InArtDis is a European project led by the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), in which the Occupational Therapy Center (CTO) of Badalona has participated, focused on creating Inclusive Artistic Spaces and investigating how art participates and contributes to building a more diverse and inclusive society. By involving the main cultural entities of Catalonia as key agents in this process, as well as entities from the educational world and the social and disability world. Together we have carried out 3 inclusive artistic projects and have been able to celebrate, after two years, the closure of this project.
From CTO Badalona we have been participating with 6 users who have been involved heart and soul for two years to claim their place in the world, in art and in our society. From the first meetings to the closing, we were able to enjoy everything that we all achieved, in our case: a vindictive fashion catwalk. During this process we have collaborated with many people and organizations such as the UAB, Institutes and Schools, other entities in the world of disability and also cultural entities such as the MNAC, Mercat de les Flors, Museu del Disseny, Can Framis and the National Theater of Catalonia.
Inclusive fashion: for all types of people and bodies
The CTO Badalona sub-project was carried out with the Design Museum, the Costa Llobera School Institute and Bellvitge Workshops, coordinated by Mar Moron of the Autonomous University of Barcelona. This project has focused on the role that fashion plays in the inclusion of all types of people and bodies with or without disabilities. Diversity is the real revolution.
The joint work between the Costa Llobera Institute-School, Bellvitge Workshops, the CTO of Badalona and the Design Museum has been carried out during this school year. Five meetings held between January and June where we were able to deploy all these ideas, playing with art together, learning about design and how fashion has always played a key role in our society.
A first part of the project was dedicated to observing fashion from the different periods, from the visit to the Archeology Museum to learn how they began to dye and weave the first pieces of clothing and being able to try on clothing from the Roman period and see how this determined what position you had within society, until visiting the most modern fashion collection at the Design Museum, where we could observe all the evolution. Marina Vergés, an inclusive clothing designer who has collaborated on the entire project, was able to show us her work and how design intervenes in people's lives.
The second part was dedicated more to the practical part. It was guided by all the people who have participated from the Design Museum: Carmina Borbonet, Mar Sureda, Joana, Guillem and Kevin, to whom we are very grateful for all the work done and how they have helped us think, design and manufacture our own inclusive fashion collection. A job we carried out together with colleagues from Tallers Bellvitge and students from Costa Llobera who, apart from designing clothes, also designed banners with vindictive messages that were part of the staging of our catwalk.
The contribution of the people of the Badalona CTO of the Aspace Catalunya Foundation to the InArtDis project
From CTO Badalona of Aspace we were in charge of designing the video presentation of our parade, with drawings by Dani Moreno made with the eyes through Tobi and using the Paint program. It was made possible by assistive technology and occupational therapy.
For the users, this project has meant an opportunity to feel included and to have an active role in the design of the project itself. This has given them the opportunity to do so network with the community artistic, educational and the third sector and make themselves known in other spaces that were not normally so open or had not been so accessible to them.
The power of attorney of the people who have participated as well as theautonomy they have been key aspects that have been seen and worked on over the course of these two years. Make their voice and opinion heard when designing the project, talk about accessibility, inclusion, common spaces and get closer to other groups such as the students of the different schools and institutes, it has been a great opportunity. They have felt respected, valued, listened to and this has also made them grow as people, that their voice also matters, that they also count for this society and that they are part of it, this time in an active and with space to share.
InArtDis has provided this space to meet people from very different fields; students, people from other organizations dedicated to functional diversity, artists, designers and educators, among others, and thus have been able to build new interpersonal relationships, creating and having fun, knowing and exploring new possibilities. In short, this project has had an impact on many aspects of their lives and will surely be remembered by all the participants.
We will continue with projects like this to continue working for universal accessibility and the inclusion of all people no matter who we are or where we come from.
This article has been written with the collaboration of: Yaiza Fernández, Ferran Ribas Valdivia, Amal Tsouli, Andreina Cadenas, David Utanda, Dani Moreno.
