Candoco Dance Company ‘push boundaries of contemporary dance beyond usual expectations and broaden people’s perception of what dance is and who can dance’.

In November 2009, as the launch of the Luminous Soul dance project, 2 dance facilitators from Candoco Dance Company in London worked with disabled people at the All Souls Church Hall, Elmwood Ave, Belfast. Since then we have worked with nearly 60 disabled people in Omagh, Derry and Ballymena and with the help of our international tutors, have selected 12 disabled people who we believe have the potential to work towards becoming professional dancers. Participants who are selected are then invited to attend five day long residentials (free of charge). The first of these residentials is happening in the Crescent Arts Centre, Belfast on the 17th to the 22nd of October. The week will be facilitated by the Blue Eyed Soul Dance Company.

For information about how to take part in Luminous Soul, click here.

Coming soon:
Newry Dance Development Day
Newry Sports Centre, Wed 8th September 2010 (10.30 – 15.30)
Facilitated by Marc Brew

Registration forms available now!

The Open Arts Community Choir took part in the Bangor International Choral Festival last Saturday, 24 April 2010, with choirs competing from Wales, Scotland, Bath, Northern Ireland and the Philippines.

The stars of the evening were the amazing Philippino choir from the University of Santo Tomas; all talented university music students who are doing a 4-month tour of Europe. They came first in almost every category in the Bangor festival with their incredible sound and technically demanding songs. Nevertheless, they were relegated to 2nd place on Saturday night when the Open Arts Community Choir won the Light Entertainment category with “And So It Goes” by Billy Joel, “Stairway to Paradise” by George Gershwin, and a beautiful arrangement of “Danny Boy”! The adjudicators awarded the Open Arts Community Choir the top mark of 90+ (Outstanding), with the comment, “I admire your ability to sing with the lightest of vocal tone and yet maintain dynamic and musical control. This was a stunning performance.”

Well done again Open Arts!!

But it was the Open Arts Community Choir that walked away with first prize

Open Arts
Crescent Arts Centre
2-4 University Rd
Belfast
BT7 1 NH
New permanent phone number: 02890 240765

For more information on the Crescent Arts centre click here.

The Crescent Arts Centre, home of the Open Arts office

David Hill, chair of the Crescent : “Everything is accessible now which is something that was a problem with the old building. Only the ground floor – indeed parts of it – were accessible from a disabled point of view. So really I’m glad that we’ve got to the stage where we’ve got full access throughout the building. That’s important.”

Liz Doonan: “The fact that we have a lift now and access to all of the floors for disabled people and people who can’t make stairs, that’s very good and we were lost without that. Before, I mean, Beverly who runs the Open Arts choir – I hadn’t realised, but she had never actually seen the top floor in this building.”

For a video and interview about the refurbishment click here.

On Tuesday 16th February we had a feedback session in which we invited our summer scheme attenders to come to the Ulster Hall and enjoy working with music and visual arts. This was an end in itself, but we also wanted ideas on what to do in 2010’s Summer Scheme. We learned some songs, we made masks and plaques to hang on the wall and we were given all sorts of exciting ideas. Some of the suggestions for what to do were a little impractical (a trip to New York City or the Jungle) and some were much more do-able, like a musical or a visit to the park. The Zoo seemed to be a favourite place to visit. Some of the ideas appear here as pictures drawn by our eager beavers. Now all we have to do is go away and create a timetable which accommodates all those ideas and hope that Children in Need, who very kindly funded last year’s Summer Scheme, will support this one.

Open Arts Community Choir – Many Hands…
Tracklisting
1 Kwaze (African Gospel) – soloist Margaret Mann
2 I’ll Say a Little Prayer For You – soloists Anne McCambridge, Margaret Mann, Gareth Smyth, Alan Beattie
3 Stay
4 Can You Feel The Love Tonight? – soloist Andrea Hope
5 Babethandaza/Fan Ban (African)
6 Java Jive
7 Moon River
8 Psallite
9 Blue Bird – soloist Andrea Hope
10 Something Inside So Strong – soloists Maria Svabova, Gareth Smyth, Lesle Dickie, Andrea Hope
11 ABBA Medley
12 Freedom – soloist Andrea Hope
13 Be My Baby

Copies of the CD are available for £10 each.

Contact either in person or by post (by post, add £3 P&P):
Beverley Whyte
Music Director for Open Arts
The Crescent Arts Centre
165 Ormeau Road
Belfast

The Open Arts choir performing ‘Mama Mia’ on Last Choir Standing. Copyright remains with BBC.

More videos of the choir are available here.

Venue: The Black Box, Cathedral Quarter, Belfast
Time: Wednesday 27 January 1.00 pm
Tickets: £5.00 + hot lunch (supplied by La Boca Restaurant and The John Hewitt)

Lunch will be served on entry. Please ensure to arrive no later than 1.00 pm. The Black Box is fully wheelchair accessible. Guide dogs are welcome.

Tickets can be purchased online at The Out To Lunch website (no booking fee) or at the Belfast Welcome Centre, Donegall Place, Belfast, 028 902466609 (booking fee applies). Other enquiries: CQAF, 028 90232403.

The Open Arts Community Choir (OACC) is a choir for anyone aged 16 or over, regardless of disability, race, gender or past musical experience. It has been running for 9 years now, with 33 members, and an eclectic repertoire; from Gospel to Pop, and World to Cabaret.

They have performed at numerous venues in the UK & Ireland, including the Belfast Waterfront Hall, Odyssey Arena, Liverpool’s DaDa Festival, and the International Eisteddfod in Wales. They made a huge impression on BBC1 last summer when they fought their way into the final 14 UK choirs in the hit TV show Last Choir Standing!