Open Arts

What Open Arts does

Open Arts is a registered charity founded in 1992 and based in Northern Ireland, operating in the disability and participatory arts sector. The organization delivers inclusive creative programmes — spanning music, dance, drama, and visual arts — to disabled children, young people, and adults across Northern Ireland, supported by a team of approximately 18 staff and a network of freelance practitioners and community partners. In addition to community-facing delivery, Open Arts operates a "Hire Us" B2B programme through which it provides accessible arts facilitation, workshops, and performances to corporate, public-sector, and event clients, generating a modest earned-income stream alongside its core grant funding.

The organisation's underlying operating model is service-delivery rather than technology-platform based. Its principal "products" are group programmes, accredited Arts Award learning (following its 2024 registration as an Arts Award Centre), and commissioned workshops/events. There is no disclosed digital platform, app, or proprietary technology stack; service quality rests on practitioner expertise in accessible facilitation methods, a long-established community of participants, and physical assets including its relocated Gamelan ensemble. Brand and credentials — including charity registration, Arts Award Centre status, and the 2025 Royal Philharmonic Society Inspiration Award — function as intangible infrastructure supporting both participant trust and funder confidence.

Open Arts' revenue model is dominated by grants from public-sector and charitable funders, notably Arts Council Northern Ireland (Multi-Annual Programme Funding), Belfast City Council, and Halifax Foundation Northern Ireland, with supplementary earned income from the "Hire Us" programme and likely individual giving. Pricing for end-users is effectively zero (free at point of delivery), while B2B pricing is bespoke per engagement. The model is structurally non-commercial: scaling requires expanding grant capture or earned-income contracts rather than unit-economics growth, which constrains capital intensity but also caps margin and growth ceiling.

Name

Open Arts

Legal name

Open Arts

Website

https://openartsni.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Open Arts is a Northern Ireland registered charity (founded 1992) delivering inclusive music, drama, dance, and visual arts programmes to disabled children and adults, with an 18-person team, B2B "Hire Us" workshops, and Arts Award Centre accreditation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Arts and Inclusive Community Arts Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Musical Groups and Artists (71113)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB), Visual Arts (Drawing, Painting, Illustration) (EDAAAGAA)

Keywords

• Disability arts programmes
• Participatory arts workshops
• Inclusive community arts
• Arts charity services
• Commissioned arts workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Open Arts accepts donations via PayPal and substantial donations are handled through direct contact with the CEO. The organisation is a registered charity (NIC103341) with HMRC Charitable Status XR20553.
2. Principal Grant Funding: Primary funding from Arts Council of Northern Ireland (Arts and Heritage Multi Annual Funding), Belfast City Council, and Halifax Foundation Northern Ireland to support the core programme and operations.
3. Hire Us / Project Support Services: The 'Hire Us' programme offers training packages, events and entertainment, and project support to other organisations, including the 'Chatting for Change' Living Library programme.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Open Arts is a Northern Ireland charitable organisation that designs and delivers participatory arts programmes for disabled people. Its commercial-style offering is the "Hire Us" programme, through which it provides commissioned workshops and performances to external organisations, alongside "Chatting for Change", a programme focused on conversation and advocacy within the disability community.

Product overview

Open Arts is a charitable arts organisation providing participatory arts programmes for disabled people in Northern Ireland. The core offering consists of weekly sessions across multiple art forms: Monday Players Drama, Luminous Soul Dance Company, Open Arts Community Choir, Gamelan Music Programme, Creative Writing, and Visual Arts. These core programmes are delivered at three venues (Crescent Arts Centre, Divis Community Centre, and Connswater Shopping Centre) and support people with physical, neurodiverse, sensory disabilities, and mental health conditions. Alongside core programmes, Open Arts delivers standalone participatory projects including Take Away Theatre, UpBeat, Movement & Mentoring, and Creative Conversations. The organisation also offers a Chatting for Change training service and operates as a certified Arts Award Centre.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Luminous Soul: A unique, contemporary dance programme providing high-quality dance training and development for disabled people. It is the only company of its kind on the island of Ireland.
• Monday Players
• Open Arts Community Choir
• Take Away Theatre
• UpBeat
• Movement & Mentoring
• Chatting for Change
• Weaving Threads
• Living in a Box
• Creative Conversations

