On 12 March, all cultural professionals are invited to join an online panel discussion by On The Move on the international mobility of disabled artists. From 11:00 to 12:30 CET, the moderator Jordi Baltà Portalés will initiate a thought-provoking exchange between panellists Lisette Reuter, Onn Sokny and Maria Vlachou, who all stand up for inclusion as head figures of their respective companies.
Although a plethora of studies and guidelines exists concerning the mobility of disabled individuals in the cultural sector, these are not widely spread. In addition, most of them refer to disabled audiences, but do not take disabled people as arts workers into consideration. At the moment artists with an impairment face significant barriers in cross-border touring, which impedes them from many opportunities: networking, knowledge exchange, cultural inspiration and exposure are just some of the advantages of international mobility disabled artist can’t enjoy to the highest possible degree for now. It takes cross-sectoral work and concrete action plans to tear down existing barriers.
This webinar takes place in a multiannual framework co-funded by the European Union, in which On the Move hosts online conferences on artistic mobility twice a year. Exemplary topics include cross-border touring and mental health, parenting or the touring between the UK and the EU. In relation to the project Europe Beyond Access, two large-scale case studies were carried out for the British council and, together with recent regional or EU initiatives for artists with all kinds of disabilities, form the discussion basis of this year‘s meeting. Those studies are: Time to Act: How lack of knowledge in the cultural sector creates barriers for disabled artists and audiences (Baltà, Ellingsworth, Floch: 2021) and Time to Act: Two Years On, Data-led Insights on Performing Arts and Disability in Europe (Baltà, Ellingsworth: 2023). Based on these existing datasets and advancements, the panel is expected to lead to new solutions in the fostering of mobility for disabled artists.
Are you eager to see the cultural sector become accessible not only for audiences, but for artists? Then find more information on the webinar or register directly here.
