Open Arts Community Choir is one of four shortlistees for the 2025 RPS Inspiration Award. We are welcoming public votes to choose the winner – voting is open until 11am on Monday 3 February 2025. The winner will be announced at the RPS Awards on Thursday 6 March at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.
The Open Arts Community Choir (OACC) is an award-winning, dynamic, inclusive choir from Belfast, directed by Beverley McGeown, demonstrating how disabled and non-disabled people from different cultural backgrounds come together through the medium of song. OACC is dedicated to providing high-quality performances across a wide range of musical genres. OACC is part of Open Arts, an arts and disability organisation whose mission is to inspire and support the creativity and artistic development of disabled people.
They have performed throughout the UK and Ireland, at the famous Milwaukee Musical Festival in the US, and their third album Three is available on iTunes. In December 2023, they were placed second in Curfá, an Irish language choir competition, which was televised on TG4. Recent highlights include performances at the Bangor International Choral Festival and recording seven new songs for an audio-visual installation piece at London’s Serpentine Gallery. OACC’s connections within the local community – as well as internationally – are demonstrated in an exceptional year of appearances and performances at a diverse range of events, including the European Association of Sports Management’s gala dinner, an outdoor performance as part of the Open Botanic Festival in Belfast, Christmas Family Fun Day on Portstewart Beach, a collaborative workshop and performance with Ormeau Ukulele Band, and an Inclusive Tourism Event organised by Belfast City Council at Titanic Belfast.
‘I’m a founding member of the Open Arts Community Choir. Community is important to us, having recently performed at a Good Relations event in East Belfast and workshopped with a ukulele band in South Belfast. Competing at high profile events (like Bangor International Choral Festival or the European Choir Games) and making connections with choirs worldwide is also exciting and rewarding. The most inspiring thing for me is how we stayed connected during the pandemic, looking after our physical and mental well-being and keeping valuable friendships alive.’
Breege, alto
‘There must be a special kind of chemistry that allows strangers of all ages, abilities, backgrounds, jobs and home lives, but with a common love of singing, to produce magical moments the way we do. I love how it feels, to work hard as a group and perfect something singularly fabulous, then share it at a variety of events, from carols on Portstewart beach to being part of a London art installation, and everything in between. It's amazing, just like our choir. The Open Arts Community Choir is a very special group of people who have been there every time I’ve needed them.’
Lesley, tenor
The RPS Inspiration Award is generously supported by Presto Music.
