As a network of festivals striving for more inclusion, the European Festivals Association (EFA) is delighted to be part of the large scale European project 'Europe Beyond Access' and involve its festivals community to be more accessible for artists and audiences with a disability.

Europe Beyond Access is the biggest trans-national project in the world supporting disabled and Deaf artists to break the glass ceilings of contemporary dance and theatre. It started in 2018 and has been funded a second time by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, allowing the project to continue for four more years, from 2024 till 2027.

Europe Beyond Access is an ambitious and far-reaching project with four major strands: Artistic Exchanges, Audience Development & Engagement, Capacity Building and Public Performances & Commissions.

The new programme will run until 2027 and has for goals to:

• commission and present dozens of new dance and theatre works created by artists with disabilities. 3 major international coproductions will be accompanied by 19 other new locally commissioned works, and 20 presentations of existing touring works – presented across 10 countries.
• support artists with disabilities to internationalise their innovative artistic practices, and reduce the geographic and artistic isolation uniquely experienced by artists with disabilities. Hundreds of artists from across Europe will participate in Residences, Workshops and multi-national Artistic Laboratories.
• develop a network of leading European mainstream organisations with a commitment to present and commission dance and theatre artists at the highest level of artistic practice. The core 10 partners of the project will work with dozens more mainstream cultural institutions to present works and share best practices.
• develop tools and understanding in the wider performing arts market – sharing our belief that the European cultural sector must urgently reduce barriers experienced by artists with disabilities.

Find out more: www.disabilityartsinternational.org

CREDITS:

Europe Beyond Access is run by a consortium of 10 European cultural organisations: Skånes Dansteater (Sweden), Holland Dance Festival (Netherlands), Onassis Stegi (Grece), Oriente Occidente (Italy), Kampnagel - Internationales Zentrum für schönere Künste (Germany), CODA Oslo International Dance Festival (Norway), Centrum Kultury ZAMEK (Poland), Project Arts Centre (Ireland), Mercat de les Flors (Spain), Culturgest - Fundação CGD (Portugal).

Europe Beyond Access is co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union. The project is joined by Associate Partner British Council (UK), who initiated and led the first Europe Beyond Access programme from 2018-2023 and by key European networks and transnational institutions, committed to widening cultural access across Europe, such as the European Festivals Association (EFA)

Photo © Simone Cargnoni