ACCAC is looking for partners to create an open Toolkit for Inclusive Digital Design. We want to initiate a collective of creatives, innovators, users, professionals and regulators. This collective will rethink the digital experience through pilot projects with bold organisations ready to re-create their websites and services, or parts of them.

Accessible Arts and Culture will lead this project in 4 phases:

1. Call for Interest to find partners and raise interest towards the project
2. Create a steering group, raise funding and find pilot projects
3. Execution of pilot projects and documenting the process
4. Open a toolkit of innovative methods for everyone to use and raise awareness

What are we looking for?

• Designers
• Coders
• Innovators
• Disability organisations
• Regulators
• Organising partners
• Interested individuals

If you are interested in joining us, please fill in the form below by 30 September 2021.

https://forms.gle/WL8SuNLCiEpfy6XZ7

For more information, contact:
Sasu Paakkunainen
Co-Founder of ACCAC Global
Board Member at ACCAC Finland
sasu@accac.global

We are excited to announce our first New European Bauhaus seminar “Online Discussions on Inclusion and Aesthetics”! Seminar takes place on Thursday August 26 at 14:00 (EEST) in the ACCAC Finland website.

We have gathered speakers from the top of European innovation, research and talent. The presentations and discussions focus on accessibility in the digital and physical environment done beautifully, sustainably and together.

We welcome decision-makers, researchers, architects, designers, urban planners, entrepreneurs and everyone interested in the discussion. ACCAC Finland was selected as a partner of the New European Bauhaus this year. New European Bauhaus is an initiative shaping more beautiful, sustainable and inclusive forms of living together in Europe.

These discussions are aimed to kindle new transdisciplinary collaborations and pilot projects to achieve this goal!

Read more about the seminar in our new “Online Discussions” -section.

ACCAC Culture 2.0 Festival takes place from 25th to 29th of August 2021 in Tampere, Finland. The organizer ACCAC Finland is creating an accessible event for everyone. The programme includes music and dance performances, movies, culture market, art exhibition, special eSports world championship tournament and various professional seminars.

The main stage for the event is in Pakkahuone, Tampere, with different virtual elements. Parts of the programme will also be streamed out for the international audience. Making the event hybrid allows the event’s programme to stay versatile and bring people together, regardless of possible travel restrictions.

ACCAC Culture 2.0 Festival promotes diversity and equality. “Every single visitor and performer should feel welcome, just as they are”, emphasizes Kirsi Mustalahti, the founder of ACCAC network.

Tampere-based ACCAC Finland also celebrates its 10-year anniversary this year. Acknowledging that many services in the field of culture, art and events are not equal to all is what drives the association forward. Ignorance often creates situations that strengthen inequality and discrimination. The mission of the association is a world possible for everyone, and this is also the core value of ACCAC Culture 2.0 Festival.

In 10 years the Accessible Arts and Culture network (ACCAC) has grown to run in over 12 countries around the world, and the network keeps on growing. Various restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the value of equality and accessibility even more.

Tampere, the capital of equality

Tampere, the birth city of the ACCAC network, invests in systematic work towards equality and equality is also the leading theme in Tampere and Pirkanmaa region’s application for the European Capital of Culture 2026. The project promotes wellbeing, quality of life and equality through culture. The ACCAC network proudly supports Tampere region with its pursuit towards equality!

Read more
finland.accac.global
ACCAC Facebook

Dear ACCAC Members, Artists, Professionals and Friends

ACCAC hometown Tampere and Tampere Region are together applying to become the European Capital of Culture 2026 to be able to promote what is most important to us: The People. We want to work towards equality and utilize Culture as our engine for change.

It would be so great and important if you would give us support and your time in TampereRegion way to win the title. We want to show the panel members who makes the decision, that equality and everyones right for culture and art is important value also to our networks, partners and artits globally.

ACCAC Finland wish You to take part in TampereRegion 2026 social media project. Please make your own country and region visible in Tampere already before ACCAC Culture 2.0 Festival in August.

The deadline to participate in this project is February 19.

Participation has ended. Now we can enjoy the outcome!

ACCAC Finland and our main partner (the City of Tampere) have made the responsible decision to postpone the ACCAC Culture 2.0 Festival scheduled for this autumn by one year.

The Festival will take place in Tampere, Finland between 23-29 August 2021.

The reason for this decision is the COVID-19 virus and resulting uncertainty about the near future and how our global community will manage the situation. At a time when people’s movements are being restricted for health reasons, we cannot prepare to welcome participants from more than 20 countries and every continent. The health and safety of people is our most important value.

Now our focus is to ensure that ACCAC Culture 2.0 Festival`s amazing programme takes place one year later – after the world has recovered from this crisis and coronavirus is under control.

Here at the ACCAC Culture 2.0 Festival we’re going to focus on making every participant and performer feel welcome just the way they are. Customer service that is diverse and respects everyone is important to us, We will also ensure that all of our event staff and volunteers are trained, aware of our values, and committed to implementing them with a friendly and open
attitude. we are certain that every participant will feel safe at the discrimination-free ACCAC Culture 2.0 Festival.

We’re building an environment in which the diverse colours of cultures can shine bright, good experiences can build new bridges to the future, and art and culture can improve the global atmosphere.

Hope to see you in Tampere next year.

We wish you the best of health!

ACCAC Finland Team
email: finland@accac.global
phone: +358 45 269 7869

The ACCAC network is growing rapidly. It seems that promoting inclusion and equality of all people is becoming an even more important value now when our entire global community is learning the new normal.

Culture and art allow us to share our feelings and make us visible. It is important to identify the obstacles to real equality to make a change. We are on a marathon, but let’s move on with an accessible mind.

