Art is More Than Able to the Disabled

“Artists with disabilities shall be guaranteed opportunities to engage and participate in artistic activities according to their respective abilities and will.”

This is an excerpt from the Act on The Support For Cultural And Artistic Activities Of Artists With Disabilities legislated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) of South Korea. Are disabled artists actually free to do artistic activities as stipulated in the law above? Disability should not be an obstacle to artistic activities beyond individual identities.

However, the difficulties disabled artists suffer are still not improving.

The opportunities to participate in artworks with other artists are not nearly enough, and the income from them is so low that they cannot maintain their art activities and make a living at all despite several efforts by the government to encourage their creative activities.
Discrimination that deeply penetrates society can be seen through the lack of recognition and facilities for the disabled and employment instability.

Also, their creative activities are deterred by such discrimination.

The majority of people do not have enough interest to recognize these social and economic limitations.

The Argus hopes that art society will not only examine the difficulties and causes of disabled artists but also seek new solutions.

 

Ⅰ. Problems 

1. Different Perspective for Artists with Disabilities

Although disabled artists have started to work in diverse art fields, the discriminative recognition of them remains unchanged.

In order to understand the fundamental issue of discrimination, it is necessary to know how fellow artists who work together and the public who enjoy their artworks perceive disabled artists.

The unfortunate thing is that both fellow artists and the public think of the art activities of the disabled differently from the general art range.

The work of disabled artists is appreciated with compassionate eyes, not for the work itself.
Because cooperation with disabled artist is recognized as help or volunteering, even their work is undervalued.

Ok Hye-Sook, Ph.D. of Special Education, confirms this in her research, which is about artists in the same industry perceiving disabled artists as equal artists only after watching their performance in person.

“The prejudice that works of disabled artists will be of low quality is dominant, but once you appreciate their works, I am sure you will be surprised by their amazing abilities.”

This shows the widespread opinion of fellow artists not thinking of the disabled with great artistic ability as professional artists.

In other words, the appreciation of their works is lacking.
The public also does not have much experience of appreciating their art. According to the “2021 Investigation of the Actual Conditions of Cultural and Artistic Activities of Artists with Disabilities (2021 investigation of disabled artists)” by MCST, 7.9 percent of disabled artists cited a “Lack of audience” as the most difficult thing while doing art activities.

This implies the low interest of and less exposure to the public. The social atmosphere in which disabled artists’ work as a subculture reduces their opportunities to enter the mainstream and limits the enjoyment of their work.

If the recognition for disabled artists does not improve, their creations will be excluded from our society.

 

2. Economic Difficulties to Maintain Both “Living” and “Art Work”

The income of disabled artists is too small to maintain their livelihood while continuing their creative activities.

Their artistic income is just 180,000 won (US$143.88) per month even though 62.2 percent of disabled artists work on their art full time.

This is over three times lower than that of non-disabled artists. The reason why disabled artists have no choice but to do art full time is that other jobs are not available either.

It is impossible for them to have sufficient creative funds in a situation of suffering to make a living.

Not only materials and facilities for creating, but also the cost of living during the creation period is a heavy burden.

In the 2021 investigation of disabled artists, 70.5 percent of disabled artists strongly called for the “Expansion of creative funds and benefits.”

Thus, their economic difficulties can never be overlooked.

To address this situation, the government enforced the Act on The Support for Cultural and Artistic Activities of Artists with Disabilities on December 10, 2020, and began to support them with creative funds.

However, in the 2021 survey, disabled artists still wanted the expansion of funds the most – and at a rate 4 percentage points higher to the survey in 2018.

This shows that a simple budget increase cannot solve the fundamental problem at all.

The method of benefiting them has to be changed reasonably to divide the large budget equally.

Also, it is necessary to figure out the institutional problem of making disabled artists give up their artwork due to their low income and ultimately solve the economic difficulties.

 

3. Nowhere to Create, Nowhere to Exhibit?

Art acquires meaning when it is created and appreciated by others.

However, disabled artists are suffering from the lack of basic facilities for these two stages.

According to the 2021 investigation of disabled artists, they lack: “Facilities for presenting/exhibiting/performing,” “Space for practicing and creating,” and “Facilities for disabled artists.”

Bang Gui-hee, President of the Korea Disabled Artist Association, revealed that there is indeed a shortage of creative facilities.

In particular, sometimes they borrow space from a church because they need a big, soundproof space for practicing music and dancing.

But they are forced to vacate the place whenever when there is a church event.

Also, she adds, “In fact, creating or practicing at home is impossible.

It is important to reserve and operate the spaces with the government’s support,” while emphasizing the necessity of a practicing space and the role of the state.

Currently, the creative facilities for disabled artists are inferior.

The same is true of space for exhibiting creations.

In President Bang’s words, “There was a case in which the director of a theater demanded a disabled dancer who uses a wheelchair to spread a mat on the stage because he was worried that
the floor could be damaged.

However, as it is a wheelchair-based dance performance, the mat can make the performance low quality.”

This shows that it is difficult to rent a place and that they cannot present their work under desirable conditions.

Creating great works is useless if there are no place to present them to the public.

Disabled artists have to gain experience through enough opportunities.
To improve the quality of artwork and expand the audiences, facilities that can accommodate the special needs of disabled artists are urgently needed.

 

Ⅱ. Causes

1. Focus on the Artist, Not on the Work

If you know of a disabled artist, think about whether their work or the fact that the artist is disabled is foremost in your mind.

