Accessible Artistry: where do we go from here?

How can people with disabilities become artists? Where does the discrimination start, and what are the solutions?

In Norway it’s been decided on a political level that people with disabilities should be more included in art and culture. That means both more included as an audience and more included as professionals in the field.

The former is a matter of accessibility, something most cultural institutions, venues, and museums already accommodate. It becomes far more problematic when it comes to including individuals with disabilities as professionals, as highlighted in the report ‘Accessible Artistry’ in their research ‘Accessible Artistry?’ published by the Arts Council.

The results reveal that the barriers to working as an artist with a disability in Norway are far greater than the enablers, and that these barriers are systemic and normalised within the arts and culture field as well as on a societal level.

With a keynote from artist Claire Cunningham, recently appointed Einstein Professor of ‘Choreography, Dance and Disability Arts’ at Hochshulübergreifendes Zentrum Tanz Berlin (HTZ) in Berlin, we will in this seminar identify the central barriers, and discuss useful tools for success in Norway and abroad. Working groups at the end of the seminar will give an opportunity to discuss the local context with all actors involved.