This is an extensive (but not comprehensive) directory of European disability arts festivals whose remit is (primarily) to support the presentation of, and discussion about, work made by disabled artists and/or inclusive companies. This list has been compiled using desk research, recommendations from key partners and user-submitted entries. We cannot guarantee that all information will be accurate and up to date.
If you know of a European disability arts festival that is missing from the list, please contact: info@disabilityartsinternational.org
Austria
Name: InTaKT Festival
Location: Graz
About: The inclusive InTaKT Festival for dance, culture, and theatre, is an important staple of cooperation in our society. No matter whether young or old, no matter what origin, able-bodied and/or intellectually impaired – no one should and must not be excluded on the basis of different characteristics. Everyone should be given the same opportunities, also in the cultural sphere and within the framework of our festival.Over the course of several days, we offer an interesting programme and therefore invite national and international disAbled Artists an Companys: dance, theatre and film, workshops, discussions and readings, also for young audience.– there is something for everyone.
Frequency: Annually (November)
Artform(s): Dance, theatre, cross artforms
Website: https://intakt-festival.at/en
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/InTaKT.Graz/
Name: SICHT:WECHSEL (VIEW: CHANGE)
Location: Linz
About: The non-profit association Integrative Kulturarbeit was founded in 2005 in Linz / Upper Austria with the aim of promoting the art of people with disabilities and making it accessible to the general public in as comprehensive a form as possible.
Frequency: Every two to three years
Artform(s): Dance, theatre and visual art
Website: www.sicht-wechsel.at
Belgium
Name: FEST’DIF
Location: Villeurbanne
About: Fest’Dif as a place of social and professional integration, an invitation to meet, share and be open to others; a time of festive conviviality on the themes of difference and diversity, including workshops and performances. Fest’Dif makes visible sports and artistic creations developed by people with disabilities or any other arts professional with an inclusive conduct promoting social diversity in their practice.
Frequency: Annually (May)
Artform(s): Theatre, dance, music, cinema
Website: http://www.festdif.com/
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/FestDif-306481549469363/
Finland
Name: ACCAC (Accessible Arts and Culture)
Location: Tampere
About: The Accessible Arts and Culture association was founded in Tampere, Finland in 2011, The principle of Accessible Arts and Culture activities is to provide events, cultural services providers, organisations, theatres and companies with concrete assistance related to improving accessibility and reaching new audiences and participants. The goal of the association is to improve accessibility in the Finnish culture and events field and to promote equal participation in cultural events for all people. The first ACCAC Festival&Congress event took place in 2013, with further events in 2015 and 2016. ACCAC Festival&Congress is one of the Ministry of Education and Culture’s key cultural export projects.
Frequency: Typically biennial
Artform(s): Cross artform
Website: http://accac.fi/fp_2018_en
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/accac.international/
www.twitter.com/accacfi
France
Name: Orphee Festival
Location: Paris, The Yvelines, The Val D’oise – set to become regional as of 2018.
About: This festival takes all its meaning and its interest to be accompanied by a real field work, intended to facilitate access to the culture of disabled people and to promote social diversity in theaters, cinemas and libraries. It showcases high quality contemporary ‘art and disability’ work.
Frequency: Biennial
Artform(s): Cross artform
Website: http://orpheevivalavida.artsenfolies.org
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/theatre.ducristal
https://www.instagram.com/theatreducristal/
Name: Art et Décirure
Location: Rouen, Normandy
About: Since 1988, the Art et Décirure festival has been supporting and spreading artistic expression in all its forms to people with mental illnesses.
Frequency: Once a year, at different times of year.
Artform(s): Cross artform
Website: www.artetdechirure.fr
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/Festival-Art-et-D%C3%A9chirure-371050069809/
https://www.twitter.com/Art_Dechirure
Name: Clin d’Oliel
Location: Reims
About: Since 2003, the Clin d’Oeil Festival has been organized every two years by the association CinéSourds, whose mission is to introduce the Sign Language in all the diversity of its culture and artistic forms.
