Gala+ IN

Fundación Grupo SIFU's submission 'Gala+IN' was chosen as one of the three promising practices within the 'Arts and Culture' category. The practice involves the organisation of an annual event, which aims to give visibility and valorise the capabilities of persons with disabilities through art.

Name of Practice: Gala+IN

Organisation: Fundación Grupo SIFU

Description of the organisation: FundaciónGrupo SIFU is a non-profit organization that aims to develop activities for the social and labour integration of people with disabilities, as well as any other group at risk of social exclusion. The foundation is committed to raising awareness of the difficulties in social integration; promoting coexistence, respect, equal opportunities, development of skills and individual freedom. They have been working on fulfilling these values since their inception in 2006.

Country: Barcelona, Spain

Year of initiation: 2016

Funding: Gala tickets and box sales and gala company sponsors

Link to UNCRPD: Article 30 – Participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport.

Description of practice

Gala+IN is a Fundación Grupo SIFU project that aims to give visibility and valorise the capabilities of persons with disabilities through art. The event, held on an annual basis, looks to celebrate INtegration, INclusion and INterpretation. This accessible and inclusive event is made up of artists with and without disabilities who are provided the opportunity to display their talents on renowned stages. In this event, unique in its category in Europe, artists help demonstrate that disability does not have to slow down artistic and professional development, pushing for greater awareness amongst the public that disability does not have to set limits.

Problem Targeted:

Fundación Grupo SIFU identified the lack of professional opportunities for people with disabilities and/or at risk of social exclusion. Though the Spanish artistic scene is slowly opening to creators and performers with disabilities, there is still a long path towards reaching full inclusion. Art is an extraordinary vehicle of expression, especially for those with disabilities that prevent them from expressing themselves, interacting or moving. The different artistic disciplines allow them to develop their imagination, enhance their autonomy and express their concerns.

Solution offered:

The Gala+IN aims to promote an environment in careers of artists are boosted, offering them key opportunities to work in notorious venues as well as facilitate recognition of their talent. Gala+IN’s goal is to promote, protect, and ensure a fundamental right for all people to express themselves as well as ensure artists with disabilities have access to platforms to express themselves artistically. In addition, this boosts the development of their professional career and helps generate synergies between the collaborating entities and the artists themselves. This inclusive art event is not the solution to all the problems of artists with disabilities in Spain, but it has established itself as a benchmark of national reference over the last six years.

Impact generated by the practice:

Each year the Gala+IN has grown in all aspects of its production. This includes the number of artists involved, audiences reached, number of entities that collaborate with the production and its appearance in the media and social networks. For the 5th edition of Gala+IN in 2020, more than 2,000 people attended, filling the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona. The event attracted both regional and national media, reaching more than 9 million people and achieving an economic value of around one million euros. In 2021, the event was held in three different locations within the country, starting in Seville, continue at the Teatro Real in Madrid and end in Barcelona. These events help expand the reach of the practice and going one step closer in fulfilling its objectives.

Moreover, the income generated by Gala+IN enabled SIFU to develop the SuperArte scholarship programme, which aims to improve the employability of people with functional diversity through art. This initiative promotes inclusive art, supports artistic training and personal development, and opens new artistic job opportunities for people with disabilities.

Sustainability of the practice:

In accordance with the Fundación Grupo SIFU’s values and the Grupo SIFU corporation itself, sustainability is a fundamental pillar in its development. The Gala + IN organisation has ambitious plans to expand the project all over the country and to make it an annual event of reference throughout Spain. For its eighth edition, each autonomous community will have the option to celebrate its own Gala. The organisation is looking to export the Gala+IN concept to other countries. By 2024, Gala+IN hopes to make the international leap and organise the event in nearby countries.

Contact Information:

Cristian Rovira, VP of the SIFU Group Foundation

Additional Links:

Article on the 2021 Edition of the Gala+ IN (ENG)

Videos and radio:

Articles: