Capital of Culture without Barriers
The Ruhr sluice at the „Wasserbahnhof“ in Mülheim an der Ruhr / Photo: Manfred Vollmer
The European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010 invites all people to be part of it. Hardly a noble gesture for it should go without saying. However, this is not quite as simple as it sounds. Unfortunately not everyone in our society has the same access to culture, and that is something that needs to change. Inclusive access has to be improved, particularly for people with disabilities and those from socio-economically disadvantaged groups, so they too can experience events which they are interested in without being hindered by unnecessary problems. The European Capital of Culture is serious about playing its part in achieving this goal.
RUHR.2010 has, in concert with a number of experts, come up with four central aims for social inclusion:
• All information to do with the Capital of Culture must be accessible to all interested parties and must be communicated clearly.
• The programme must include inclusive projects whose participants are people with and without disabilities.
• Access to the venues for artists and visitors must be barrier-free.
• Entry fees to events must allow for people from socio-economically disadvantaged groups to attend.
In cooperation with the "Agentur Barrierefrei" (Barrier-free Agency), the www.ruhr2010.de website has been designed to allow accessibility to the maximum number of people possible. With the financial support of the Lions Hilfswerk "Soziale Dimension" e. V. (local Lions Club Foundation), a barrier-free visitor guide for the Ruhr Metropolis has been designed that also offers the latest information on the European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010 through an online portal. Ruhr Tourismus GmbH is also participating in this project.
Many other activities have also been initiated: for the first time up-to-date information on barrier-free access has been collected from all around the region. The State Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs in North Rhine-Westphalia has carried out a survey of all venues scheduled-in as part of the European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010 festivities. The study will be made accessible to all cities in the Ruhr. The Lions Club is collecting donations for the "Social Inclusion" project. Its members will act as contact persons for people with disabilities at the larger scale events. The Arbeiterwohlfahrt (Federal Workers Welfare Association) will also be opening an information centre in Dortmund which offers free advice to the cities of the Ruhr Metropolis on how to implement local measures to become barrier-free.
The programme of the European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010 is to be specifically socially inclusive. The Rhineland Regional Council is organising an "Encounters Day" for people with and without disabilities to be held in Essen’s Grugapark in 2010. The project "Europe InTact 2010" led by Prof. Irmgard Merkt from Dortmund University of Science and Technology, has been set up to promote active social inclusion of people with disabilities. The project has three primary elements in its make-up: musical and creative activity, a concert series and a science congress. The TWINS projects "DIN Art", "Piano", "palaixbrut_installation" and "InnenWeltenAußenWelten” (InnerWorldsOuterWorlds) show how an added dimension of art and disability or art and psychiatry can enrich the established art and pantomime.
The European Capital of CultureRUHR.2010 is aware of its social responsibility. Through its activities it wants to make the public more cognisant of the fact that there are many people in our society who are disadvantaged for social or health-related reasons. The objective has to be to demolish for good any barriers that still exist.