Frequency: Every other year, 2019 will be in July
Artform(s): Cross artform
Website: https://www.clin-doeil.eu/
Social media: www.facebook.com/FestivalClindOeil
www.instagram.com/festivalclindoeil
Germany
Name: Sommerblut Festival (Summerblood Festival)
Location: Cologne
About: SUMMERBLOOD, the “Festival of Multipolar Culture”, sees itself as an inclusive cultural festival that unites different social, social and political viewpoints and identities. The concept of inclusion is here deliberately broad: it is about physical and cognitive features, ways of life, value systems, traditions, beliefs – all that determines the identity of each human being and the daily discourse in our society.
Frequency: Annual (May)
Artform(s): Cross artform
Website: www.sommerblut.de
Social media: www.facebook.com/Sommerblut
Name: No Limits Festival
Location: Berlin
About: The festival NO LIMITS is looking for strategies on how artists with disabilities can act politically on stage.
Frequency: Annual (May)
Artform(s): Theatre, music, occasionally visual arts
Website: www.no-limits-festival.de
Social media: www.facebook.com/no.limits.festival
www.twitter.com/lh_kunstkultur
www.instagram.com/lh_kunstkultur
Name: Kultur vom Rande (Culture From the Edge)
Location: Reutlingen
About: Culture From the Edge is an international festival for theater groups in which people with disabilities are artistically active.
Frequency: Every two or three years
Artform(s): Theatre
Website: www.kultur-vom-rande.de
Social media: www.facebook.com/kulturvomrande
Name: Grenzenlos Kultur
Location:Mainz
About: “Grenzenlos Kultur” is not only Germany’s oldest theatre festival with disabled and non-disabled artists. But also a very lively platform well known beyond the borders of Mainz, which shows unusual, often experimental, mostly socio-politically motivated forms of art and theatre.
Frequency: Annual (September)
Artform(s): Theatre
Website: http://grenzenloskultur.de
Social media: www.facebook.com/grenzenloskulturmainz
www.twitter.com/lh_kunstkultur
www.instagram.com/lh_kunstkultur
Greece
Name: Kyma Festival
Location:Mainz
About: Kyma Festival is organized by Kyma Project, a platform for inclusive dance created by Angeliki MItropoulou. It includes dance and theater workshops accessible for everyone and performances by international and national mixed-ability companies. The first edition of the festival was supported by START-create cultural change and took place in May 2018 at theater of Athens School of Fine Arts.
Frequency: Annual
Artform(s): Dance/performance
Website: www.kymaproject.com
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/kymaproject/
www.instagram.com/kyma_project
Italy
Name: Oriente Occidente (East West)
Location: Rovereto
About: Oriente Occidente was founded in 1981 to actively strengthen the role of contemporary dance in Italy. As one of the leading European dance festivals, Oriente Occidente hosts artist residencies, seminars, lectures, workshops and performances, which encourage exchange between cultures, genres and languages of contemporary dance. Oriente Occidente hosts leading artists’ and companies’ premieres from all over the world, at the cutting edge of the form. The programme is of the highest quality to promote development, availability and diversity of dance for audiences and mass media.
Frequency: Annual (September)
Artform(s): Dance
Website: www.orienteoccidente.it
Social media: www.facebook.com/FestivalOrienteOccidente
www.instagram.com/orienteoccidente
www.twitter.com/festival_oo
Name: Da Vicino Nessuno è normale (Up close, nobody is normal)
Location: Milan
About: Since 1997, the festival “From near nobody is normal” animates the Milan summer evenings. The former psychiatric hospital, as an emblem of exclusion, has become a public square of sociality and culture, a strong sign that even in the suburbs it is possible to have a public life full of quality, accessible events.
Frequency: Annual (June/July)
Artform(s): Cross artform
Website: http://www.olinda.org
Social media: https://it-it.facebook.com/Da-vicino-nessuno-%C3%A8-normale-133405003337380/
www.twitter.com/OlindaOnlus
www.instagram.com/olinda_onlus
Name: Fuori Posto (Out of Place)
Location: Rome
About: Fuori Posto, FESTIVAL DI TEATRI AL LIMITE is a festival that chooses to offer its shows only in places out of place: markets, squares, metro, galleries, monuments, cultural centers. Out of place is a festival that approaches the public until it becomes part of the work. The Fuori Posto festival tells stories that make the “difference”, proposes shows that reflect on social issues: such as disability, homosexuality, environment. The festival is organised by integrated theatre company Fuori ConTesto.
