“Lowering barriers to cultural participation and co-determination” - Review of the South Westphalia Cultural Council’s spring conference

Lower hurdles

Cultural work can open doors in many ways, for example when it comes to reflecting the diversity of society and enabling everyone to participate in our cultural society. This was precisely the focus of this year's spring conference of the Cultural Council of the South Westphalia Cultural Region. Under the motto "Lowering Barriers to Cultural Participation and Co-determination," the members of the Cultural Council met at the Schrabbenhof cultural estate in Kirchhundem. Almost every member of the Cultural Council was accompanied by an external expert on diversity and inclusion. Moderated by Susanne Boecking from the Service Office of the South Westphalia Cultural Region, the participants combined substantive work on the topic with a lively informal exchange of experiences.

At the same time, the conference was a practical exercise in integrating people with a wide range of disabilities and enabling them to participate fully and participate in discussions. This began with barrier-free access to the conference venue, included microphone technology compatible with hearing aids, and meant describing visual media and, where appropriate, the participants themselves for people with visual impairments. The approximately 30 participants quickly realized how easy it can be to interact with one another despite apparent obstacles if certain things are taken into account.

Previous workshops

To introduce the topic, Susanne Boecking, together with Cynthia Krell from the Südwestfalen Agentur, first reported on the results of the joint real-world laboratory "NOW EVERYONE! For a Culture of Diversity," which took place in September 2022 in cooperation with the Bethel Theater Workshop at the Lyz in Siegen.

The workshop in March at the Dunkelcafé in Siegen, which Susanne Boecking presented together with Jan Meyer-Krügel from the Dunkelcafé, looked at possibilities for barrier-free cultural work.

group work

Isabell Rosenberg and Annette Ziegert from the Competence Center for Cultural Education in Older Adults and Inclusive Culture (kubia) in Cologne transitioned the session into the workshop. All participants were encouraged to address equal opportunities and diversity competence in committees as well as in the areas of support and funding.

Isabell Rosenberg, for example, reported that she had often experienced being elected to a committee not because of her competence, but because of her disability, in order to fulfill a quota. Ultimately, however, she emphasized, she didn't struggle with it, but rather saw it as an opportunity to contribute her voice and expertise in this way.

Finally, two central questions were discussed in small groups: What skills do committee members need to have in order to act in a way that ensures equal opportunities and educational equity when selecting individuals and projects? And what positive measures could committees use to increase their diversity? The responses from the groups focused less on concrete recommendations for action and more on criteria such as empathy and tolerance as important qualities for members. Committees should also be more open to "fresh ideas." The responsibilities of the committees and their individual members should be clearly defined and made transparent.

Conclusion

The fact is: A diverse cultural society encompasses all people of different religions, traditions, nationalities, languages, gender identities, and sexual orientations, with and without disabilities. Diversity presents a challenge, but above all, it offers the potential for a participatory redesign of cultural work. The results of the conference will soon be published as a guideline, which will be available to everyone on the website of the South Westphalia Cultural Region.

Go outside and plant diversity

As a small farewell gift, all participants received a small plant pot filled with colorful flower marbles and colorful chocolate chips. A reminder that a diverse cultural society is just as sustainable as a diverse ecosystem.