Launching the International Laboratory for an Inclusive and Accessible Culture

International Laboratory for an Inclusive and Accessible Culture (LICIA)
3 December 2025 – ENSA Bourges Auditorium

On 3 December, Bourges became the meeting point for everyone who wants to imagine a culture where everyone has a place. A day to reflect, exchange ideas, and collectively experience inclusion at the heart of Bourges 2028. On the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Bourges 2028 and ENSA officially launched LICIA — the International Laboratory for an Inclusive and Accessible Culture.

In partnership with ENSA Bourges, this day will be an opportunity to bring together the perspectives of artists, associations, cultural leaders, institutions and European partners, united by a shared conviction: thinking about accessibility together enriches the experience for everyone.

With Olivier Atlan (Maison de la Culture de Bourges), Anne-Gaëlle Beaugendre (FRAC Centre-Val de Loire), Isabelle Saurat (Interministerial Delegation for Accessibility), representatives from the Philharmonie de Paris, as well as experts from Romania and Italy, the day will be structured around exchanges on concrete practices to shape a European Capital of Culture that is pioneering in inclusion.

Program: 

Morning – 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Institutional introduction
First panel discussion on inclusion in artistic practices and the cultural and creative industries (CCI)
Visit to the Hôtel-Dieu

Networking lunch

Afternoon – 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Panel discussion: innovative tools and practices for fully accessible culture
Exchanges on local dynamics
Panel discussion: perspectives towards 2028, featuring choreographer Eric Minh Cuong Castaing, dramaturge Marine Relinger, and representatives from PMO in Bourges, a hub for Art, Culture and Mental Health
Artistic performance: Handanser moi by Ira Nadia Kodiche, with Victor Balatier, Audrey Jade Gibouin, Jimmy Leroux and Claire Dark Saintard
Closing and visit to La Box, the ENSA art gallery  

About Ira Nadia Kodiche:
“I lost the use of my legs… but in stillness, I rediscovered the breath of creation.”
A dancer, teacher and choreographer, Ira Kodiche became paraplegic following a life-changing accident in 2019. In 2023, she returned to the stage as a choreographer during the Paralympic Games.
In 2025, her show Échelle, acclaimed in Paris and Germany, and her choreography for the play Toutes les autres, praised from Avignon to Belleville, testify to her creative power. Ira continues her journey as a visionary artist, transforming every challenge into light.

Practical Information: 
All discussions will be fully accessible live in French Sign Language (LSF) and velotyping
National School of Art, Bourges
3 December 2025 – 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Free registration, but required  – Register now!