The ICEC and the Government of Catalonia organizes, with the aim of promoting the implementation of the Catalonia Accessibility Code, a training session on accessibility and ephemeral cultural events, titled “Accessibility in ephemeral performing, musical, and audiovisual arts: first-hand experiences”.

The event takes place through several presentations and a roundtable. The day includes researchers, experts, and accessibility user organizations, aiming to foster dialogue between institutions, service providers, users, and professionals.

Several experts and professionals linked to the AccessCat Network participate in the event: representatives of affiliated entities Èlia Sala, Dincat, Gran Teatre del Liceu, and Subtil, as well as TraDiLex (UPF) researcher Blanca Arias. These are some of the conclusions Arias highlights from her presentation:

• Participation in cultural life is a right of all people, enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (United Nations, 1948). By nature, street arts bring culture closer to people, revitalize public spaces, encourage citizen participation, and stimulate reflection and social transformation. Similarly, ephemeral festivals are a key element of contemporary culture, with clear economic and social impact. It is important that these cultural events are designed with accessibility in mind to avoid excluding people with disabilities.
• The Accessibility Code does not clearly define guidelines for street arts as it does for other disciplines, but this is understood as an opportunity to innovate and experiment in accessibility rather than a disadvantage.
• Being more accessible is necessary for social awareness, for compliance with regulations, and for the economic benefits of positioning oneself as an inclusive organization within the cultural sector.
• A crucial step in improving accessibility is identifying the different elements of a performance and deciding which to prioritize for accessibility. Tools such as study frameworks from the audiovisual translation field can help. Likewise, transparency in communicating available services is important whenever possible.

More information is available in the AccessCat Decalogue for Accessibility in Street Arts.