Two people smiling and posing behind a bar booth with beer taps at an outdoor event.

Accessibility: Possibilize Case Study (NL)


Creative accessibility

Possibilize is a platform for various projects that take a so-called limitation as a source of inspiration. The Possibilizers look for what people cannot do, try to find solutions and then look at what they can do better because of what they cannot do. This led them to come up with the philosophy of creative accessibility. “We believe that anything is possible if you really go for something and think in terms of possibilities instead of limitations – what we call ‘possibilizing’,” says Possibilize director, Ronald Ligtenberg.

Ligtenberg explains the concept of creative accessibility: “Often, issues like accessibility or inclusion are being considered a burden: it will cost money, it will take time and requires effort, nobody knows how to do it well and there are only very limited benefits. Also, many solutions for inclusion lead to exclusion: Think of wheelchair platforms, where people in a wheelchair are being separated from the other visitors. With creative accessibility we look for solutions that multiple groups can benefit from.” 


Project Examples

Sencity is a multisensory indoor music festival for deaf, hard of hearing and hearing visitors. “The intention or message of the songs is transmitted with sensorial effects like an aroma jockey, food jockey and a vibrating floor,” Ronald explained. Aroma and food Jockeys use scents and food, respectively, and mix them with music in real-time to create a specific ambience or experience.

This means Sencity’s shows address all senses – not only vision and hearing, but also taste, smell and touch. This concept is supposed to unite groups of people who usually never meet, Ronald said. At the same time, it presents a concept that is more fun and goes beyond what regular shows can offer. It emphasises the songs’ emotions and makes them easier to understand.

Revelland is an EU-funded project connecting seven European innovative organisations operating in the mix of culture and disability. The team members consist of artists, directors and event organisers determined to make performing arts accessible to everyone. They have asked six leading European festivals (among them YOUROPE members like Sziget, Roskilde and ESNS) to select a band. These bands have been trained by seven sensorial experts to design a show that is both immersive and inclusive. 

Just like the Sencity shows, they will include scents, tastes, sights and touch to enrich the music. “These shows will tour along the festivals to show the festivals, the audiences and the entire music sector that accessibility can also be artistically-enriching, cool, sexy and fun!”, Ronald said. The performances will take place in the summer of 2024, and the project will end in February 2025.

Superkracht (English: “Superpower”; website in Dutch) empowers young adults with mild intellectual disabilities to become part of the crews of festivals and cultural venues. The project gives their interests and talents a platform, offers them the opportunity to chase their dreams and pushes their boundaries. During the training, they get the opportunity to discover and develop their talents, formulate learning goals and take on challenges. Depending on the required output, they are then given a suitable task. All the while, they are working on an equal level with the employees and volunteers of festivals, events, music venues and theatres. 

“And that’s where the magic happens. Crew members can look back on a successful event AND have experienced that their Superkracht buddy worked with passion, pride and enthusiasm – just like them,” Ronald states. “How cool is it, when that crew member realises that Tessa is the best host that every organiser should have backstage, or that Hans, a tireless stagehand, has become an indispensable part of the site crew?”