November 02, 2017

iDance colloquium_3.12.2017 | Providing access to contemporary dance education for people with disabilities

On December 3rd 2017, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Onassis Cultural Centre is staging a colloquium addressing access to contemporary dance education and professional development opportunities for dancers with disabilities with the participation of speakers from Greece and abroad.

How can we make culture more accessible to people with disabilities?

Open dance workshops will be held in parallel with the conference, giving attendees an opportunity to experience the educational tools and methods of the iDance programme for themselves in mixed groups of people both with and without disabilities.

The conference aims to bring together artists, researchers, social activists, cultural professionals and the general public from Greece, the U.S. and the UK to discuss experiences and best practices and explore issues such as:

  • How can we make culture more accessible to people with disabilities?
  • How can we challenge conventional understandings of access within the context of cultural organizations?
  • What is the relationship between the artist and the institution?
  • What are the physical barriers to practice?
  • Is there a value in re-thinking the language used to critique and talk about dance?
  • How can the knowledge that exists in disabled artists be disseminated?
  • And how can disabled artists progress into leadership roles?

Following the keynote presentations, open access workshops will be held addressing artists, researchers, social activists, cultural professionals, students and the general public, giving attendees an opportunity to experience a new, relational model for accessibility called Open Access and the dance educational tools and methods of the iDance programme in mixed groups of people both with and without disabilities.

Click here for the full programme.

3 December 2017

Onassis Cultural Centre

Athens, Greece