Open Arts set to launch a new book

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Open Arts inspires and supports the creativity and artistic development of disabled people through its weekly classes in a wide range of art forms - music, drama, dance, writing and visual art.

Open Arts participants have a range of disabilities, including physical, sensory, learning disabilities and mental health illness.

Eileen Branagh, Chief Executive of Open Arts said: “The dual meaning of the title ‘Word(‘)s Out’ - facilitating disabled people to express themselves creatively and enabling them to be seen and heard by showcasing their talents - neatly encompasses what Open Arts has been doing for the past 30 years. The themes of ‘Words Out’ include family, nature, love and creativity and the work is funny, moving, quirky, thought-provoking and fresh.”

Andrew Ward, a member of the Open Arts Creative Writing group whose work features in the book said: “Open Arts is my creative and social lifeline and being part of the organisation has helped me enormously over the past couple of years. As well as the great support I receive in the writing class and opportunities to be part of projects like ‘Words Out’, the Open Arts team has also helped me to access my own funding. I now have mentors who are helping me to create my own work that explores my feelings about my diagnosis of autism later in life.”

To book your ‘Pay What You Want’ ticket for the launch of ‘Words Out’ at the Crescent Arts Centre on Thursday June 16, search ‘Open Arts Book Launch’ at www.belfastbookfestival.com.

Copies of ‘Words Out’ will be available for free from June 17 from the Crescent Arts Centre and University of the Atypical.