UCF projects review: Inclusive

Support of inclusion in culture and arts as well as broadening audience through engaging various ages and social groups – one of the 12 priorities of Ukrainian Cultural Foundation in 2018-2019. In this case inclusivity is viewed from 2 sides. First – is physical availability to any work of art or culture. Second – the form of engaging to create work of art and culture on the same level for artists with disabilities and without them. Simultaneous use of both types of inclusivity broadens audience and at the same time broadens possibilities for cultural and creative industries.

UCF’s projects authors see philosophy of inclusivity as that people and especially children can’t be isolated from society because of development peculiarities or disability. Social engagement of difference community representatives is necessary for development of individuality and democratic society.     

First inclusive project that was supported by UCF started at the end of September 2018 in village Gydychin in Volynska region. Project’s aim is to create modern music school and introduce inclusive cultural and artistic education for kids with special needs. Project will create various events that will engage to music more than 500 schoolers from Gydychin and Lypne schools. Project foresees opening 5 musical classes on: sopilka, violin, accordion, fortepiano and guitar.

October

These days “More than Game” project ended that was held within “Arsenal of Ideas” in Kyiv. It was a 5-day theatrical mini-festival that created interactive and comfortable space for social interaction. Space engaged all members of society in the exciting theatrical program, workshops and other events. “More than game” became performative space that was open to children with different needs, their parents and everyone who wished to take part.

Also, these days project “Open all colours of life through world of cinema” will take place in Kherson and will travel through cities and villages of Kherson region (Tavriysk, Skadovsk, Olesky, etc.). Project foresees engaging through cinema the part of Kherson society that can’t actively participate in social life due to any circumstances. Availability to works of culture and art has to provide equal rights in experiencing spiritual and aesthetic enjoyment to all community representatives. Within projects screening of cartoons are planned that are aimed at different age groups: “Cats and Peachtopia” 3D, “Luis & the Aliens” 3D – in Kherson and “Patrick” and “Mykyta Kozhumiaka” – in Kherson region.

On 1st October “Those who conquered darkness” project tour to Lithuania started. Tour was organized by «Ukrainian Union of Invalids» - UUI. These are the concerts in which Ukrainian and Lithuanian artists take part who have bad sight conditions and accompanied by symphony pop orchestra of M. Zankovetska National Theatre. Nonsighted artists from different corners of Ukraine and Lithuania take part in the project and gathered around orchestra of Zankivchan – collective who is able and wishes to work with “special” performers.

At the beginning of October in Lviv project “Touch museum” started. Project broadens experiences that visitors of museums can get. Authors of the project plan to change attitude towards museum as place of contemplation through concentrating on personal feelings that can be achieved through participation in handcraft workshops and through direct contact with exposition works. Museum of Folk Architecture and Folkways where project will take place expects as the result to create methodical recommendation on engaging people with disabilities into the educational process with appropriate adaptation. Project will be divided into 3 parts that will engage into discussion different age groups, museum experts, pedagogues, target group representatives.

On 6-7 October “Our wonderful SonceSvit!” project will take place in Chernivtsi. During the festival number of events will be held that will engage children with special needs to create art works. This way project is aimed to promote and create basis and methods of children’s inclusion in cultural and art sphere as well as will broaden audience for Chernivtsy creators.

On 10th October “Condemned to happiness” social-art activity will take place in Kyiv Ukrainian House. Organizers say that it will be a theatrical event with participation of 5 art groups that include children with disabilities. Union of mothers “Sunray” started and has been holding International integrational theatrical festival “Sun wave” for children with disabilities for already 10 years.

On 16th and 30th October and 8th, 13th and 20th November in Kyiv National Theatre of Operetta project “Art-action-inclusivity” will take place. Main task according to organizers is to create inclusive art space. Free of charge shows will be equipped with audio-description and aimed at non-seeing children. Audio-description – is a special voice accompaniment that through technical devices is streamed live to sightless audience and explains everything that can’t be traced visually: describes decorations, mimics and costumes of actors, actions of characters, etc. Play is based on H.C. Andersen’s fairy tales.

On 20th of October “Music of my people” - project for children boarding schools in Kyiv region  will start. Aim of the project – to realize the idea of general music education of schoolers on the basis of traditional Ukrainian culture, to introduce children to professional music through prism of its folk roots, to enrich their music experience, to bring up skills of perception and playing music. Activities are aimed to support inclusivity in culture and arts and to broaden audience through engaging various age and social groups.  

On 26th October study practicum on audio-description will be held in Kyiv within “Movie available for sightless people”. Students of corresponding specialties, directors, videographers, video-description tutors, journalists, cultural workers are welcome to participate as well as those who work with sightless people or work with problems of availability of audio-visual content for disabled people.

As the result, audio-descriptions will be created for important Ukrainian movies. Also, movie screenings will be held all over Ukraine. Besides, on-line platform on audio-description will be created. It will contain all important information for sightless people about available movies as well as possibilities for industry representatives on creation of such audio-descriptions.

November

Project “Inclusion in Harmony” plans to hold inclusive plays with participation of people with disabilities in Kyiv and Vinnitsa. Active artistic events, such as wheel-chair dancing, and other cultural leisureі that engage these community representatives have to attract attention of authorities, business, society to joint creation of available spaces that will take into account specifics of different forms of disabilities.

Chernihiv Regional Children Theatre after O.Dovzhenko also prepares project on overcoming social-psychological  barriers of inclusive environment through theatrical-artistic possibilities of stage premises. Results of the project will be presented in the middle of November 2018. Aim of the project – education of young audience and art-therapy directed at interaction with people that don’t have access to culture due to any reason.

At the end of November inclusive photo-lab will take place in Kyiv that will include master-classes with non-seeing photographers for sightless participants. Totally 10 master-classes will be organized for 2 groups. Project is aimed to spread knowledge on needs and problems of sightless people as well as their integration into active professional life. In Ukraine as in many other countries people with sight problems are condemned to social marginalization because of absence of proper information on this condition.