Image credits: Starting with the Limbs, Annie Hanauer and Cie L’Autre Maison, photo by Pierre Gondard

On 3 December 2025, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Europe Beyond Access launched the new report, Learning to Change.

The research report is authored by On The Move, and commissioned by Skånes Dansteater in the context of Europe Beyond Access with the support of the British Council.

The report examines the current state of accessibility in higher arts education across Creative Europe countries and the UK. It draws on surveys, interviews, and focus groups with disabled artists, cultural organisations, and higher education institutions.

The report sheds light on widespread barriers to access and participation, while also identifying examples of promising practice. It calls for a shift from reliance on individual goodwill to the development of structural and institutional change. 

The online event – moderated by Maria Vlachou, Executive Director of Portugal’s Acesso Cultura (PT), and Aristide Rontini, dance artist, choreographer, and co-founder of Italy’s Al.Di.Qua association of disabled artists (IT) – included presentation of the report by On the Move, and responses to the report from artists.

A panel of those involved in performing arts education explored the implications of the findings, including representatives of Warsaw’s Aleksander Zelwerowicz National Academy of Dramatic Art (PL) and Madrid’s Real Escuela Superior de Arte Dramático (ES).