Frequency: Annual (different times of year)
Artform(s): Cross artform
Website: http://www.festivalfuoriposto.org
Social Media: https://it-it.facebook.com/festivalfuoriposto
https://twitter.com/fuori_posto
https://instagram.com/festivalfuoriposto/
Netherlands
Name: DanceAble
Location: The Hague
About: Under the umbrella term DanceAble, Holland Dance Festival aims to put inclusive dance in the Netherlands firmly on the map, reduce barriers and remove prejudices. The festival features workshops, performances and a symposium, featuring both local and international integrated dance companies and experts.
Frequency: Biennial (Autumn)
Artform(s): Dance
Website: https://www.holland-dance.com/activiteiten/danceable/
Social media: http://www.facebook.com/hollanddance
http://www.twitter.com/hollanddance
http://www.instagram.com/hollanddance
Portugal
Name: InArt
Location: Lisbon
About: InArt – Community Arts Festival aims to examine and explore new strategies of work and interaction of disabled people for citizenship by promoting contact with the various forms of artistic expression. InArt includes various cultural events – seminars, performances, video exhibitions, talks and workshops. It brings together artists, technicians, psychologists, journalists, teachers and students in reflection and sharing of processes and issues through dialogue and artistic display.
Frequency: Irregular, typically, every 2-3 years.
Artform(s): Cross arts
Website: http://www.voarte.com/en/festvoarte/inarte
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/encontrosinarte/
Slovakia
Name: Margaretafest
Location: Presov
About: Started in 2007 by disability parent organization Barlicka the festival aims at artists with disability in Eastern Slovakia, often coming from state institutions. Very often this is their only chance to perform.
Frequency: Biennial
Artform(s): Cross artform
Website: www.barlicka.sk
Social media: www.facebook.com/ozbarlicka
Spain
Name: Una Mirada Diferente (A Different Look)
Location: Madrid
About: Una Mirada Diferente is organised by the Centro Dramatico Nacional (National Drama Centre of Spain). It brings together international disabled artists and companies working across performance artforms including theatre, dance and music.
Frequency: Annual
Artform(s): Cross artform
Website: http://cdn.mcu.es/espectaculo/una-mirada-diferente/
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/CENTRO-DRAM%C3%81TICO-NACIONAL-113271881399/
https://twitter.com/centrodramatico
Name: ÍDEM (International Festival of the Scenic Arts)
Location: Madrid
About: International festival committed to making diversity visible. ÍDEM brings together spectators and artists in an effort to develop empathy for our surroundings and contribute to our understanding of today’s world, in order to help to transform the way we look at things and to “resist the false appearances of illusory evidence”.
Frequency: Annual (September)
Artform(s): Cross artform
Website: https://www.lacasaencendida.es/
Social media: http://www.facebook.com/LaCasaEncendida
http://twitter.com/lacasaencendida
http://instagram.com/lacasaencendida
Name: Escena Móvile
Location: Seville
About: Annual inclusive dance festival which features performances, workshops, talks and since 2017 a ‘choreography competition’ in which inclusive dance companies from around the world compete for cash prizes.
Frequency: Annual (May/June)
Artform(s): Dance (with some other cross-arts elements)
Website: http://www.escenamobile.es/ ; http://danzamobile.es
Social media: https://twitter.com/danzamobile
https://www.facebook.com/dmobile.sevilla?fref=ts
Name: Inclús, International Film and Disability Festival of Barcelona
Location: Barcelona
About: Inclús, Barcelona International Disability Film Festival promotes audiovisual works whose theme is the functional diversity, with the aim of raising awareness of the reality of people with disabilities from a different point of view. The centerpiece of the festival is an audiovisual contest where short films, fiction films, documentaries and audiovisual productions of entities can be found. Inclús focuses on audiovisual productions, but also has other artistic and commercial activities and disciplines in order to give visibility to this sector. It is an initiative of Associació Inclús and organized by the audiovisual production broadcaster Fish Muvi.
