The British Council Promotes “Europe Beyond Access” in Germany
Challenging the Status Quo with Disabled Artists
May 17th, 2023
Europe Beyond Access is an innovative four-year program that aims to alter Europe's performing arts sector by internationalizing the careers of disabled artists. This effort, headed by the British Council, aims to disrupt the current status quo, modernize programming, and establish a network of professional programmers interested in commissioning and presenting disability-driven work.
This initiative is co-funded by the European Commission's Creative Europe program and is led by the British Council in collaboration with prominent organizations such as Kampnagel, Sknes Dansteater, Oriente Occidente, Onassis Stegi, Holland Dance Festival, and Per.Art.
Europe Beyond Access' primary goals are to contribute to the artistic innovation of disabled artists in Europe, to revolutionize the programming palette in European performing arts by showcasing world-class disability-led work, to increase interest, and to create optimal industry conditions for the development, production, and presentation of disabled artists' work.
Kampnagel is an important partner for Europe Beyond Access in Germany. It hosted the inaugural Europe Beyond Access laboratory as Germany's largest production and presentation space for theater, dance, music, performance, and conferences. This laboratory, organized by learning disabled artists Dennis Siedel and Julia Hausermann, brought together disabled artists from each of the seven partner nations to investigate the issue of Dance, Politics, Disability, and the Body.
Europe Beyond Access also creates artist profile videos to promote German disabled artists on a global scale. The movies include the work of artists such as Dennis Seidel (Meine Damen und Herren) and Julia Hausermann (Theater HORA), giving viewers an insight into their creative processes and distinct aesthetic viewpoints.
International collaborations such as Europe Beyond Access are critical for promoting the exchange of creative ideas, encouraging innovation, and boosting the European arts industry. Individuals can discover emerging and established disabled artists, stay informed about upcoming performances, gain insight into workshops and residencies, and help increase public interest in disabled artists' work by sharing their posts by engaging with Europe Beyond Access online through their Facebook and Twitter platforms.
References:
- - https://www.britishcouncil.de/en/programmes/europe-beyond-access
- - https://www.facebook.com/europebeyondaccess/
- - https://twitter.com/disartsint?lang=en
