Panel: ‘Inclusion and culture at the European level. Learning from Europe’

Date: June 22, 2021 - June 22, 2021
Location: Germany

A simple blue graphic with the title of the conference and symbols for music, drawing, and listening.

On 22 June at 15:55 CEST, Ben Evans (Head of Arts & Disability at the British Council, EU Region, and Project Leader for Europe Beyond Access) will be speaking about Europe Beyond Access at the conference “Culture needs inclusion – inclusion needs culture”.

About the conference

In 2009 Germany adopted the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ( UN – BRK) ratified. This international law treaty specifies the rights of people with disabilities in all areas of life, including the areas of media and culture. But what about the presence of disabled people in the cultural sector and in the media? How many can be seen, experienced, heard – naturally as artists? How open are cultural institutions or media companies to disabled employees? And what about the audience? How inclusive are cultural institutions? What special offers are there for disabled people and how accessible are they? And finally: How do we stand in a European and international comparison?

These questions alongside others will be investigated in a joint meeting of the Federal Government Commissioner for the Issues of People with Disabilities and the German Cultural Council on June 22, 2021 from 12 noon. The aim is to gain insights into different fields of the cultural sector and to explore together examples of best practice that already exist. What are the challenges and, above all, what steps have to be taken in the future so that disabled people can work in the culture sector and media industry, and fully participate in art and culture.

An introduction will be provided by the Federal Commissioner for the Disabled Jürgen Dusel and the President of the German Cultural Council Prof. Dr. Susanne Keuchel, followed by a series of four panel discussion.

15:55 CEST Panel 4, ‘Inclusion and culture at the European level. Learning from Europe’

The panel will take place with live text interpretation and live audio description. It is simultaneously translated into German Sign Language and Easy Language. There will be the opportunity to participate in the discussion via an interaction tool or to be connected via video, also with sign language interpretation.

  • Claire Cunningham Scottish choreographer and dancer, winner of the German Dance Prize 2021
  • Ben Evans Head of Arts & Disability, British Council EU Region , Project Leader Europe Beyond Access
  • Barbara Gessler Head of Unit Creative Europe at the European Commission
  • Barbara Lison President IFLA – International Library Association, Chief Library Director of the Bremen City Library
  • Lisette Reuter Un-Label , head of the EU cultural projects ImPArt and Creability

The full programme for the conference is available here: https://www.behindertenbeauftragter.de/DE/Kultur/Kulturrat/kultur-braucht-inklusion_node.html

As well as UK disabled dance artist Claire Cunningham and the British Council’s Ben Evans, the conference also features some key artists and managers within Europe Beyond Access, including: Amelie Deuflhard Artistic Director at Kampnagel Hamburg, and Julia Häusermann (learning disabled artists with Theater HORA-Stiftung Züriwerk).

Watch our artist profile film about Julia Häusermann‘s work here: