Nevronas FESTival: Inclusive Volunteering Programme

Arts, Culture, and Sport

Regional; Greece

Persons with disability and/or neurodiversity are often not considered when planning and creating festivals. The Nevronas FESTival is an Inclusive Performingand Visual Arts and Artistic Interaction event promoting accessibility and inclusion in arts without barriers or discrimination,  celebrating diversity while empowering professional and amateur artists with and without disability. A cornerstone of the festival is its Inclusive Volunteering Programme, which brings together persons with and without disability to work together.

The volunteering programme offers the opportunity to develop skills by cooperating with peers, learning from the festival and engaging in social interactions with participants. Volunteers may also participate in events, workshops and performances (immerse themselves in the activities). They receive specialised (theoretical and practical) training on disability, neurodiversity, accessibility and inclusion, delivered by professionals in the field in collaboration with disabled partners of Nevronas. This ensures that volunteers are equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to foster a truly inclusive environment. The training is provided and improved every year to upskill volunteers, taking into consideration volunteers’ needs and ideas for improving the organisation of the event. Often, tailored and targeted training sessions are also organised.

Over the years, the programme has seen remarkable growth of volunteers with different types of disability -such as physical, visual and auditory, as well as those who are neurodiverse or psychosocially vulnerable.

This model is adaptable and replicable across countries, municipalities and regions. Its success relies on two key pillars: expert-led training programmes that ensure the delivery of high-quality training sessions, effective knowledge transfer and adequate support, and community support, which secures the long-term viability and impact of the initiative.

https://nevronas.gr/