Young people with a range of learning and physical disabilities took to the stage at the Lyric this week to shine a light on their creative skills. Read the full story here: artscouncil-ni.org/news/rogu… @KidsInControl1 @LyricBelfast

Celebrating International Day of Persons with Disabilities were @KidsInControl1 who performed a special piece of work 'Don't Fence Me In' for Brain Injury Matters charity, supported by funding from Arts Council of Northern Ireland and @LyricBelfast. Stars of the stage Stephen Gifford and Kathryn Clarke were among the cast who celebrated the fabulous production with Nora Douds, Chair of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. #ArtsSupportingHealthAndWellbeing @CommunitiesNI @comartspartner @UniAtypical @LottoGoodCauses

Enjoying International Day of Persons with Disabilities are @KidsInControl1 who performed a special piece of work Don’t Fence Me In for charity @BrainInjMatters, supported by funding from @artscouncilNI and @LyricBelfast. Stars of the stage Stephen Gifford and Kathryn Clarke were among the cast who celebrated the fabulous production with Nora Douds, Chair of the Arts Council of NI #ArtsSupportingHealthAndWellbeing @CommunitiesNI @comartspartner @theatredanceni @UniAtypical @LottoGoodCauses

A great investment for the music sector in NI 👏, learn more about the great news and funding programme here: artscouncil-ni.org/news/depa… #ACNISupported @ciaranscull @CommunitiesNI

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland would like to join the many others in paying tribute to Seán Fitzsimons, who died yesterday (Thursday 5th December). A leading disability rights activist on these islands, Seán was Chair of the @UniAtypical, the organization responsible for supporting and empowering d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists across Northern Ireland. Seán was also instrumental, as project lead, in bringing the Harkin Global Disability Employment Summit to Belfast in 2022, only the second time the prestigious event had been delivered outside of the USA. The event brought together international leaders and activists across Business, Government, Philanthropy, the Third and Voluntary Sector and Academia, and the Arts Council was proud to have been invited to chair the panel session on Arts and Disability. He was a disability advisor to the British Council and in 2020 was appointed by the Department for Communities to the Expert Advisory Panel tasked with developing a new Disability Strategy for Northern Ireland, to tackle inequalities and obstacles that affect the everyday lives of d/Deaf and disabled people. Seán was a hugely influential and inspirational figure across the disability and arts communities in Northern Ireland. He will be deeply missed. Our thoughts are with his wife, Nicole, and family at this very sad time.