The MuseIT project has inclusion and accessibility at the centre. However, the knowledge and experience in working with an inclusive approach - in practice, varies among the partners.
The last consortium meeting in October in Nicosia, Cyprus provided an opportunity for all partners to dive into this topic, when ShareMusic & Performing Arts and Stanford University conducted a learning workshop together.
The workshop was held during an intense afternoon with a high level of creativity. As a starting point, ShareMusic shared glimpses from their long experience in creating inclusive spaces and events and addressed the importance of developing an inclusive communication. Stanford gave an insight to several models of Disability, from the medical model vs the social model, to the Ubuntu theory, which highlights disability as a breakdown of social inter-reliance.
After listening, it was then time for the consortium to work in smaller groups, where they were given assignments. Various planned events in the MuseIT project were given as scenarios for the groups to outline and design more in details, by responding to questions such as “What would the ideal inclusive space and environment for your event look like? How would it feel being there?”. The engagement was high and lots of new, amazing, bold, unexpected, funny and of course even crazy ideas emerged during the brainstorming and discussions.
Before closing the workshop, joint discussions were held on takeaways and reflections on how the project can continue working on developing an inclusive approach. Let’s see what might emerge as an outcome from this!
Pictures credits: ShareMusic and Performing Arts & Catalink Limited