Shifting the Stage

Shifting the stage - Disabled-led performances for children and youth stems from a series of strategic conversations and previous collaborations around inclusion and diversity within the performing arts for children and youth between four leading national festivals; bibu in Sweden, Showbox in Norway, Bravo! Festival in Finland and Edinburgh International children’s Festival in Scotland.

As partners we have recognized that much of the discussions around and about inclusion and diversity within the performing arts tends to have a strong focus on productitions made for young disabled audience members, i.e. making accessible performances or making performances accessible. While these discussions are still valuable and important to have, the aim of this project is to shift the conversations so that the emphasis is on disabled artists themselves making the work instead of the type of audiences that can access a performance. Thus, the project aims to grow and support a community of interest around disabled-led work for children. Raising awareness of the difference between work for disabled audiences and work that is disabled-led.

As national festivals we all have a strong understanding and birds-eye overview of the
performing arts sector for young audiences in our own countries. With this perspective we all recognize that the voices, stories and bodies of disabled artists are missing on our
stages. In our conversations with international colleagues outside the Nordic countries we also know that this lack of disabled-led productions for young audience is a concern
shared across the globe. We also know that this lack of diversity will have a direct negative effect on future performance makers and audience members for the performing arts.

As a first activity an artistic lab will be held in January 2026, facilitated by a leading disabled artist, that will connect disabled artists from the Nordics & Scotland.

The image is from a study visit to Edinburgh International Childrens Festival. The collaboration gave a unique opportunity for Swedish artists with disabilities to meet other performing artists and interested producers to build relationships and opportunities for the future.