Which is EBA’s commitment for the next two years?
Two more years of EBA’s project have just begun. The mission of the consortium doesn’t change: the barriers placed by the institution in the cultural sector to Deaf and disabled artists and audiences need to be broken down.
There’s no excuse anymore.
Although, in seven years of EBA’s activity the visibility of the work of Deaf and disabled artists in dance and theatre around Europe has changed, barriers and lack of accessibility to cultural education are still present in performing arts. The recent report “Learning to Change” highlights this situation, largely painting a picture of exclusion and marginalisation.
It’s now time for change.
As said by Ben Evans, Project director of EBA:
It is no longer acceptable that public money is spent on inaccessible cultural products and excluding Deaf, disabled, chronically ill and neurodivergent artists from opportunities that should be open to them.
For the next two years, as a consortium of 10 arts organisations, the aim will be to reach more creation, more access and more leadership for Deaf, disabled, neurodivergent and chronically ill artists. That’s because we believe in the quality and innovation of the work: across Europe a generation of innovative, high quality, radical, thoughtful, Deaf and disabled artists is growing more and more, enriching the art scene.
We are still learning every day. Through our work and through a process of introspection, we learn what is needed by Deaf and disabled artists. In the next two years, we will keep bringing that challenge to the cultural sector with stronger commitment as well as bringing training, learning and contributing to works on stage for audiences and to discourse around culture.