Discovering Disabled Dance Talent Across Indonesia
In January and February 2023, We Are Epic were funded by the British Council to conduct a mapping project to find disabled talent across ‘the big four’ islands of Indonesia – Sumatra, Kalimantan (Borneo), Sulawesi and Java.
We worked with Ballet ID (Jakarta) and Nalitari (Yogyakarta), who we felt were best placed within the sector to undertake this research. Our research uncovered a total of:
- 137 disabled dancers in Indonesia,
- 32 disabled professionals
- other organisations with arts backgrounds.
Barriers to Inclusion
Societal Views
Society in Indonesia still views disabled people as ‘incapable’ and ‘like outsiders’.
Desire for Community
Many of the dancers wanted to know about other artists who are ‘like them’. They felt alone in their practice with no friends or support for them.
Isolation from Mainstream Society
Dancers felt isolated and rejected by mainstream society and regular platforms. They found they were not welcome at dance schools, in dance communities and even at their own friends and family events.
Lack of Opportunities
There are no opportunities to share and learn about other artists/performers
Stale Networks
One previous network of disabled artists was widely discussed. Whilst comments about it were generally positive, we found that the network had become stale with nobody leading it, holding members to account or feeding in with regular relevant content.
No Centralised Group or Body
There is currently no network, event, accountable body or group that brings individual dancers, organisations or their allies together.
Recommendations for Action
The research presented a number of recommendations:
Creation of a Formal Group
The creation of a formal group/coalition to oversee the formation of a formal network that continues to connect, inspire and develop the skills of Indonesia’s disabled dancers.
Regular Events & Sharing Opportunities
This platform should hold regular meetings/events/festivals and sharing opportunities to inspire continual collaboration.
Technology Integration
The platform could use technology combined with in-person events to benefit the geographic spread and maintain relationships and connectivity.
Skill Development Beyond Dance
The network should not only focus on dance but also the development of other skills linked to the creative sector – marketing, design, accountancy to develop the dancers wider skills in the sector.
Sustainable Funding
Seek funding to develop this network whilst simultaneously looking at creative economies that the network could be built on in order to sustain the ongoing work and costs of the network. (e.g An Epic Arts Cafe’ model)
Database and Network Growth
Continue to build the database and network of individuals and organisations.
We Are Epic, Ballet ID and Nalitari are currently exploring funding and partnerships to develop a unique dance network to respond to these findings in Indonesia.
