Events with/by/for disabled people: Just a bit of fun, or making a difference?

Abstract

Disabled people have a fundamental human right to leisure that contributes to their wellbeing, to be able to participate in a meaningful way in cultural activities such as arts events. For decades, the arts have been viewed as a vehicle for empowerment, and arts programmes have been shown to provide long-lasting benefits. Arts events, though, with their temporary nature, have largely escaped scrutiny. This exploratory study used the InterACT Disability Arts Festival held in New Zealand as a case study, seeking to answer the question: "Does an annual arts event designed with/by/for disabled people have the potential to create revolutionary futures?" Through participant observation, autoethnography and both in-the-moment and in-depth interviews with organisers, participants and volunteers, a picture was gained of the importance of this event in creating 'revolutionary futures'. This presentation will detail the findings within three key themes: determining new paths, making the future less fearsome and allowing more positive outcomes. A conceptual framework for assessing the contribution of events to creating 'revolutionary futures' will be presented.