Universal Art Design

W lewym dolnym rogu znajduje się biały, pogrubiony napis Universal Art Design. Po prawej stronie widiczny jest szeroki pasek ułożony w kształt podwójnej elipsy. Jest on w kolorze jasnożółtym, ciemnożó

The idea behind the project

The project is based on the philosophy of universal design, derived from architecture. It means designing products, environments, programs and services to be useful to everyone, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.

We aim to create a model that brings this philosophy to the performing arts, opening up new creative possibilities and enriching the audience experience. We believe that accessibility can spur innovative solutions, inspiring those involved in the arts to seek new means of expression and create a more open creative space for all.

Project partners:

Project partners are: Provincial Center for Cultural Animation in Torun (Poland), Teatro Stabile del Veneto (Italy) and Kulturanova (Serbia).

The Universal Art Design project is financed by the European Union under the Creative Europe project.

Project Objective:

The aim of the project is to engage 36 young people from Poland, Serbia and Italy working in the performing arts (up to 35 years of age), including people with disabilities and belonging to marginalized groups in the creation of new artistic tools developing the Universal Art Design model in the creation of performances and theatrical performances.

We are looking for people for whom social justice, equality and diversity are important values and who want to develop their competence in anti-discrimination practices in art and universal design.

The project aims to create and test models of universal design in the peformative arts, in order to sensitize and improve the competencies of artistic people in partner countries and support their full inclusion in education and the mainstream artistic circuit.

For whom.

We invite artistic groups of independent performing arts practitioners (up to 35 years of age) living in Poland, Serbia and Italy, in which more than half of the collective’s group are people with disabilities or from marginalized groups in the respective country, to participate in the project.

These individuals will be selected through national open calls.

Stages of the project

1. nternational art camp in Torun (June 4-12, 2025)

  • Nine-day workshops on inclusive art making, universal design and anti-discrimination for art groups from Poland, Serbia and Italy led by expert individuals from the three countries

2. Artist residencies (July 2025 – November 2025)

  • Working on concepts for art projects in Novi Sad, Serbia (July 8-11, 2025)
  • A month-long artistic residency for each artistic group culminating in a showcase of the author’s performance or spectacle
  • Support (tutoring) in the creative process

3. Theater Festival in Padua (February 2026)

  • Presentation of selected performances and plays prepared as part of the residency
  • Discussions, panels and workshops for the audience

4. publication (March 2026)

  • A manual collecting the methods developed by the artists into a model or models of universal design in the performing arts, supplemented with articles by experts and interviews with project participants.
  • A conference disseminating the results of the project

Universal Art Design is funded by the European Union under the Creative Europe project. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Executive Agency for Education and Culture (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the EACEA is responsible for them.

Subsidized by funds from the Local Government of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship.

Newsletter