As early as 2009 a group of ASSITEJ members assembled to organize a first workshop on the topic of inclusion at the ASSITEJ World Congress in Malmö in 2011. Further meetings led to the structural formation of the network that was officially recognized as a member by the ASSITEJ General Assembly in Warsaw 2014.
For IIAN, inclusion means making theatre accessible to all artists and audiences, regardless of whether or not they have disabilities. For IIAN inclusion is not a burden but a challenging creative impulse to enrich artistic work. Specifically inclusion in the performing arts refers to:
• work that addresses an audience with disabilities
• work that is created by artists with disabilities for a younger audience (with or without disabilities)
• plays about disabilities for an audience without disabilities, performed by actors and actresses with disabilities
• work developed by inclusion ensembles (actors and actresses with and without disabilities) for a mixed audience
The aim of “the art of inclusion” is to develop high quality theatre that equally involves people with or without disabilities. Inclusion theatre is meant to educate, entertain and lead to a process of reflection and rethinking of the topic.
In order to do justice to this goal, IIAN provides an internet forum (www.inclusiveartsnetwork.com) on which interested parties can gather information and exchange views. In doing so IIAN aims to encourage a global dialogue on inclusive art and break the taboo of “art for the disabled”. IIAN furthermore advocates widespread accessibility in theatres and class rooms in order to enable the joint enjoyment of the dramatic arts for people with or without disabilities.
The board currently consists of Daryl Beeton (Great Britain), Katrine Gabb (Australia), Talleri McRae (USA) and Betty Siegel (USA). Representatives include: Diana Kržanić Tepavac (Serbia), Janet Tam (Hong Kong) and Tanya Surtees (South Africa). IIAN receives support from the VSA program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Contact: hello@inclusiveartsnetwork.com
