“Ya sou kalinotses”

Thomas Diafas

December 2023

The workshop provided insights into the ​realm of digital exclusion, with a focus on ​individuals with disabilities. This initiative ​engaged participants in addressing essential ​issues related to accessibility, representation, ​and inclusion within the digital environment ​and mass media.

HERE AND NOW

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DIGITAL = SOCIAL

the team reflected on the notion of ​accessibility and inclusion both in ​society and in the digital world.

To avoid generalisations we asked ourselves:

What is disability? What is inclusion? What is digital? What is holistic?

Why performance art? Why Dogma95?

The concept of "Here and Now" permeates the workshop both ​in terms of methodology and subject matter. Both art forms ​deal with the issue of truth in art. Without special tricks and ​with a documentary approach, they capture an image or ​situation exactly as it is. Neither art form requires particular ​technical skills, making them potentially accessible to ​everyone. Similarly, the theme of the workshop seeks to ​depict the reality of the everyday life of a person with ​disabilities, focusing on digital inclusion.

Here and now:

Marriage Equality Law

&

Mass media

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During the workshop, issues such as accessibility, visibility and the approach of ​people with disabilities in the digital world, in the Mass Media and by extension in ​the arts were highlighted.

The group focused on a specific example, which is the subject of the film created ​as part of the workshop: the absence of people with disabilities’ sexuality in the ​public sphere.

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(In Athens, Greece)

• the participants realised that what accessibility means to them, might be exclusion for ​another disabled individual. (VOICE VS WRITTEN MESSAGES )

• WHAT IS ACCESSIBILITY AND WHO DESIGNS IT? Who should be responsible for designing an ​accessibility plan?

• DO I SEE MYSELF IN THE DIGITAL WORLD? how can people like me be more present?
  

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“Our [digital] needs are dynamic and highly individualistic” – a ​standardised approach to digital equity won’t address them.

ACCESSIBILITY DOESN’T MEAN THE SAME FOR EVERYONE

Some of the participants pointed out that digital equity can be used as an alibi to be ​socially excluded. Technology can be a subsitute for real communication. However, the ​group admitted that through technology they can have access to various data and that ​there is a big advance regarding accessibility. People though are not well informed about ​sending a voice note to a Deaf person or a written text to a Blind person. In a group of ​people with different disabilities it’s challenging to find a common digital way of ​communicating.

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DISABILITY DOESN’T MEAN THE SAME FOR EVERYONE

The digital world can be a space for redefining the ​identity of people with disabilities in a more inclusive ​way.

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Through the workshop we aimed

● To identify the perspectives of the disabled on digital inclusion/exclusion, as well as their needs and challenges on digital ​participation

● To enhance inclusive cultural participation through collaboration between non-disabled and disabled individuals.

● To increase the cultural engagement of disabled individuals with performance art and dogma 95.

● To challenge preconceptions about the digital reality of disabled individuals, avoiding both demonization and uncritical ​celebration of digitization.

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I am a queer Greek-Dominican multidisciplinary performance artist and educator. My diverse background in education, cinema, ​linguistics, and performing arts has given rise to a unique hybrid approach that challenges traditional notions of art and arts ​education. Embracing the name 'Performing the Real,' my practice actively fosters a fresh and dynamic conversation between ​performance art and everyday life, while critically examining their interconnectedness on both personal and political levels.

At present, my focus centers on community building projects that address pressing social issues, particularly those related to stress, ​anxiety, and social inequalities. These projects aim to effect positive change within society by harnessing the power of artistic ​expression and collaborative engagement.

Additionally, I am dedicated to investigating new educational methods that promote a non-individualistic and non-hierarchical ​approach to knowledge acquisition, transcending the constraints of capitalism. By seeking alternative paths to learning and ​knowledge dissemination, I strive to contribute to a more inclusive and equitable educational landscape.

https://linktr.ee/tomasdiafas

liminal is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing equal participation in culture.

Since 2016, it has been actively fostering the transition towards a cultural landscape that embraces human diversity in its ​entirety. Serving as a platform for dialogue and creative exchange, liminal welcomes a dynamic and diverse community. This ​community recognizes that unrestricted participation in culture is not only an inalienable human right but also a catalyst for ​revitalizing artistic practices and enriching the societal significance of art.

• a research
• a theatre play
• a roaming project