Beginning of August was a special time for us – we announced ACCAC Cameroon as the newest addition to our network!

Welcome Tchina Ndjidda and Rodrigue Obam. It has been inspiring to start working with you!

The hand that gives, receives

Cie Tchina, in its drive to popularize and propagate creative dance in the East-Cameroon region for 4 days in order to share workshops with the young people of this locality.

Tchina will therefore share his techniques; creation processes and its creative approach to all participants in order to give them the tools and material that leads to the dance of creation.

The workshops are a continuation of the effort to build a cornerstone for the socio-cultural development of Cameroon through the artistic activities he carries out throughout the region.

Mission_Mission_BEST

Mission_Mission has been a long term project. Since last spring Mission_Mission has organised dance workshops, seminar sessions and competitions with various titles.

On September 4th will take place the next Artist and Cultural Day by #Mission_Mission. One of the activities will be the #Freestyle_Allstyle section and the various urban dance competitions like popping, afro dance, hip hop and break dance.

All the dancers from the city of Yaoundé and other cities are invited to take part, not only for a new experience and a sharing of artistic energies but also for many prizes to be won.

Stay safe and healthy
ACCAC Global team

ACCAC Finland and its main partner (the City of Tampere) have made a responsible decision to postpone the ACCAC Culture 2.0 Festival scheduled for this autumn by one year. The exact dates of the 2021 event will be announced as soon as possible, after new facility reservations have been made and other groundwork has been completed.

The reason for this decision is the COVID-19 virus and resulting uncertainty about the near future and how our global community will manage the situation. At a time when people’s movements are being restricted for health reasons, we cannot prepare to welcome participants from more than 20 countries and every continent. The health and safety of people is our most important value.

Preparations for the event were already well under way, and we have been ready to publish the festival programme since March. Now our focus is to ensure that this amazing programme takes place one year later – after the world has recovered from this crisis and coronavirus is under control.

Stay safe!
Kirsi Mustalahti, Founder of ACCAC

ACCAC Nepal is hosting an international conference and culture program focusing on diversity and social inclusion. The conference will take place between 11 and 14 December 2018 in Kathmandu. ACCAC Nepal has announced an Open Call for artists and presenters focusing on inclusive art, sport and remarkable practices and experiences to develop the diversity in society and best practices on how the quality of services can improve social inclusion. 2018 December 11-14, Kathmandu Hotel Yak and Yeti.

* We believe that powerful experiences are a great way to change attitudes and how people view the world around them.
* Arts and culture belong to us all.
* Our aim is to offer a platform for various target groups and to disseminate information about equal opportunities to participate with accessible services for all.

JOIN US IN NEPAL
Let’s make it – All together
Let’s show – Quality is equality
Let’s – Enjoy Culture
Read more from ACCAC Nepal website

Can you picture yourself playing Marimba without seeing? Or dancing tango in a wheelchair? Even the daily routines for some of us seem impossible to others, like going to the supermarket with a physical disability or singing when you’re deaf. The event, where the audience can witness when impossible becomes possible, will be held in Espoo Cultural Centre on 19 August 2017.

The event is ACCAC kickoff Espoo 2017 and it’s free and open for all. ACCAC is an abbreviation of Accessible Arts and Culture. The organizer is an Espoo-based ACCAC Global organization which aims for a more equal and accessible world for all. This growing international organization works now in Finland, Egypt, and Korea. To meet its goals organization arranges events to raise awareness and promote change. Our events bring together artists, athletes, teachers, administrators, and event planners to network, experiment with new ideas in practice, and exchange information about different areas of accessibility.

The upcoming event organized in collaboration with the City of Espoo is starred by South Korean Jeon Kyungho, the World First visual impairment Marimba player and also a percussionist. For him, the disability is not an overcoming matter but the driving force. His performance has been taking center stage in worldwide. He successfully represented performances in Paris, Hong Kong, New York, etc. Also performing in the event Glims & Gloms dance theatre, Pirkanmaa wheelchair dancers, Egyptian folk dance Tanoura and possible surprise acts.

ACCAC events have been held in Finland already from 2013. International ACCAC events are planned to take place in Algeria, Egypt, South Korea, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal and Mongolia before 2019.

Event time: 19.8.2017 at 19.00, duration 2h 30min
Venue: Tapiola Hall, Espoo Cultural Centre
Address: Kulttuuriaukio 2, 02100 Espoo-Finland
Free and open for all
Supporting the event: City of Espoo, Espoo Cultural Centre, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Korea, Ministry of Education and Culture Finland, Disability Arts & Culture Center (KR), Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Youth and Sports Egypt, ACCAC Finland, ACCAC Korea and ACCAC Egypt.
Photos:  Percussionist Jeon Kyungho,
photo: Noh Sunwoo

More information: Kirsi Mustalahti, +358-45-8557115, kirsi@accac.global, https://accac.global/

Kirsi Mustalahti and President of ACCAC Egypt Mohamed A Kareem having a meeting in Aswan International Women Film Festival in a sunny terrace in front of the Nile river

News originally published in Finnish media Aamulehti on March 12, 2017. Read the original story: https://www.aamulehti.fi/ihmiset/arabimaissa-tyoskenteleva-kirsi-mustalahti-kieltaytyy-hunnusta-voimme-tyoskennella-yhdessa-24334389/

Kirsi Mustalahti working in the Arab countries says no to the veil: ”We can work together”

Culture and event manager Kirsi Mustalahti from Tampere-Finland is spreading the word of an international network ACCAC (Accessible Arts and Culture). Through art you can give everyone a chance to show their talent.