On November, the 19 and 20, the first two seminars on the German-Russian project “InKulture” initiated by the German organization DRA e were held in Sverdlovsk region.V. (”German-Russian exchange"), supported by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Social Policy of the Sverdlovsk region, and directed at increasing the involvement of disabled people in the cultural life of Russian society.
The administration of museums, theatres, libraries from Barnaul, Omsk, Kurgan, Samara and Sverdlovsk region, representatives of the administrations of these territories, as well as guests from Germany attended it.
Both meetings were very fruitful and informative. Lectures on various aspects of inclusion and the creation of a barrier-free environment, made by the German social psychologist and expert on issues of inclusion in the sphere of culture Mechthild Kreuzer, cultural studies and one of the leaders of the project “INKultur” Anya Kretzer, Director of the Sverdlovsk regional library for the blind Irina Gilfanova, specialist of the all-Russian society of the deaf Tatiana Tokareva, President of ANO “The White cane” Oleg Kolpashchikov and Department head of ANO “Blagoe delo” Yulia Tokareva. Their listeners were employees of theaters, libraries and museums not only in the cities of Sverdlovsk region, but also from Samara, Omsk, Barnaul, Kurgan.
On the first day, November, the 19, the seminar was held in Yekaterinburg, in the Museum of Jewelry and Stone-cutting art. The next day the seminar took place in Pervouralsk, in the building of the Innovative cultural center. During these sessions, participants discussed what does the “inclusion” and “accessible environment” mean, how inclusive programs should ideally be implemented in cultural institutions, how and on what principles it is better to build interaction of completely healthy people with those who have various forms of disability. In addition, the seminars included the presentation of the inclusive projects “SommerblutKulturfestival” (Germany, Cologne) and “Prikosnovenye” (Russia, St. Petersburg), as well as the display of photos and video works of the participants of the III international festival “Inclusive art”.
