Project
The model project Work of the Future – Inclusive Academy of Cologne aims to test new forms of professionalisation and collaboration between disabled and non-disabled artists.
The organisers plan to set up the project at a former industrial complex in Cologne-Kalk where people with and without disabilities can learn and experiment together from the very start. They will apply various artistic techniques and work together to stage exhibitions. The project’s primary focus will be on the needs of the artists who have disabilities, e.g. the provision of support services. Dialogue with international partners, e.g. from Great Britain, Norway and Ukraine, will enrich the project with significant impulses.
The model project is being coordinated by the organisations “Kunst und Begegnung in der Stadt” (KUBiST) and raumlaborberlin. The project is receiving support from a broad alliance of action groups which have long campaigned for greater inclusion, such as the independent inclusive art venue “Kunsthaus KAT18” and the X-SÜD artists’ collective. The Kunstakademie Düsseldorf is also participating in the project.
The German Federal Cultural Foundation is supporting the model project with 700,000 euros from 2025 to 2028. The pilot phase of the Inclusive Academy will receive federal financing in combination with resources provided by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the city of Cologne. Building on this broad-based structure of cultural-political partners, the hope is to establish a sustainable model of inclusive art production and training in Cologne-Kalk for years to come.
8 September 2025: Opening ceremony marking the launch of the Inclusive Academy model project | Osthof Hallen in Kalk | Cologne