Products and services

• Hire Us Commissioned participatory arts workshops and performances delivered by Open Arts facilitators to external organisations (such as schools, community groups, charities, and local authorities) seeking disability-inclusive creative provision.
• Chatting for Change A participatory arts programme centred on conversation and advocacy, designed for disabled participants to develop voice, agency, and community connection through creative engagement.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mae Murray FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership delivering Movement & Mentoring dance project for young disabled people. Mae Murray Teen Hub members work with Luminous Soul dancers, complete Arts Awards, and perform at Open Arts events and Bounce Festival. Partnership supported by ACNI Young People & Wellbeing Arts Programme.
• University of AtypicalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on Arts and Disability initiatives. Open Arts participates in the annual Bounce Arts Festival hosted by University of Atypical. Luminous Soul dancers have received iDA grant awards through University of Atypical to develop their practice.
• Arts and Business Northern IrelandminorOthersOpen Arts is a member of Arts and Business NI, participating in awards and sector engagement.
• Tourism NI and Visit BelfastcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners in the Belfast Inclusive Tourism project. Open Arts' Lived Experience Team provides insights, accessible itinerary videos, and training modules to improve accessibility in the tourism and hospitality sector.
• Autism Initiatives NIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership delivering UpBeat programme providing creative music and dance sessions for disabled children and young people in the Newcastle & Mourne area, funded by ACNI Rural Engagement Arts Programme.
• Crescent Arts CentrecoreOthersPrimary venue host for Open Arts headquarters and core programme activities. Open Arts is a member of the Crescent Arts Centre's Creative Hub. The venue provides physically accessible facilities including a Changing Place.
• Angel Eyes NIminorOthersListed as a Partner & Friend of Open Arts, suggesting collaboration in the disability arts community.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Graeae Theatre Company: Disability-led touring theatre company producing accessible performances with disabled artists. Directly comparable to Open Arts' Monday Players drama and inclusive production work (e.g., A Midsummer Night's Dream).
• Candoco Dance Company: UK-leading inclusive dance company working with disabled and non-disabled dancers. Highly comparable to Open Arts' Luminous Soul dance programme in mission, methodology, and target participants.
• Drake Music: UK charity pioneering music, disability, and assistive music technology. Overlaps with Open Arts' Gamelan and Community Choir programmes in delivering inclusive music-making for disabled people.
• StopGap Dance Company: UK inclusive dance company producing performance and participatory work with disabled and non-disabled dancers. Closely comparable in service mix to Open Arts' Luminous Soul.
• Extant: UK performing arts company run by and for visually impaired people. Comparable in being a small disability-led arts charity combining performance, training, and accessibility advocacy.
• Mind the Gap: Bradford-based inclusive touring theatre company producing work by learning-disabled and disabled artists. Comparable scope in participatory arts, performances, and training programmes for disabled people.

Regional players

• Arts Care Northern Ireland: NI charity delivering participatory arts across health and community settings. Comparable NI-focused grant-funded arts-delivery model and beneficiary mix to Open Arts.
• University of Atypical: NI disability-arts charity hosting the Bounce Arts Festival and supporting disabled artists. Direct operational peer within Northern Ireland and an active programming partner to Open Arts.
• Disability Arts Wales: Wales's national disability arts development agency. Comparable in mission to support disabled artists, deliver programmes, and advocate; regional rather than direct UK-wide competitor.

Emerging players

• Diverse City: UK inclusive performance company co-producing work with disabled and non-disabled performers. Comparable participatory practice and inclusive-employment ethos to Open Arts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OPENARTSNI
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@openarts7467
• Facebookfacebook.com/OpenArtsNI
• Instagraminstagram.com/open_arts_ni
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/openartsni

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Open Arts