Group of people dancing and celebrating on stage with colorful lighting.

Opening Doors creates space for creativity, collaboration, and performance.

We offer adults with learning disabilities opportunities to train, explore, and perform across music, dance, and theatre - locally, nationally, and internationally. Through professional guidance, ensemble work, and public performance, we support artists to develop their skills, confidence, and creative voices.

DANCE

Group of performers dancing on stage with their arms raised and smiles, colorful lighting.

Dance training, performance, and creative exploration.

Weekly sessions at SOPA and Alison White Dance Studio focus on rehearsal, creation, and performance.

explore dance

music

A group of six musicians dressed in white shirts and suspenders, playing percussion instruments on a stage with dark curtains, some wearing sunglasses and one wearing a hat.

Music training,
ensemble performance, and creative practice.

Weekly sessions at SOPA support skill development, improvisation, and public performance.

explore music

theatre

Group of four people wearing yellow safety vests standing together indoors, with a few other people visible in the background.

Theatre training, performance, and collaborative creation.

Weekly sessions at Spazju Kreattiv develop ensemble skills, improvisation, and performance.

explore theatre
Group of people in blue t-shirts with text, participating in an indoor activity involving balancing or walking in a line, guided by an older man.

Our Creative Labs provide members with a shared, interdisciplinary space to experiment, collaborate, and co-create. These labs encourage peer-to-peer learning, internal and external collaboration, and the development of creative leadership. Members explore new ideas, refine their artistic voice, and co-develop projects that reflect their experiences - all under one roof. Supported by the ICO grant by ACM, these labs focus on:

creative labs

  • The first year focuses on nourishing internal collaboration and interdisciplinary practice between our talented artists and members and expanding our practice by working together under one roof using all our beautiful resources of music, dance and theatre.

  • The second year focuses on bringing our community together with new approaches through collaboration with local and international artists that can expand our practice.

  • The third year empowers members to take the lead in creating and presenting original works, with support tailored to each person’s capacity and strengths, ensuring everyone’s ideas become a part of a beautiful co-created whole.

Partner Programmes

Opening Doors also works with leading organisations to expand opportunity and excellence across the arts:

People engaging in a lively discussion or debate on stage, with one woman raising her fist and smiling, and a man listening intently.
People engaging in a lively discussion or debate on stage, with one woman raising her fist and smiling, and a man listening intently.

Online Creative Sessions

Through our collaboration with Stepping Stones (UK), members gain the opportunity to join online sessions that merge creative movement and literature exploration with other artists from the UK.

A group of people, mostly women and one young girl, are practicing ballet in a dance studio. They are standing in a line at the barre, extending their arms and focusing on their movements. An instructor is guiding them. There are mirrors on the wall and large decorative letters 'A' and 'W' in the background.

Ballet

Through her generous patronage, Dame Alison White provides Opening Doors members with weekly ballet sessions personally led by her.

These collaborations strengthen our commitment to accessibility, artistic development, and meaningful creative experiences for all participants. If you wish to collaborate with us on creating a partner program,
get in touch today.

Learn more

performances

Since 2010, Opening Doors has presented theatre, dance, music, and interdisciplinary work reflecting the creativity and voices of our members. Highlights include commissions from ŻiguŻajg Festival, Notte Bianca, Malta Spring Festival, Valletta 2018, and international tours.

Group of people hugging and laughing in a circle in a dark room with a black curtain background.

ArtsAbility Weekend

Every December, Opening Doors celebrates the International Day of Persons with Disabilities with inclusive performances and workshops. Every year varies, but it has been the birth place of our music group and a platform for performances, flashmobs, workshops and panels. 

In 2025 Arts Ability was funded by Culture Venture and used as a platform for creative labs with collaborating artists in new disciplines including a workshop with Luke Saydon in musical theatre. Kurt Buttigieg in digital sound making,Christel Elsayaha in film making and a workshop in movement celebration led by Opening Doors member Angela Bettoni with sound artist Luca Selvaggi.

Group of people wearing green shirts playing with colorful balls outdoors near a stone arch.

Educational Outreach

Opening Doors extends its impact through workshops, talks, and conferences:

- School and community workshops

- Professional development sessions and CPD training

- Conferences and academic collaborations and placements on inclusion, accessibility, and the arts. 

These programmes build knowledge, foster inclusive practice, and connect participants and professionals across Malta and beyond.

A diverse group of people dancing and celebrating on a stage, with some holding photographs, under colorful stage lighting.
A group of four people on stage, three women and one man, engaged in a storytelling or theatrical performance. The woman in the white blouse and red skirt is standing and gesturing with her right hand, while the others are seated or standing nearby,
Three people playing drums on stage, with one person in the foreground smiling and holding drumsticks, illuminated by colorful stage lighting.
People, including children and adults, dancing and playing around colorful foam tubes and boxes on a stage in a theater or performance space.
A group of seven performers taking a bow on stage at the end of a show, holding hands and raising them in victory, in front of an audience.
The image shows a theatrical performance with actors in colorful costumes, including a woman in a yellow dress and a man in a black jacket with gold embellishments, dancing on stage. Other actors stand in the background, and audience members are seat
Children and teenagers performing on stage, some reaching towards a curtain, with costumes and a dark backdrop.