Context and purpose
Apropa Cultura was born in 2006 in the Consorci de L’Auditori i l’Orquestra de Barcelona with the aim of improving the quality of life of vulnerable people through participation in cultural programmes. About Culture Madrid adapts this model to the social and cultural reality of the Madrid region, with the Hazlo Accesible Association as the entity responsible for its implementation, execution and coordination. The initiative seeks to overcome barriers that limit access to theatres, museums, auditoriums and festivals, including economic, physical and communication accessibility barriers, and mediation between cultural offer and the needs of groups.
Collaborative network
The About Culture Madrid network brings together cultural programmers and facilities from the Community of Madrid who share their usual programming with social entities that work with vulnerable groups. These spaces make a percentage of their capacity available to these entities at a symbolic or free cost, providing standardised cultural experiences for people with disabilities, in a precarious situation or at risk of social exclusion.
Activities and tools
The project develops several lines of action to consolidate cultural inclusion. It provides artistic training to professionals in the social sector so that they can integrate culture as an educational tool in their work. It offers training in accessibility and inclusion aimed at staff of cultural facilities, with basic tools to accommodate groups with specific needs. It promotes meeting spaces between social and cultural entities where experiences are shared, needs are detected and synergies are generated to innovate in cultural mediation.
Methodology and approach
The methodology of About Culture Madrid is based on cultural and artistic mediation as a mechanism to democratize access to culture. It is based on values of equity and social justice, and proposes the construction of real links between the cultural and social sectors. This approach seeks to ensure that cultural institutions incorporate practices that are inclusive, accessible and respectful of the diversity of audiences, and that social entities find in cultural programming a significant tool for their activities.
Participation and opportunities
Cultural programmers, facilities and social entities can be integrated into the network to expand their mediation and inclusion capacities. Participation implies a commitment to the elimination of barriers and to the promotion of a cultural offer that reflects the diversity of society. Through this collaboration, About Culture Madrid fosters a cultural ecosystem that is more accessible and sensitive to the realities of those who have historically been excluded from the formal artistic offer.