Bounce Arts Festival offers a dynamic programme showcasing the talents of disabled, d/Deaf and neurodivergent artists in Belfast and Derry. Organised by University of Atypical – a disabled-led arts charity championing greater inclusion in the arts – the festival is the only dedicated showcase for disabled artists in Northern Ireland.
Running from 2–5 October, the four-day festival takes on the theme ‘Not just…’, designed to spark creative conversations on disability representation, diversity and intersectionality within the arts sector.
“‘Not just…’ is deliberately obscure as we want people to think about it, question it and start to engage in conversations with us. The theme arose from d/Deaf, disabled or neurodivergent having different responses to identifying as such. Sometimes artists feel that labels are limiting rather than liberating and this is something we wanted to explore,” says Edel Murphy, CEO and Artistic Director at University of Atypical.
The festival offers a professional platform for artists across all disabilities in theatre, dance, film, circus and visual arts. Highlights include Choral Constellation by Open Arts Choir, Out of the Box featuring neurodivergent and disabled comedians, and physical theatre from the Rogue Encounters ensemble.
The team prioritises accessibility across the festival, providing sign language, audio description and only use venues that meet high accessibility standards.
Edel highlights the role of the charity’s volunteer team, Bouncers, who help make the festival happen. “I started out as a volunteer many years ago at University of Atypical and really got to know the disability arts sector through this festival,” says Edel. “It had a huge positive impact on my perception of disability and of myself as a disabled person – and now I am the CEO.
“I know that this festival changes lives, changes perceptions and this is what makes me excited. Plus it’s a blooming great craic!”
To book tickets to events, visit the Bounce Arts Festival page on University of Atypical website.
