Connection Art Centre for Inclusion Week 

Connections Arts Centre is a Not for profit Social Enterprise.

13.5% of people in Ireland live with a disability, 43% of these people, aged 15 and over report some sort of Depression. Isolation, loneliness and an inaccessible world, this is their reality today. The benefits of participating in the Arts for the Disability Community are well documented. The Arts have therapeutic value for people with disabilities, they can encourage self-discovery, emotional growth, and provide emotional and physical integration.

At Connections Arts Centre, we provide accessible online, blended and in-person Arts & Lifestyle programs, where the wider Disability Community can learn, grow, and connect through the Arts. All our programmes are designed and led based on the needs of the participants, and hosted by experienced facilitators. We provide a wide selection of programmes including Music, Art, Creative Writing, Make-up, and more.

Since our launch, we have had participants join these programmes from all over Ireland, from Cork to Dublin. Part of our mission at Connections is to empower members of the Disability Community to develop their skills. Our online Gallery and Gift shop champions and supports Artists with Disabilities.

Connections also works collaboratively with individual organisations, designing bespoke programmes to suit their needs. To date, we have worked with organisations such as Enable Ireland, Down Syndrome Dublin, South Dublin City Partnership Ability programme and many more. By working with a Not for Profit Social Enterprise, these organisations are in turn helping us to support the wider Disability Community.

We have recently received an Inner City Enterprise Award, and a grant from the Bank of Ireland Begin Together Fund in partnership with Business to Arts. These awards will help increase the profile of Connections, helping us to build awareness for what we are trying to achieve with the Disability Community. Therefore, enabling us to achieve our mission, to support and connect the wider Disability Community through the Arts, removing any barriers to participation.

Check out our video for this event on YouTube: