blistaArt for all
Despite a number of promising initiatives, like the EU-Anti-Discrimination law, disabled people in Europe still cannot fully participate on the community life. Due to a number of reasons, the full enjoyment by visually impaired people of art, museums and heritage e.g. is hindered in spite of the demand from blind and partially-sighted people for a wider access to all forms of culture.
Art for all therefore aims to make European culture and diversity more accessible. The project partnership consisting of leading institutions, schools, and museums for the blind and visually impaired from Germany, Italy, Austria, Greece, Romania, France and Estonia, supported by international experts, will establish a new concept to bring art into their institutions, create networks, and develop guidelines to make existing artwork more accessible. Furthermore the innovative project will initiate a dialogue of the European civil society to create equal chances for all and enhance the solidarity between advantaged and disadvantaged Europeans.
The target group consists of blind and visually impaired people, and of experts/ representatives of cultural institutions. In addition, the European public and politicians will be addressed to raise awareness for the particular needs of disadvantaged groups in Europe.
Contents of the project include two seminars in IT and DE, three working groups, an art work-shop for blind/visually impaired students, as well as a pilot exhibition. Specific tasks of the project do include:
- better using the existing infrastructures of established institutions for the blind/visually impaired to create a network between institutions for the disabled, culture institutes, politics and the European public
- bringing art into the educational and living centers of the blind/visually impaired, thereby increasing their chances for an active participation on the cultural life of the community
Experts, addressed to discuss the topic during the seminar together with the partners, include leading European art experts, museums who offer services/collections for blind and visually impaired people, the European Blind Union, as well as artists using new techniques to adapt artwork to the needs of the blind/visually impaired.
Together with the project partners, they will speak about their offers and approaches, while the blind/visually impaired will discuss their experiences and requirements. During the first seminar a workshop will take place with the experts and blind/visually impaired students from the partner institutions, and three transnational working groups will be created by the partners to work on:
- improved cooperation between institutions of the blind and art institutes
- project implementation and financing concepts for touring exhibitions
- publicity work of initiatives of the disabled in European Communication
The results of the project will be published in a guide as well as on the project homepage, which is also a communication and information resource for the target group and the interested public.
Overall, the project will contribute to a better understanding of the discrimination problem and evaluate the current European practice. Detailed suggestions for improvement will guide cultural institutions in their future plans and connect them with the target group, thereby a major step towards a better European integration is achieved.