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Who we are

We are cultural professionals — disabled and non-disabled individuals — active in the field of dance and performing arts in Athens, across the regions of Greece, and internationally, organized as a network for dance and disability.

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Our experience in this field represents a significant part of the history of inclusive dance in our country, dating back to the 1980s and encompassing dozens of initiatives, performances, dancers, venues, and organizations that have actively supported the demand for the equal inclusion of people with disabilities in dance professions. Recently, this field has experienced unprecedented momentum, which inspired and motivated us to establish this network.

Our Vision

The main focus of the network’s activity is dance, while remaining open to all art forms.

We embrace an expanded understanding of dance as an art form that makes no distinctions. Inclusion is our core value, and our overarching goal is universal accessibility in the arts.

 

Our network operates on a non-profit basis. We aim to become a central point of contact and a source of information on issues related to Dance and Disability throughout Greece.

Our Values ​​

A core value of the members of the Arsi Network is inclusion, as well as the universal accessibility of disabled artists to the art of dance, understood as an art form that makes no distinctions.

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All members of Arsi Network seek to position the work of professional artists and cultural workers with disabilities within the professional cultural sector. While we recognize that disabled artists often have limited opportunities to experience culture beyond participatory or amateur contexts (as participants), the Network’s members aim to support a clear professional pathway for disabled artists within the cultural field.

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The Network advocates for the recognition of artists with disabilities as professional artists who actively contribute to the development of the arts, because we believe that:

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  • some of the most compelling and innovative artistic works currently produced in Greece are created by disabled artists, emphasizing solidarity, the exchange of knowledge, and the sharing of good practices

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  • disabled artists and cultural workers must be fairly compensated for their work, on equal terms with all other cultural professionals

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  • disabled artists and cultural workers have an equal right to cultural education alongside those without disabilities. The lack of access to cultural education constitutes an additional and critical barrier to full and equitable access to the arts.

Our members

  1. Katerina Avramopoulou | dancer

  2. Despina Aslanidou | social worker, special educator, founder and president of Artogether

  3. Olympia Antonena | dancer

  4. Smaragda Vaya | physiotherapist

  5. Anna Vekiari | dancer, dance teacher, dance therapist, dance group EXIS

  6. Maria Vlachou | cultural manager, accessibility consultant

  7. Katerina Gevetzi | dancer, dance teacher, choreographer

  8. Fotini Yioti | mother of a disabled person

  9. Olga Dalekou | actor

  10. Maria Ioannidou | disabled dancer, psychologist

  11. Venetsiana Kalampaliki | dancer

  12. Naya T. Karakosta | multidisciplinary artist

  13. Ioanna Kiouhaltzi | music teacher, parent of a person with disabilities

  14. Christos Kissas | disabled dancer, choreographer

  15. Maria Koliopoulou | choreographer, artistic director of the Contemporary Dance Group Prosxima

  16. Andreas Kolissoglou | psychologist, dancer

  17. Marilena Koukouli | cultural manager

  18. Irini Kourouvani | disabled dancer, choreographer and improvisation teacher

  19. Vitoria Kotsalou | dancer, choreographer

  20. Costas Lamproulis | artistic director Synergy of Music Theatre (Smouth)

  21. Christina Liata | International Development and Diffusion Performing arts

  22. Polina Manolia | cultural manager

  23. Medie Mega | dancer, choreographer, dance history and choreography teacher

  24. Eva Michailidou | dance teacher, dance therapist

  25. Teti Nikolopoulou | dance teacher, physical education teacher, choreographer, dancer

  26. Ioanna Dourou | dancer

  27. Vassilis Oikonomou | disabled actor, director

  28. Angeliki Pantazi | editor, camerawoman

  29. Betina Panagiotara | dramaturg, dance theorist

  30. Aggeliki Papadatou | choreographer

  31. Maria Papadopoulou | trainer, administrator at InDancEdu

  32. Filareti Papadopoulou | disabled dancer, choreographer

  33. Demy Papathanasiou | mechanical engineer, crip dancer, choreographer

  34. Christos Papamichael | actor, director of Liminal - Access to Culture

  35. Yiota Peklari | dancer with multiple sclerosis, co-founder of the cultural organization PLAYGROUND for the arts

  36. Christos Polymenakos | creator, researcher, trainer, creator of the body/word Performance Writing methodology

  37. Aggeliki Sakellariou | ergotherapist

  38. Manolis Saridakis | disabled dancer, choreographer

  39. Niki Saridaki | mother of a disabled person

  40. Ismini Slijper | dancer with visual disability

  41. Valassia Simeonidou | disabled choreographer

  42. Vaso Farmaki | architect, artist

  43. Giorgos Christakis | disabled choreographer, dancer

  44. Christos Christakopoulos | disabled dancer

  45. Paraskevi Christodoulopoulou | dancer

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