what the general public would expect to see from this group, but it is a good way of telling people about disability issues and raising awareness.

‘One of the most notable traits of the group is their sense of humour’, say the two drama facilitators, ‘so it was only natural to work on a comedy show. There also is a lot of support between the different members and everyone is welcome to join in.’ All the sketches were developed over the last few months by using improvisation and then eventually scripting scenes from suggestions and ideas that developed in rehearsal and through discussion.

The show is free of charge but donations to cover costs will be welcome. ‘We are forming a closer relationship with the Black Box as a venue’, says Kate Ingram, director of Open Arts, ‘We hope to run a regular nightclub for people with disabilities in it, funding permitting, so this seems like a good introduction to the venue.’ For more information about the show or Open Arts please contact Kate on 02890 312515 or email openarts@aol.com