Radical Accessibility: Crip pedagogies, Crip theory, Crip practice

Studium Generale 2024-25 explores the accessibility of art and cultural practices through a ‘Crip’ perspective. This approach emphasizes interdependency, mutual solidarity, and shared responsibility among our diverse bodies and minds. Once a term used negatively to describe people with disabilities, ‘Crip’ has been reclaimed by artists, activists, and scholars as a positive and empowering term, akin to ‘queer.’ It challenges harmful norms and prejudices and examines how disability intersects with gender, race, class, sexuality, and the environment, encouraging us to consider these connections on both personal and political levels.

Despite this, numerous barriers persist in our daily lives and learning environments. Many spaces remain inaccessible due to poor design and a lack of adequate accommodations and tools. Educational materials often marginalize or overlook diverse voices and bodyminds. By working with Crip artists, activists, and thinkers, we aim to reimagine the academy, our community, and our artistic practices through this Crip lens. How can we make accessibility a core aspect of our learning, thinking, and creating, rather than an afterthought or add-on?

The Studium Generale team will collaborate with people and collectives such as the Crip the Curriculum (Pernilla Philip, Alcide Breaux, Harriet Foyster, Akash Sheshadri, Menko Dijksterhuis), Staci Bu Shea & Mira Thomson, CPR, Jay Tan and Derica Shields.

References:
Mira Thomson, Een gezond lichaam is een sociaal construct - hoe de Crip Theory ontoegankelijkheid (in de kunsten) aankaart, Mr. Motley, 18 augustus 2023
https://www.mistermotley.nl/een-gezond-lichaam-is-een-sociaal-construct-hoe-de-crip-theory-ontoegankelijkheid-in-de-kunsten-aankaart/

Carolyn Lazard, Acceessibility in the Arts: A Promise and a Practice, https://promiseandpractice.art/

Interview with Carolyn Lazard on Illness, Intimacy and the Aesthetics of Access,
https://www.frieze.com/article/carolyn-lazard-edna-bonhomme-interview-2022

Crip the Art World!, De Balie, June 21, 2023
https://debalie.nl/programma/crip-the-art-world-21-06-2023/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijoMJthGBuA&t=2s

Queering the Grip, Gripping the Queer, exhibition, Schwules Museum Berlin, 2022-23
https://queer-crip.schwulesmuseum.de/en/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGQ_uX4huPU

Iaraith Ní Fheorais, Access Toolkit for Artworkers, https://www.accesstoolkit.art/about/

Dates:
SGxBasicyear, Jan 8; Preliminary program, talks, performace, screenings, workshop, reading group, lexicon, reader and website; 15, 22, 29 Jan. 5, 12, 26 Feb. 5, 12 Mar.; Audiovisual, participatory, performative, theatrical, theoretical contributions and student works at Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 Mar..