Frequency: Annual
Artform(s): Film
Website: http://inclus.cat
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Incl%C3%BAs-Festival/676692745732588
https://twitter.com/inclusfestival
https://www.instagram.com/festivalinclus
Name: Paladio Art
Location: Segovia (some events in Valencia and Madrid)
About: Paladio Art festival aims to bring the world of performing arts and diversity to wider society, thus contributing to greater knowledge, awareness, acceptance and integration for disabled people as citizens. It continues to demonstrate that integrated art can be synonymous with artistic quality.
Frequency: Annual (May/June)
Artform(s): Performing arts
Website: www.paladioarte.org
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/A-Paladio-Arte-915777341795390/
Name: 10 Sentidos
Location: Valencia
About: The Festival 10 Sentidos was created in 2011 with the intention of portraying works by artists with disabilities together with artists without apparent disability, and in the successive editions it has since been transformed into a festival with a strong social discourse as opposed to only supporting artists with disabilities. Every year the programming is structured according to a particular motto that strives to highlight problems that affect our society. The Festival is committed to generating new languages of communication via art in order to understand how people differ and how differences are accepted by others.
Frequency: Annual (May)
Artform(s): Performance
Website: http://www.festival10sentidos.com/
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/festival10sentidos
https://twitter.com/10sentidos
https://www.instagram.com/festival10sentidos
Name: L’Altre Festival
Location: Barcelona
About: L’Altre Festival is an International cultural event that takes place in Barcelona. It connects Performing Arts and Mental Health and seeks to involve, promote and exhibit Performing Arts among people with mental illness. Moreover, the Festival focuses on three specific objectives: performing arts and creation of companies as a rehabilitation tool for people with mental illnesses; the fight against the stigma associated with mental health; and contribution to the creation and enrichment of popular culture.
Frequency: Annual
Artform(s): Performing Arts
Website: http://www.laltrefestival.cat/ca/2a-edicio-festival/
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/laltrefestival/
https://twitter.com/laltrefestival
https://www.instagram.com/laltrefestival/
Name: Festival Visibles
Location: Madrid
About: An annual festival organised by Sala Tarambana, Madrid which aims to increase the visibility of disabled artists. Festival Visibles programmes inclusive theatre companies, predominantly from Spain. It also includes musical performances, film screenings and discussions.
Frequency: Annual
Artform(s): Performing arts
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/salatarambana/?rf=147979988585030
Name: Simbiòtic Festival
Location: Barcelona
Artform(s): Simbiòtic Festival is a multidisciplinary festival of performing arts that offers contemporary and accessible programming, both for audiences with sensory diversity and for performing arts enthusiasts.
Frequency: Annual
Artform: Performing arts
Website: http://festivalsimbiotic.es
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/Festival-Simbi%C3%B2tic-1041792422554976/
https://twitter.com/SimbioticFest
Sweden
Name: Skånes Dansteater
Location: Malmö
About: Skånes Dansteater works continuously with developing dance as an art form. Every year it presents a festival or conference programme on a relevant theme which opens up to varying perspectives relating to dance.
Frequency: Annual
Artform(s): Dance
Website: https://www.skanesdansteater.se/en/page/festivals
Social media: https://facebook.com/skanesdansteater
https://instagram.com/skanesdansteater
Switzerland
Name: IntegrART
Location: Zurich
About: IntegrART, a Migros Culture Percentage networking project, actively supports the inclusion of artists with a disability within art and society. Since 2007, the biennial initiative has been linking up local festivals, presenting national and international productions, and organising symposiums in cooperation with key partners.
Frequency: Biennial
Artform(s): Dance, performing arts
Website: www.integrart.ch
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Migros-Kulturprozent-Pour-cent-culturel-Migros-Percento-culturale-Migros/127039757412983
Name: WILDWUCHS Festival (Wild Growth festival)
Location: Basel
About: WILDWUCHS Festival focusses on themes which otherwise would be neglected in the public discourse, such as physical and mental disabilities, old age, homelessness, migration – to name but a few. WILDWUCHS Festival strives for interesting and new encounters, allowing people to get to know each other and understand that if we listen to each other, we will find more commonalities than differences.
