sicht:wechsel in Cooperation with Linz 2009
Press conference December 5, 2006
sicht:wechsel, an international integrative cultural festival, will premiere in June 2007 in Linz. This major event will showcase art and aesthetic projects by people with physical and/or mental disabilities. Linz 2009 is getting involved and thereby raising the level of commitment to making good things happen in Linz during the lead in to the Capital of Culture year.
The mission of sicht:wechsel (“perspective change”) has a great deal in common with what Linz 2009 is striving to achieve: Implementing a project on the basis of an innovative concept for improving urban life, being receptive to European influences, and establishing a setting in which artists can do some productive networking.
“This cooperative relationship provides us with an opportunity to show that targeting the entire spectrum of cultural consumers is very high on Linz 2009’s priority list.”, says Ulrich Fuchs, Deputy Artistic Director of Linz 2009.
“Every festival has to be set up in consideration of and in cooperation with people with physical and/or mental disabilities. Our aim is to make sure that nobody feels disadvantaged. That’s what I mean by integration.”
(Josef Pühringer, Governor of the Province of Upper Austria)“
A ‘change of perspective’ means spotlighting the special capabilities and creative potential that every handicapped person possesses and not remaining fixated on their handicaps. That’s the sociopolitical mission of this festival. Culture is an essential component in the process of integrating people with special needs into society.”
(Dr. Werner Schöny, Chairman of sicht:wechsel, a non-profit organization)
