ArtsAbility Festival: A Celebration of Inclusive Arts in Cape Town

Cape Town's Artscape Theatre Centre has become a beacon of inclusivity with the successful inauguration of the ArtsAbility Festival. This five-day event, running from November 29 to December 3, is a vibrant celebration of performances by dancers with and without disabilities, encapsulating the spirit of accessible art for all.

Kicking off alongside the seventh African Network for Evidence-to-Action in Disability (AfriNEAD) Conference, the festival intertwines artistic expression with academic dialogue, aimed at enhancing the lives of people with disabilities. The conference is an initiative of Stellenbosch University, a platform that encourages networking and research to improve the quality of life for this demographic.

At the core of the festival's vision is the integration of people with disabilities into the mainstream art scene. Cape Town's mayoral committee member for community services and health, Patricia van der Ross, highlighted the City's commitment to fostering inclusive and opportunity-rich environments through the arts. Emphasizing that art is a unifying language, she commended Artscape for its ongoing efforts to dismantle barriers and create an atmosphere where the expression of talent knows no bounds.

Artscape’s initiative is far-reaching, going beyond the ephemeral nature of events. It introduces tangible changes to infrastructure, encompassing facilities like lowered bars for wheelchair users, the loop system for the hard-of-hearing, and special navigational aids for visually impaired individuals. A notable provision is the "comfort room," accommodating parents of children with disabilities and others who require privacy for varying reasons. Dr. Marlene le Roux, Artscape’s CEO, takes pride in these structural adaptations that make the institution an exemplar of an inclusive art environment.

A highlight of the ArtsAbility Festival is the delivery of artistic works birthed during a three-week-long residency program led by Unmute Dance Theatre. Known for its inclusive ethos since 2013, Unmute integrates a medley of physical theatre, contemporary dance, and sign language dance, challenging conventional notions of performance. They provide an exemplary model of accessibility and mainstream integration for people with disabilities in the arts.

This year, the ArtsAbility Residency Programme fostered meaningful collaborations among a plethora of artists, choreographers, and directors, culminating in two anticipated performances set for Saturday, December 2. Among these collaborations was a notable piece created with Scottish youths, symbolizing international solidarity and the exchange of ideas through the arts.

The festival's function as a cultural hub where artists with varying abilities collide is a testament to the tangible progress in inclusive arts. Cape Town’s ArtsAbility Festival stands as a source of inspiration, not only for capetonians but also for the global art community, signaling a shift towards a more inclusive and cooperative future in the arts.