Conference on accessibility in higher cultural education

A national conference on accessibility in higher cultural education will take place in Montpellier on November 4 and 5, 2026, co-organized by La Bulle Bleue, ESAT artistique. The event aims to discuss and build a fully accessible higher cultural education, drawing from experiments conducted under the Effraction program, initiated in Brittany.

Origins of the Effraction program

The Effraction program was launched by the National Center for Adapted Creation (CNCA), created in 2021 at the initiative of the Ministry of Culture and territorial communities, including the Region of Brittany, the Department of Finistère, and Morlaix Agglomeration. The CNCA's director, Thierry Seguin, stated that the center's role is not to provide schools with a single model but to support them in their efforts.

Integrating artists with disabilities

The Effraction program seeks to integrate artists with disabilities into higher cultural education. It is entering a phase of expansion, with the regions of Lyon and Montpellier joining Brittany this year, followed by planned expansion into the Grand West and PACA/Côte d'Azur regions.

Low representation in the cultural sector

According to data from the Observatory on Employment and Disability (AGEFIPH), workers with disabilities represent only 2.8% of the total workforce in the cultural sector, compared to 5.1% in the rest of the economy. In the specific sector of theatrical intermittency, this figure drops to 1.5%, according to a recent national survey.

Challenges in the sector

Thierry Seguin noted that the sector suffers from a structural problem of openness but also from a strong underreporting of disabilities, with many professionals hesitant to declare their disability due to fear of discrimination or perceived lack of impact on their status. He added that the sector has a real will to improve but often lacks methods and operational benchmarks.

Role of teaching in career stability

The program advocates for the hiring of artists with disabilities as teachers in major art schools. This approach aims to change mindsets and provide essential income supplements for the stabilization of their professional careers. Thierry Seguin explained that teaching within a national school is a major professional recognition for a creator and an essential income supplement in artistic careers that are often discontinuous.

Need for broader accessibility

Ensuring access to schools only solves part of the equation if theaters, dramatic centers, and festivals do not take over in terms of dissemination and production. Another aspect of the program implemented by the CNCA is based on the development of the « Scène Inclusive » network, which brings together pioneering theatrical structures and creation sites committed to taking action.

Persistent accessibility issues

However, many stages, art workshops, dressing rooms, and restrooms remain inaccessible to artists with limited mobility. Thierry Seguin hopes that ultimately the entire diversity of the artistic and cultural landscape will be enriched.