Europe Beyond Access

Breaking the glass ceiling of performing arts

Across the performing arts and across Europe, disabled artists are pushing the boundaries of form, and are presenting audiences, fellow artists and arts professionals with one of the creative opportunities of our time.

Europe Beyond Access has once again been funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union and will run for four years, from 2024 to 2027.

EBA Learning Journeys

For disabled artists, producers and promoters, funders and policymakers.

A series of digital toolkits and educational resources: films, discussions, podcasts, creative tasks, reports and more to support professional development!

Latest news

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Which is EBA’s commitment for the next two years?

A group of about 21 people pose together in an indoor atrium. They are casually dressed. Some are standing while others are sitting on a low bench or the floor. They are smiling and looking toward the camera. The group includes people with visible disabilities: two wheelchair users. The space has gray tiled walls and floors, with signage and a doorway visible in the background.

EBA strenghtens its commitment to making European performing arts sector more equal and accesible

DanceAble Symposium 2026: Imagining an Accessible Dance Future

A co‑curator of the DanceAble Symposium stands on stage holding a microphone and speaking to the audience, while another co‑curator sits beside them using a wheelchair. Both are positioned in a warmly lit theatre space with wooden wall panels in the background, addressing attendees during a presentation at Holland Dance Festival.

The 2026 DanceAble Symposium at Holland Dance Festival: from keynotes to artistic presentations, the day highlighted new possibilities for a dance sector designed to embrace difference

Interview with Agata Adamiecka-Sitek

Theatre researcher at the Academy of Theatre Arts in Warsaw, Agata Adamiecka-Sitek explores institutional change, accessibility, and cultural wellbeing

Events

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Teatr Klucz: INTRO

The surface features intricate embroidery, stitching, and varied materials, creating an abstract, patchwork-like design with visible seams, folds, and decorative patterns.

Date: May 28, 2026

Thursday 28 May 2026, The Grand Hall – ZAMEK Culture Centre, Poznan (Poland)

Skånes Danseteater: MAY FALL

Three performers are arranged frontally on a stage, standing and sitting still as if posing for a formal portrait. A deep red velvet curtain fills the background, creating a theatrical setting. At the center, one performer sits in a wheelchair, facing forward, with hands resting together on their lap. They wear a light blue shirt, a warm-toned checkered skirt, orange tights, and dark sneakers. On either side of them stand two performers, both upright and composed. The performer on the left wears a dark blue long-sleeved jumpsuit with a light belt, arms relaxed at their sides. The performer on the right wears a brown jacket, a light shirt, and a green skirt, standing with feet firmly on the ground. To the far left of the scene, slightly separated from the group, a small wooden table holds a lit candle and a bowl of fruit.

Date: January 30, 2026

30 January – Thursday 16 April 2026, Skånes Danteater, Östra Varvscenen 13a, Mälmo (Sweden)

Diana Niepce: Hornfuckers

Dancers lie and crawl across a slanted platform suspended by chains on a dark stage, lit dramatically from above.

Date: March 26, 2026

Thursday 26 March 2026, Emílio Rui Vilar Auditorium, Culturgest, Lisbon (Portugal)

Artists

A selection of the Artists working with us at Europe Beyond Access

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Joanna Pawlik

Michael Turinsky

Katarzyna Żeglicka

Madeleine Månsson

Filip Pawlak

Manolis Saridakis

Sophia Neises

Laila White

Diana Anselmo

Yesol Kim

Diana Niepce

Dalibor Šandor

Would you like to stay informed?

We use both the term “artist with disability” and “disabled artist”. We are aware that different countries and languages use different terminology. Even in English-speaking countries, terminology favoured by activists differs. We are also aware that different people define themselves in different ways, and that people self-define as they prefer. When we use the term “disabled” or “with disability” we include those who are Deaf, Neurodivergent and chronically ill. We know that some Deaf people prefer to define themselves as part of a marginalised language group, and not as disabled. Yet we also know that for other Deaf people allyship with others experiencing barriers within society (including in the cultural sector) is an important part of their identity. At its heart, Europe Beyond Access focuses attention on the artistic innovation that so often accompanies artists who have not been part of the mainstream cultural sector.