Frequency: Biennial
Artform(s): Cross arts
Website: http://www.wildwuchs.ch/
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/wildwuchs/
Name: Out of the BOX Festival
Location: Geneva
About: Out of the Box Biennial of Inclusive Arts takes place in cultural venues across Geneva around with an inclusive arts programme i.e. artistic productions characterized by the inclusion of artists with disabilities. Unique in French-speaking Switzerland, this event aims to rethink the relationship between art and disability.
Frequency: Biennial
Artform(s): Theatre, dance, cinema, visual arts
Website: www.biennaleoutofthebox.ch
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Out-of-The-Box-Biennale-des-Arts-Inclusifs/511881008849504
Name: ORME Festival (part of IntegrART network)
Location: Lugano
About: Orme seeks to establish itself as a creative space in which skilled disabled artists can express themselves. In addition to offering an opportunity for artists, the event also aims to represent a place of discovery, sensitization and approach of the public to the reality of physical, mental or sensory impairment.
Frequency: Biennial
Artform(s): Performing arts
Website: www.ormefestival.ch
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/Teatro-Danzabile-137552036309400/
Name: BewegGrund
Location: Berne
About: Inclusive dance company BewegGrund has been hosting a biennial dance festival since its inception in 1998. BewegGrund stands for equal rights, for self-determination, equal opportunities and integration: its goal is the self-evident participation of disabled and non-disabled people in cultural projects.
Frequency: Every two years in June
Artform(s): Dance
Website: https://www.beweggrund.org/
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/BewegGrund.integrativer.Tanz/
UK
Name: Southbank Centre’s Unlimited Festival
Location: London
About: Southbank Centre’s Unlimited Festival is one of the world’s largest disability arts festivals, celebrating the artistic excellence of disabled artists across artforms. The festival programmes work produced as part of the Unlimited commissioning programme (delivered by Shape and Artsadmin) alongside other work by leading disabled artists. It features performances, exhibitions and talks. The festival predominantly showcases UK artists and companies, with some international representation.
Frequency: Biennial (September)
Artform(s): Cross arts
Website: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/festivals-series/unlimited
Social media handles: https://www.facebook.com/southbankcentre
https://twitter.com/southbankcentre
https://www.instagram.com/southbankcentre/
Name: Unlimited Festival Tramway
Location: Glasgow
About: Tramway’s Unlimited Festival showcases exceptional work by disabled artists. Like Southbank Centre’s Unlimited Festival, it programmes work funded by the Unlimited commissioning programme. Tramway’s Unlimited places a focus on programming Scottish disabled artists alongside international work.
Frequency: Biennial
Artform(s): Cross artform
Website: https://www.tramway.org
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/GlasgowTramway
https://twitter.com/glasgowtramway
Name: DaDaFest International / Young DaDaFest
Location: Liverpool
About: DaDaFest International is a critically acclaimed and award-winning biennial festival, which showcases high quality and exciting work in key arts venues across Liverpool city. It challenges stereotypes and celebrates disability and deaf cultures. Young DaDaFest is a separate annual festival celebrating the work of disabled and D/deaf artists aged between 12 and 30. The festival is a culmination of months of preparation and an opportunity for the artists to showcase their work.
Frequency: Biennial (both festivals at different times of year)
Artform(s): Theatre, dance, visual art
Website: https://www.dadafest.co.uk
Social media: www.twitter.com/DaDaFest
www.facebook.com/dadafest
www.instagram.com/DaDaFest
Name: Hijinx Theatre Unity Festival
Location: Roaming across Wales
About: Hijinx Academy (learning disabled actor trainees) work with leading companies eg Spymonkey, Punchdruk etc to create a key component for the festival. They are joined by leading disability-led work from across the world. There is also a participatory programme.
