The Arts & Disability Forum

General information

The Arts & Disability Forum is a disabled-led arts charity, taking an empowerment based approach towards supporting disabled and deaf people’s involvement in the arts. The company specialises in developing and promoting the work of artists who are disabled and deaf and in reaching disabled and deaf audiences. Membership of the ADF is free to disabled/deaf individuals.

The ADF’s lead funder is the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and additional core funding is provided Belfast City Council. The company attracts project support from a range of other funders and earned income from ticket sales. Donations from individuals and from businesses are very welcome and this is used as matched funding for project grants.

Working with all art forms and across all impairments, the ADF delivers a year-round programme of exhibitions and events, including Bounce! Arts Festival, which presents an exciting range of music, theatre, dance and visual arts by artists who are disabled /deaf, alongside family friendly activities.

The ADF Gallery shows work by disabled and deaf artists on a year-round basis. It is on the Ground Floor of Cathedral Quarter Workspaces, at the Belfast Telegraph end of Royal Avenue (opposite the Mace shop/Central Library).

The ADF manages the iDA grant scheme for disabled/deaf artists, with funds from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, and the Arts & Disability Equality Charter, which supports venues to be as accessible as possible for disabled/deaf audiences and artists.