Project Arts Centre are hosting their second annual open day, a five-hour free celebration of a variety of creative arts.

13 separate events are set to take place in Project Arts Centre throughout the afternoon of 27 August. Workshops and screenings will commence at 12:00 on Sunday, with DJ sets from 2:30, giving samples of what Project offers.

The open day comes as part of a movement to make Project Arts Centre as accessible and hospitable as possible.

“We want to make sure that the big blue building continues to grow as an important space for engaging new audiences and public curiosity”, the group said on their website.

The open day begins at midday with a “quiet opening”, which focuses on disability and gender identity. During these first two hours of the afternoon, deaf activist and performer, Lianne Quigley, will be hosting a live ISL visual performance. Here she mixes performative art and physical expression with Irish Sign Language.

Meanwhile, upstairs Queer Crip Fits will be exploring how LGBTQ+ identity and disability intertwine with fashion. Renn Miano will be styling clothes attendees bring, helping them to actualise their self expression through their style. Throughout this session, discussions of how individual identity, ablism and self-expression shape our identity with fashion putting us in control of how we’re perceived.

Throughout the first two hours of the afternoon (12-2pm), the area will be tailored specifically for those who would benefit from sensory-adapted environments.

Ramping up the energy, Afternoon Sessions Favour Odusola and dancers will lead an Afro Dance performance through the building culminating in a workshop upstairs.

The dancing doesn’t stop in space upstairs as professional choreographer, Jesse Thompson, will be hosting an improvisation workshop for all skill ranges, culminating in a performance at the end of the session.

Rounding off the afternoon, dance company Junk Ensemble will be screening their works Fallow Table and In Velvet. Their most recent endeavour at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival saw them shortlisted for “The Best Of Edinburgh Fringe Festival” by The Times. There will also be film screenings from award winning Project artists Shaun Dunne and Zoe Ni Riordain. 

Taking over all social spaces up and downstairs, Cub Comfort will be hosting a DJ Set to celebrate the launch of their new book which explores the history of clubbing in Dublin.

The open day is a free event and welcomes all people regardless of disabilities or identity. The area is fully wheelchair accessible and the environment has been tailored to cater for those with hypersensitivity. Attendees can also contact Project Arts Centre to discuss any further accommodation they might need to enjoy their time at the venue.

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