Facts

Contact person:
Elisabet Apelmo
Financer:
  • Norrbacka-Eugeniastiftelsen
  • Stiftelsen för bistånd åt rörelsehindrade i skåne
Responsible at MaU:
Elisabet Apelmo
Time frame:
03 April 2018 - 30 June 2024
Faculty/department:
Research subject:

About the project

Living with visible disabilities means constantly being seen and managing the looks. The gazes are often influenced by cultural narratives of lack, tragedy and the heroic mastery of obstacles, and can be met, avoided or challenged. In the performing arts, disabled people have greater opportunities to control how they appear.

Dance is a particularly interesting example, as the body and its movements take centre stage. Over the past decade, several inclusive dance projects – in which professional dancers with and without disabilities work together – have been started in Sweden, both within existing dance companies and outside the institutions. The purpose of the study is to explore experiences, strategies and visions among dancers with and without visible physical disabilities and leaders (artistic directors, choreographers, project managers) who work within these companies.

In the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities from 2006, non-discrimination, participation, equal opportunities and accessibility are central goals. In addition, the right to participate in cultural life and to develop one's creative, artistic and intellectual potential is emphasized. However, studies from the Public Health Agency in Sweden and Statistics Sweden show that disabled people have a worse financial situation, more health problems and are unemployed to a greater extent than the rest of the population. The project's goal is to identify and analyze the methods and strategies used and thereby contribute to the development of new tools for inclusive work within the performing arts as well as in the rest of society.