An open letter from the European Arts & Disability Cluster

On the International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2020, members of the European Arts & Disability Cluster have written an open letter to multiple European policymakers to ensure the European cultural programme 2021-2027 has the full participation of people with disabilities as artists, as arts professionals and as audiences. The cluster represents multiple transnational collaborative projects and initiatives focussed on the work of professional disabled artists. The open letter is published in full on europebeyondaccess.com

Dear Commissioner Gabriel (European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth),

Sabine Verheyen (Chair European Parliament Committee on Culture and Education),

Massimiliano Smeriglio (Creative Europe Rapporteur: European Parliament Committee on Culture and Education),

Barbara Gessler (Head of Unit: Creative Europe, DGEAC),

Catherine Magnant (Head of Unit: Cultural Policy, DGEAC),

Re: European Union cultural programme 2021-2027 and full participation of people with disabilities as artists, as arts professionals and as audiences. 

On this, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the European Arts & Disability Cluster would like to wholeheartedly support and reinforce your efforts to ensure that the European Union cultural programme 2021-2027 enables full participation of people with disabilities as artists, as arts professionals and as audiences. 

The institutions represented in the Cluster include disabled peoples’ organisations in the arts and cultural sector with decades of expertise, alongside some of Europe’s leading performing arts venues, festivals, companies. We represent grassroots micro-businesses through to major cultural institutions as well as freelance artists and arts professionals.

We understand the vital importance of the final negotiations towards the 2021-2027 European programme. We realise that there may be as little as eight weeks to ensure that the next eight years of European Union cultural actions, within the different programmes of the EU, incorporate in a more holistic way participation by people with disabilities on an equal basis with others, be that as cultural professionals, audiences, viewers or visitors.

We hope our contribution has a positive impact on your negotiations, the outcomes of which we eagerly await.

Our ask

At this key stage in the negotiations, ... [continue reading: https://www.disabilityartsinternational.org/resources/open-letter-to-major-european-policymakers-demands-full-participation-of-people-with-disabilities-in-the-arts/]