Since 2018, the Berlin-based network Making a Difference has been working to fill gaps in training, support, and artistic development for disabled, deaf, and chronically ill artists. In the new project phase, HAU Hebbel am Ufer/ Tanz im August and Radialsystem are expanding the network as new partners. In addition, a collaboration with five other federal states is being established with the aim of making the approaches developed in Berlin accessible nationwide. Together with cooperation partners whose programs already include inclusive dance practices, common standards for removing barriers in production and presentation processes as well as sustainable and diverse perspectives for artistic work are being established. Residencies, co-productions, guest performances, and knowledge transfer go hand in hand with awareness-raising and mediation formats as well as peer-to-peer empowerment. Making a Difference is thus dedicated to the need for lasting structural change and strengthens the visibility of a growing communityv
With the first TANZPAKT grant for Making A Difference from 2018 to 2024, dance with and, above all, by performers and choreographers with physical and/or sensory disabilities was supported. The following Berlin institutions joined forces for this purpose: Sophiensæle, Tanzfabrik Berlin, Uferstudios, tanzfähig, Hochschulübergreifendes Zentrum Tanz Berlin (HZT), TanzZeit, Diversity Arts Culture, and Zeitgenössischer Tanz Berlin (ZTB).
From the outset, the central guiding principle of the program was to fill artistic and non-artistic management and expert positions predominantly with people with disabilities, as social equality is achieved through participation in decision-making and creative power. An important role was played by networking the Berlin scene with internationally renowned artists with disabilities, who also supported the local scene as mentors. In three choreographic laboratories, Berlin-based and international artists with disabilities researched current topics. In four one-month double residencies, international and local choreographers with disabilities worked on their own projects. A concluding international conference explored the topic in its specificity and diversity and further developed it from an intersectional perspective.