Science Museum of Virginia的动态

In my work advocating for accessibility in museums, I’ve learned that creating inclusive spaces for People of Determination is about so much more than just meeting standards. It’s about promoting their stories, achievements, and potential in ways that truly reflect their value. However, there’s a fine line between celebrating their contributions and using them as “subjects”of attention. Too often, the media portrays People of Determination in ways that are exaggerated—where their involvement becomes the only reason a story is deemed newsworthy. This kind of representation not only shapes public perception but also influences how People of Determination see themselves. It can reduce them to symbols rather than empowering them as active participants in their own right. Celebrating progress in accessibility should go beyond showcasing individuals as tokens for our success. It’s about ensuring that their experiences are genuinely understood and represented. We need to pause and think carefully about how we approach these stories—it’s an ethical question we must reflect on, even among ourselves. It pushes us to rethink what accessibility and disability truly mean in today’s world, and how we can redefine them in ways that honor dignity, and inclusion.

For this Cultural Mobility Webinar, On the Move builds upon the two large-scale studies it carried out for the British Council, as part of the EU funded project Europe Beyond Access, Time to Act: How lack of knowledge in the cultural sector creates barriers for disabled artists and audiences (Baltà, Ellingsworth, Floch: 2021) and Time to Act: Two Years On, Data-led Insights on Performing Arts and Disability in Europe (Baltà, Ellingsworth: 2023). https://lnkd.in/eFqTqF6g

#Ethiopia - Stations of #Culture - Stations of Dialogue This project will transform #train-related sites in Ethiopia into innovative European Stations of Culture - Stations of Dialogue for a period of six weeks between February and March 2025.

We’re in Deafblind Awareness Week. This is the perfect time to reflect on how we can make our services, products, and content more accessible to the deafblind community. I'm incredibly grateful to Haben Girma for her educational videos that brilliantly demonstrate the essence of inclusion and accessibility. This week, I shared one of Haben’s videos with my organisation, where she talks about her visit to the British Museum. One statement from Haben really resonated with me: “If you have working eyeballs, use them. If not, tap into your other senses.” This perfectly encapsulates the spirit of accessibility—leveraging whatever senses we have at our disposal, whether it’s touch, hearing, or sight. For those of us creating content, it’s crucial to remember that people will engage with your work using the senses available to them. If you’re producing videos, ensure you provide a high-quality transcript and captions. Don’t settle for auto-generated captions (or ‘craptions’ as some call them) that often fall short. The quality of your transcript or captions should match the excellence of your video because, for some, that transcript or captions is their primary way of experiencing your content. It reflects the overall quality and care you put into your work. Let’s make our content truly inclusive and accessible, ensuring everyone can engage with and enjoy it fully! #DeafblindAwarenessWeek #Accessibility #Inclusion #ContentCreation https://lnkd.in/gvbD6XuH

"Museums can play a vital role in creating 'age-friendly' communities that support physical activity, social connection, and intellectual stimulation, as well as providing pathways for elders to con-tribute to their communities and to following generations." That being said, museums can also help us confront and disrupt ageism by creating exhibits showing how age has been depicted in art throughout cultures and history, helping us to question if our traditional perceptions have been valid or need reexamination and reform. https://lnkd.in/giVzz5wR

Reposting this very helpful article!

We are excited too be consulting with WolfBrown on this important research surrounding arts audiences and accessibility! Learn more in the article below on how you can participate. https://lnkd.in/eq4npDAy

We at World Heart Beat are a great example of having put this thinking into action- furthermore with the collapse of the musicians infrastructure, in the last few years with live streaming platforms and the traditional models of selling records, there is a massive need for us al to look at the role of venues and places like World Heart Beat to provide new models for musicians to thrive !! NIcholas - yes we totally agree here - but there really needs to be funding made available to support in order for them to work "We must protect our cultural infrastructure, and extend it into new housing developments, to support their development into communities. We must advocate for the role culture can play in local renewal, working with local authorities and mayoral combined authorities to ensure that cultural initiatives propel regeneration. We must collaborate with local leaders to harness and drive growth in the creative industries, expanding on the?Creative Corridors?model which is operating so successfully in the north of England.

I’ve no doubt whatsoever that lifelong creative activity (and I very deliberately mean making/creating; not taking in others’ final products) is good for your health and our society. Doing creative stuff is how you learn about failure and resilience; how to celebrate and learn from others; to express yourself. It’s where you learn about imperfection, and honesty. Creativity can hurt- a lot- precisely because there is no “perfect”. If I had a magic wand… yes, we’d all have a personal creativity budget. We’d all show our stuff, not hide it. We’d try new modes, and not worry about cost or looking stupid. And I’ve utter conviction we’d be a stronger and more confident society for it. Sometimes, we’d discover incredible talent, but mostly, we’d empower ourselves and our neighbours to express what’s inside. To hear our own questions, and even start to respond to them. To change our worlds. Gosh- that poured out! So here’s to creative investment. Not just for excellence but for all our wellbeing.

Change happens in many ways! Here are some free resources to inspire from the Center For Artistic Activism - highly recommended ?? #socialchange #activism #artisticactivism #collaboration #creativity #justice https://c4aa.org/resources