IntegrART networks inclusive festivals as well as interested theatres from across Switzerland every two years, presents national as well as international dance and theatre productions together with them and organises discursive platforms. With this biennial, the Migros Culture Percentage is committed to the self-determined inclusion of people with disabilities in the arts and culture sector – as a basis for representation and social justice.
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Artists in action on stage (Image: © Paroma Basu)
The cultural landscape is in a state of upheaval as a result of global social and political events. This makes it particularly important to stop and question work structures and processes. Institutional working processes are almost always based on the assumptions of a norm.
People who do not conform to this norm are therefore not represented and exclusions are (re)produced. What action is needed to sustainably establish new models and how can intersectional aspects be included?
Theatres now show productions by and with artists with disabilities more regularly than they did 10 years ago. However, artists with disabilities who have full creative authority over their work are still a rarity in Switzerland. The artistic direction of inclusive projects often lies with non-disabled people.
Similarly, there is a lack of people with disabilities in institutional cultural leadership positions. The only way to achieve these goals is to rethink the established structures. Only this can lead to co-creative patterns of action and new ways of working that make change possible.
Art knows no limits
IntegrART networks inclusive festivals as well as interested theatres from across Switzerland every two years, presents national as well as international dance and theatre productions together with them and organises discursive platforms.
With this biennial, the Migros Culture Percentage is committed to the self-determined inclusion of people with disabilities in the arts and culture sector – as a basis for representation and social justice.
IntegrART shows that inclusive culture is not a burden, but rather a shifting of the boundaries of possibilities. We actively contribute to establishing Disability Arts as part of the Swiss cultural programme, opening up training structures for contemporary dance and strengthening the community network.
Inga Laas, IntegrART Project Manager
Our partner festivals
Out of the Box takes place every two years in Geneva. The biennial involves a showcasing of productions in various Geneva-based cultural institutions that are characterised by the fact that they are inclusive of artists with disabilities. This event, which is unique in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, aims to provide a new way of thinking about the relationship between art and disability.
As in previous years, the pluridisciplinary programme takes on the challenge of opening up new aesthetic perspectives through local and international productions and expanding the space for the development of contemporary art projects.
Wildwuchs is a biennial festival of contemporary arts. Internationally networked and locally anchored, Wildwuchs strengthens outsider positions and establishes cultural variety, diversity and non-conformism.
Wildwuchs experiments with new forms of dance, performance and theatre and enables people from all walks of life to fully and actively participate in cultural life – as spectators, initiators or participants. With guest performances, own productions and co-productions as well as a broad exchange and discussion programme, Wildwuchs is a transcultural meeting place for everyone.
Humans have always sought a sense of cultural belonging. A path on which you leave tracks (orme). The form the journey takes is only secondary. Whether footprints, the imprint of a crutch or the stripes of a wheelchair, every person has the right, if they so wish, to express their own creativity beyond their physical or mental limitations.
The ORME Festival takes place every two years and was founded in 2012 by Teatro Danzabile and inclusione andicap ticino (formerly FTIA) with the aim of presenting the various integrative and inclusive art forms from the regional, national and international cultural scene in Ticino.
The BewegGrund association has organised a festival in Bern every two years since 1999. This inclusive event brings top-class international professional dance and theatre performances as well as bands and artists with and without disabilities to Bern. In addition, “BewegGrund. Das Festival” is a platform for non-professional dance groups under professional direction and their short community dance performances.
The festival aims to promote the cultural participation of a diverse range of people – both as artists and as spectators. During the five days of the festival, regional, national and international partnerships are strengthened and cultivated, cultural diversity in Bern is promoted and people of all ages and backgrounds are offered a programme of colourful, enriching events which they can both enjoy and participate in.
Our partners
IntegrART has carried the “Inclusive Culture” label since 2018. The label, which was launched by Pro Infirmis, is sustainably working towards ensuring an inclusive culture within Switzerland. It is promoting inclusive behaviour and maximum accessibility at an increasing number of cultural institutions.
As a carrier of the label, IntegrART implements defined individual measures in the label’s various fields of action together with the label.
IntegrART is a practice partner of the Contemporary Dance bachelor programme offered by the Department of Performing Arts & Film at the Zurich University of the Arts, ZHdK.
In early summer 2019, IntegrART presented the results of the BA Contemporary Dance’s inclusive education module titled “Unpredictable abilities” in collaboration with its partner festivals.
The information on this page is available in simple language.
Photos/stage: © Robin Elam Rye
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