Northern Ireland’s music scene isn’t just shaped by musicians, venues and industry professionals. It’s also built by a wealth of brilliant organisations and charities working tirelessly to make music more open, inclusive and accessible to everyone.
Whether in Belfast or right across the North, these groups help create a supportive environment where people from all walks of life can make, enjoy and share music, regardless of age, background or ability.
Are we missing an organisation or charity that plays a crucial role in our music community? Let us know at news@musicconnections.com
Oh Yeah Music Centre
As Belfast’s dedicated, award-winning music hub, the Oh Yeah Music Centre (pictured above) is at the beating heart of the local scene. Since 2007, its home on Gordon Street in the Cathedral Quarter has offered rehearsal rooms, gigs, workshops and the Northern Ireland Music Exhibition, and it produces the Sound of Belfast festival and the NI Music Prize each November.
Just as importantly, it’s been a driving force for inclusion, with programmes for young people like Volume Control, Girls Rock School NI weekends and projects that give a voice to under-represented groups in our music community.
Drake Music NI
Since 1992, Drake Music NI has been breaking down barriers to music-making for disabled people. Using adapted instruments and music technology, it runs inclusive workshops, ensembles and bands, one-to-one tuition and wellbeing programmes, giving people of all abilities the chance to create, perform and explore music.
It has bases in Newry and Belfast, along with a music hub in Derry~Londonderry, and works with charities and community groups right across Northern Ireland.
Learn more about Drake Music NI
University of Atypical
University of Atypical is Belfast’s disability-led arts charity, championing d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists. It offers one-to-one support and opportunities, runs the annual Bounce Arts Festival and delivers the Sounds Atypical music grants with Belfast City Council, helping disabled musicians create and present new work. It’s a vital part of Northern Ireland’s push for a more inclusive arts sector.
Beyond Skin
Founded in 2004, Beyond Skin is an intercultural arts collective that uses music, arts and media to build peace and tackle racism and sectarianism in Northern Ireland and beyond. Its concerts, workshops and community programmes bring together artists from diverse backgrounds, from its Sound of Belfast concerts to projects with Afghan women artists and a musical collaboration between Belfast and Kolkata. It’s also a strong voice for artistic freedom.
Northern Ireland Music Therapy Trust
Supporting people across Northern Ireland since 1990, the Northern Ireland Music Therapy Trust provides music therapy for children, young people and adults affected by illness, injury, disability or difficult life events. Its work covers mental health, dementia care, neurodiversity, rehabilitation and palliative care, and it also offers training for schools and healthcare professionals.
Black Moon
Belfast’s longest-running club night of its kind, Black Moon is a disabled-led night at the Black Box, created by and for people with learning disabilities. It offers a safe, welcoming space to dance, socialise and enjoy live music, and showcases disabled DJs and bands. Supported by Belfast City Council’s Teenage Kicks funding, it has also run alcohol-free editions for 12 to 17-year-olds. It’s a powerful example of how music brings people together.
Beat Carnival
For more than 30 years, Beat Carnival has brought colour, rhythm and community to Belfast’s streets. The carnival arts charity stages inclusive parades and outdoor events, including its much-loved floats for the St Patrick’s Day parade, and runs free workshops in music, dance and costume-making for people of all ages and abilities, working with communities right across the city.
Girls Rock School NI
Founded in 2016 as the first collective of its kind on the island of Ireland, Girls Rock School NI is a volunteer-led project encouraging girls, women and gender-expansive people to pick up an instrument and make some noise. Its sessions at Oh Yeah let young people aged 10 to 17 try guitar, bass, drums, vocals and songwriting, no experience needed, and it’s part of a global network of rock camps working for gender equality in music.
Learn more about Girls Rock School NI
Over The Hill
One of the many success stories to come out of the Oh Yeah Music Centre, Over The Hill brings together older musicians who may feel disconnected from today’s music industry. It gives them space to collaborate, perform and share their experiences, so no musician is left behind, regardless of age.
Live Music Now
Live Music Now brings live music to people who might otherwise miss out, working across Northern Ireland as well as England and Wales. Its professional musicians perform and run creative projects in care homes, hospitals and dementia Memory Cafés, and with disabled and autistic children and young people in schools, using live music to improve wellbeing and quality of life.
Music Matters NI
Founded in Omagh in 2013, Music Matters NI is a community music service offering creative workshops for children, older people and vulnerable adults. Its sessions help people to sing, dance, compose, record and perform, with a focus on creativity, inclusion and fun.
Find out more about Music Matters NI
Last updated October 2026.