In January 2025, Léa Urzel Francil, PhD researcher in the School of Law and Criminology and the Assisting Living and Learning (ALL) Institute, published an article in the International Journal of Cultural Policy. Entitled “Leveraging EU non-discrimination law to make the cultural and creative sectors more inclusive of professionals with disabilities: socio-legal perspectives”, the article is based on her doctoral research carried out as part of the ERC DANCING project. Following a socio-legal approach, the article draws on findings from a qualitative study with EU cultural stakeholders and provides insights into the participation of persons with disabilities in cultural life as professionals. In particular, it argues that the Employment Equality Directive, a pillar of EU labour law and non-discrimination law, can play a key role in making the EU cultural and creative sectors more inclusive.
Abstract
Working in the cultural and creative sectors is often seen as an atypical exercise, which differs from mainstream practices in the labour market and operates outside the standard regulatory framework. In this context, the situation of cultural and creative professionals with disabilities and the applicable EU legislation can be overlooked, both in research and in practice. Following a socio-legal approach, this article associates desk-based legal research and empirical research, and considers how the participation of cultural and creative professionals with disabilities could be fostered within the current EU regulatory framework.
Read the article in full here
This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme (grant agreement no. 864182). Views and opinions expressed are those of DANCING only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Council