Sense Scotland receives UNESCO recognition
UNESCO’s recent EFA (Education for All) Global Monitoring report estimates around 150 million children in the world with disabilities continue to be excluded from society due to the stigmas attached to disability. The UKNC is pleased to be involved with Sense Scotland and the TouchBase initiative to help address these issues.
In June, three hundred disabled and non disabled participants travelled to Glasgow to take part in 'Good Vibrations', a day of musical workshops, recognising Sense Scotland’s flagship centre, TouchBase, as a UNESCO Creative City of Music arts and music venue. The event was jointly launched by UKNC for UNESCO Scotland Committee chair Joanne Orr and the Scottish Minister for culture and external affairs Fiona Hyslop MSP.
UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network (CCN) builds international links between cities that share a common creative history to encourage the sharing of cultural and creative knowledge across boarders and economic divides. Edinburgh became the world’s first Creative City of Literature in 2004, and Glasgow is the UK’s first and only Creative City of Music. With Scotland being the only country in the world that has two UNESCO Creative cities, the UKNC Scotland Committee will be developing longer term partnerships with Sense Scotland to contribute to a cross cities UNESCO Creative Cities programme.
Sense Scotland is considered to be one of the leading disability arts organisations that utilises the arts with people who have communication support needs because of deafblindness, sensory impairment, learning and physical disabilities. UNESCO’s promotion of the sharing of ideas across boundaries will support the work of Sense Scotland, through its local, national and international partnerships. Sense Scotland’s vision is a society where children and adults with disabilities can enjoy full creative expression as artists, as well as share unique contributions to the artistic and cultural development of the UK.
As well as providing the wider community an insight to the unique ways that deaf, blind and disabled people experience the world, participation in the arts helps to challenge the stigmas attached to disability, contributing to the social, learning and cultural development of our nations.
Written: 10/08/2010 , last modified: 10/08/2010
TouchBase plaque ceremony 
Good Vibrations event