The British Council has commissioned On the Move, the international cultural mobility network, to lead a study into the level of knowledge and experience held by European cultural operators in relation to disabled artists and their works. The study will also look at the level of knowledge of ways to make performing arts programmes accessible to disabled artists and to disabled audiences. Our aim is to understand in more detail the barriers which exist in Europe’s performing arts sector, and to identify key areas where knowledge could be increased and practices improved.
The study is part of the large-scale cooperation project Europe Beyond Access. Co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, this initiative aims to support disabled artists* to break the glass ceilings of the contemporary theatre and dance sectors. The core partners of the project are British Council, Onassis Stegi (Greece), Holland Dance Festival (The Netherlands), Kampnagel (Germany), Per.Art (Serbia), Skånes Dansteater (Sweden) and Oriente Occidente (Italy).
More information about the project and the opportunities it offers can be found here.
This survey is the first of its kind – in terms of scope and target groups – to be run at the level of Creative Europe countries and Switzerland.** There are around 40 questions, most of them multiple choice. Your contribution should take about 15 minutes and will be all the more important in a context where cultural accessibility are being challenged by the Covid-19 crisis and the realignment of support systems.
This survey is open to:
- Professionals working for venues and festivals.
- Artists and cultural professionals in the performing arts (such as agents, producers, technicians, front of house staff, bookers, authors, dramaturgs, translators, etc.).
- Representatives of agencies and funding bodies.
- People active in networks, federations, resource or info points, etc.
Thank you in advance for your time! Don’t forget that if you are not comfortable in English, you can provide answers in your own language!
Deadline: extended till 30 October!
* We use the term ‘disabled artists’ as is preferred in the UK sector, but we are aware terminologies and concepts around disability vary enormously, even between English-speaking countries.
As a point of reference, we note the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006) which states: “Persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.”
** https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/creative-europe/content/creative-europe-participating-countries_fr
