Berlin’s Network for Accessibility in Arts and Culture

Berlinklusion is not so much a project as an initiative I co-founded with a small group of artists, curators, arts educators, mediators and facilitators with and without disabilities. Together we work together to make Berlin’s vibrant art scene more accessible to a wider range of people. We bring a range of experiences working with a variety of individuals and audiences in the arts, in Germany and abroad.

Our vision:
To implement positive change in Berlin’s cultural sector by embracing inclusion and increasing accessibility for artists, arts-workers, participants and audiences with all (dis)abilities*. We support individuals, museums, galleries, other arts organisations and communities through knowledge-sharing, collaboration and raising awareness about inclusion and accessibility in the arts.

*Our definition of disability is broad. We follow the social model of disability – this means that we view disability as a social construct where barriers are imposed on the individual, rather than the individual being defined by their medical condition or impairment. However we also recognise and respect that disability is defined by the individual and their lived experience. When we talk about inclusion and accessibility, we want this for all peoples, however they may identify: as sensorially, physically or intellectually disabled or impaired, with learning difficulties or mental health conditions, differently abled, diverse, crippled, mad.….

How we work:

We collaborate with a selection of individuals from our pool of freelancers, alongside existing organisations and associations who bring a range of skills, knowledge, and experience in disability, accessibility, inclusion, and the arts.

We:

connect people working in the field of accessibility and inclusion with arts organisations, associations, individuals, and with each other

develop and deliver creative, practical, and interpretative workshops or tours for arts organisations and community groups

provide advice to museums, galleries, project spaces, arts organisations, and individuals working in the arts, in cooperation with associations

deliver tailored training workshops for arts organisations to help them achieve best practice in inclusion and accessibility

develop and realise creative projects of all sizes that place inclusion and accessibility at their core, and assist with the commissioning of artists with disabilities and artists working with disability as a theme

Each project is shaped to meet the specific needs of our clients, whatever their scale or goals. Inclusion lies at the heart of what we do: that means people with and without disabilities working together in a fair and equal way, and valuing the contribution disability brings to all areas of the arts.

You can find out more about our individual projects and activities on the Berlinklusion website!