Meet our Presenters: Maria Vlachou

Meet Maria Vlachou, Executive Director, Acesso Cultura | Access Culture, who will present as part of the Organisational Buy-In and Training panel on Tuesday 9th March 2021.

Tell us a little about yourself and how you got to where you are today.

I am a cultural manager. I studied archaeology in Greece, then did a MA in Museum Studies in London and later I was a Fellow of the DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the Kennedy Center. Issues related to access were always involved in my practice, namely at the Pavilion of Knowledge (Portugal’s biggest science centre) and later at the São Luiz Municipal Theatre in Lisbon. Since 2013, I have been the Executive Director of Acesso Cultura | Access Culture, based in Portugal.

What organisation do you work with / for?

Acesso Cultura | Access Culture

What access and inclusion provisions, services and programmes are currently in place in your organisation?

We are an association that promotes physical, social and intellectual access to cultural participation. We encourage and assist cultural organisations in offering access services including Portuguese Sign Language interpretation, Audio Description, Relaxed performances and other forms of communication. We do consultancy work, access audits and provide training courses and seminars.

What are you working on at the moment?

We´ve just announced our first 2021 season of programming which features courses and seminars; we are continuing with our first European project – Every Story Matters: promoting inclusion through literature for children and young people and we are starting a big consultancy in access with the National Theatre in Lisbon.

What has been your greatest accomplishment?

Putting access on the table. The feedback we get from our colleagues is that they cannot embark on a new project anymore without considering access. This is a huge development since 2013, when we founded Access Culture.

What is the best career advice you’ve ever received?

Not to be afraid to risk and to be honest.

What surprises you the most about your job?

The transformation we see in many colleagues once they attend one of our courses or other initiatives: how a whole new world opens up for them and how surprised they feel at not having thought of a number of “obvious” issues before.

Where do great ideas come from in your organisation?

By intensely following developments around the world and also from the feedback we get from our colleagues.

Describe an access and inclusion solution or innovation that has inspired you and / or your work.

The Battersea Arts Centre in London becoming the world’s first relaxed venue.

What is the biggest challenge that faces access and inclusion in arts and culture today?

Moving from theory to practice. Our colleagues are much more aware today of a number of issues and situations, but this often doesn’t translate into inclusive practice.

What has been your access and inclusion highlight to date?

The fact that in 2020 Arts Council Portugal, in partnership with Access Culture, gave specific funding to artists with disabilities and disability led projects for the first time.

What is your access and inclusion goal for the future?

Less words, more practice.