Frequency: Biennial
Artform(s):Mainly theatre, street theatre, also music, occasional visual arts
Website: http://www.hijinx.org.uk/unity/
Social media: www.twitter.com/HijinxTheatre
Name: Together! Disability History Month Festival
Location: London
About: Cross-art, cross-impairment festival which takes place every November-December in East London. It brings together locally based, national and international Disabled artists and offers exhibitions, performances, screenings, events and other activities that are free and open to everyone. Includes a disability film festival.
Frequency: Annual (November/December)
Artform(s): Cross arts
Website: http://www.together2012.org.uk/
Social media: www.twitter.com/ukdpctogether
https://www.facebook.com/together2012cic/
Name: Autism Arts Festival
Location: Canterbury
About: There are two key aims: First, to develop the idea of a relaxed performance/screening further to create an entire festival that’s designed to be as autism-friendly as possible. Second, to be a celebration of autistic creativity, with a range of performances, films, installations and an exhibition of visual art by artists on the spectrum.
Frequency: Biennial
Artform(s): Cross artform
Website: https://autismartsfestival.org/
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/autismartsfestival/
Name: Oska Bright Film Festival
Location: Brighton
About: Oska Bright is the world’s first, and biggest, learning disability led film festival. Programmed and delivered by learning disabled film experts, it showcases the best in international short films from people who see the world different. Oska Bright includes seminars, debates, events for young people, LGBTQ+ screenings and awards. It is the leading festival in its field with guests from 9 countries in 2017 and over 100 films screened.
Frequency: Biennial
Artform(s): Film
Website: https://www.carousel.org.uk/oska-bright-film-festival/
Social media: https://twitter.com/OskaBright
https://www.facebook.com/oskabright/
https://www.instagram.com/oskabrightfilmfestival/
Name: Bounce
Location: Belfast
About: BOUNCE is the annual arts festival produced by the University of Atypical. Since 2012 Bounce has presented new work by deaf and disabled writers, actors, dancers, musicians, directors and poets, as well as hosting participatory workshops and masterclasses across a range of art forms.
Frequency: Annual
Artform(s): Dance, performance, music
Website: https://universityofatypical.org/
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/universityofatypical
www.twitter.com/UniAtypical
www.instagram.com/universityofatypical
Name: Mayor of London’s Liberty Festival
Location: London
About: The Mayor Of London’s Liberty Festival showcases the nation’s finest talent in Deaf and disability arts. The event features live bands and DJs, local and international performing artists, sound and visual art installations, promenade pieces, pop up art studios and a range of children and family activities including storytelling and arts and crafts.
Frequency: Annual
Artform(s): art, music, circus, dance, street arts and spectacle
Website: https://www.london.gov.uk
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/MayorofLondon/
https://twitter.com/MayorofLondon
Name: Scottish Mental Health Arts Film Festival
Location: Across Scotland
About: By engaging with artists, connecting with communities and forming collaborations, Scottish Mental health Arts Film Festival celebrates the artistic achievements of people with experience of mental health issues, exploring the relationship between creativity and the mind, and promoting positive mental health and wellbeing.
Frequency: Annual (May)
Artform(s): Music, film, visual art, theatre, dance, and literature.
Website: https://www.mhfestival.com/
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/mentalhealtharts/
https://twitter.com/MH_arts
www.instagram.com/mhfestival
Name: Come on Down
Location: Blyth
About: Come on Down is a festival of performance and creativity for and by learning disabled people supported by Headway Arts. Come on Down is a ‘bring and share’ event. This means we love it when people attend for a full day to perform or show their work and stay to watch the other groups as well. It’s a great chance to share creative work with an audience; explore what everyone’s work and working process; network and contribute to the quality debate: is what we are doing good and how do we tell everyone about it?
Frequency: Annually
Artform(s):Cross artform
Website: www.headwayarts.co.uk
Social media: www.twitter.com/headwayarts www.facebook.com/headwayarts
www.instagramcom/headwayarts
Name: Rockin Roadrunner Festival
Location: Northampton
About: A music festival run by and for people with a range of learning difficulties. Open to the public it has become a much-anticipated event each September
Frequency: Annual (September)
Artform(s): Music
Website: www.rockinroadrunner.com
Social media: www.facebook.com/rockinroadrunner