From a practical and logistical point of view, as well as from an artistic and sensory point of view, performing arts are not, or not sufficiently, adapted to the specific needs of people with physical, cognitive or mental disabilities. Participation in art, culture and encounters remains difficult, if not impossible.
However, inclusion is one of the most important values that theatres pursue. Outsider art’ and “crip art” are also becoming increasingly important in the cultural landscape: new works are being created by disabled artists for and by inclusive audiences, with or without disabilities.
Awareness of the lack of accessibility in the performing arts is revealing a lack of knowledge, skills, resources and methodologies specific to the sector. Valuable initiatives are emerging, but they are often short-lived or confined to one structure, city or region. Especially in a border region where borders act as separators between initiatives and where language differences make cross-border accessibility even more difficult.
By pooling their respective experiences, the Flemish and French partners in NEXT want to lay the foundations for a common cross-border strategy on accessibility for people with disabilities in the performing arts. Through concrete actions, we want to enable learning by doing and the professionalisation of teams. At the same time, we will be working with disabled people to better understand their needs.