The time has come: Together with our jury, we have selected the participating organisations for the second round of our Germany-wide unique qualification programme ‘More Diversity in Culture’!
From 1 July 2025, the Orangerie Theater Cologne, the Schwankhalle Bremen and the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe will be accompanied for a year on their way to more inclusion of people with disabilities.
While funding is being cut in many places and diversity issues are being called into question, interest in the programme has remained high: numerous applications from all over Germany show the growing need for well-founded support in the area of barrier reduction and diversity. The three selected cultural organisations impressed with their determination to actively shape change – on an artistic, personnel and structural level:
The Orangerie Theatre Cologne is currently being renovated and is developing into one of the first completely barrier-free production venues for the independent cultural scene in Germany. Diversity is not seen as an add-on, but as a structural and programmatic core. Schwankhalle Bremen relies on a collective learning process to break down barriers in all areas of theatre work. In particular, the focus will be on artistic development through ‘Aesthetics of Access’. In its diversity-oriented opening process, the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe wants to further intensify its collaboration with people with disabilities as artists, employees, visitors and partners. Inclusion and accessibility in the sense of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Art. 30 are to be structurally anchored and made visible through active participation in the team, in the audience and on stage.
‘Inclusion is not a ‘nice-to-have’ – it is a basic prerequisite for a democratic, diverse cultural landscape,’ says Lisette Reuter, Director of Un-Label. ‘Especially now, when diversity is coming under political pressure, it is all the more important to strengthen cultural centres in their openness.’
The programme, part of the ‘Access Maker – Innovation Hub’ project, supports three cultural organisations each year with training and individual mentoring in order to sustainably anchor inclusion in the areas of programming, personnel, audiences, PR and partnerships. The cultural organisations are supported by an experienced team of consultants with different disability perspectives and experts in inclusive cultural work. Each of the selected organisations will take part in ten to twelve training sessions (at least 60 hours in total) and receive ongoing mentoring throughout the qualification period.
The qualification programme runs from July 2025 to June 2026.
Participating Organisations
Access Maker – Innovationshub is funded by