The art activities of the disabled are seen as a hobby, not a profession, and their creations are regarded as just the products of going far beyond their various limitations.

The result of related research can be confirmed in Park Hye-shin’s report, “The Recognition of the Disabled Artist (2010).”

Even people who appreciate the same performance are more interested and moved when they recognize that the artist is disabled, but they evaluate the expertise of that artist as very low.

The compassionate eyes for the disabled devaluate their artistic value and ability while not recognizing disabled artists as professional artists.

This perception is also revealed in the support policy of the government.

The actual condition survey of the disabled and support policy is focused on consuming the artwork already created rather than on the establishment of disabled artists.

However, excluding activities as creators makes it more uncommon for the disabled to have art as their main job. Accordingly, the perception that disabled artists are not professionals is strengthened, and their works lose competitiveness in the art market.

When a similar perspective is dominant, disabled artists cannot be nurtured no matter how great their works are.

This is because the values of their works are estimated within the narrow range of so-called “disability art.” Of course, the identity of disability influences the creation a lot as there is “disability art” that reflects the experiences of disability.
However, when disability becomes the standard of limiting the possibility of creation beyond the character of one person, the wrong perception of works and artists is formed.

 

2. Empty Subsidy Policy

Many disabled artists cannot receive subsidies due to a lack of information on creative grants. 60.3percent of total disabled artists are intellectually and physically disabled, and 86.7 percent of disabled artists over 60 work in creative fields that need subsidies.

However, it is difficult for those with intellectual disabilities and elderly people to find information about applying for creative grants.

This shows that there are not enough helpful procedures promoted by the government considering the features of the disabled artist.

Information vulnerabilities are not caused only by features of disability.

According to the Survey and Analysis of the Actual Conditions of Cultural and Artistic Activities of Artists with Disabilities in 2021, sometimes it is difficult to confirm the required documentation and to submit it by the application deadline even if they ask the person in charge about it.

The economic difficulties of disabled artists cause them to give up art activities completely before receiving creative grants.

If there is any creative income, even if it is small, their living allowance is reduced, so they may choose to decrease their creative activities themselves.

According to a 2020 survey of the disabled, 28 percent of the disabled are recipients of basic living assistance. 
Considering this, they should be allowed to keep working in artistic fields by receiving both creative grants and a living allowance at the same time.

But in reality, they have to choose only one. 
President Bang claims that they have no choice but to give up their creative funds: “Creative income is very irregular and low. Besides, their living allowance is reduced due to the creative income, so then their economic independence and development are hindered by the government.”

She adds, “They usually don’t receive the creative income because once the living allowance is decreased, it’s hard to get it restored.” 
Because the government did not consider the complex income structure of disabled artists, an institutional contradiction is formed. It may be assumed that the income of disabled artists becomes stable when only thinking of beginning a creative grant system, but there is a weak point in the system. 
The benefit of the policy called “Preparation of Preferential Purchase Measures for the Creation of Disabled Artists.” 
which will begin on March 28, 2023, has to be shared with someone in need by considering reasonable objects and methods.

 

3. An Artist Who Cannot Go on Stage

There are lots of things for disabled artists to consider when renting facilities, especially when their disabilities are a physical handicap.

They have to move from their house to the facility without difficulty and be able to get around in the facility freely. But realistically, it is hard to find a means of transportation guaranteeing a right of mobility and a space perfectly suitable for the disabled.

The gate has to be wheelchair friendly, automatic door/parking space/toilet must be available, and stages have to be designed for the disabled. Notably, some aisles for audiences are constructed well, but the stage aisle constructed for performers with a disability is rare.

President Bang mentions the practical difficulties a disabled artist has to suffer and says, “The aisle from the stage to the toilet is inferior. Thus, it is difficult to focus on the performance because there are many facilities that do not meet the basic needs for the disabled artist.” In the 2021 investigation of disabled artists, “Installation of automatic door that wheelchair is possible to pass” and “Installation of seats, the stage that the disabled can use” recorded low scores of 48.8 and 42.4 each.

The category of stages that artists have to use practically is poor, and this is only considering public facilities.

The problems are more serious when it comes to private facilities, as sustainable management is difficult. However, it is difficult to use public facilities that can accommodate the disabled, and using them at low cost requires a complicated process with a high competition rate. 
In circumstances where sometimes they are rejected because of disability, the fact that other facilities do not have facilities for the disabled increases their difficulty.

Locating a rental facility that can accept the disabled is like finding a needle in a haystack.

 

Ⅲ. Solutions

 

 

1. Creating Together: "Inclusive Arts“

 

Not dividing the art world based on disability is the first step to recognizing the disabled and nondisabled artists in the same role.

It is necessary to get rid of that barrier and pursue inclusive arts undergoing the procedure of creating.

Stopgap Dance Company is a representative example of this.
The British Council explains it as an art community that values a pioneering spirit and is committed to making discoveries about integrating disabled and non-disabled people through dance.

In Stopgap’s dance video “Artificial Things,” dancer Chris, who has Down syndrome, keeps in step with the non- disabled dancer.

One dancer with no legs does the same movement as a non-disabled dancer with just the power of two arms, and another dancer riding a wheelchair runs fast and hangs upside down. Being disabled or non-disabled is not an issue there. The ultimate goal is admitting their differences and maintaining inclusion so that all possibilities are open.

However, to realize inclusive arts, the government’s support system is very significant along with the will of fellow artists.

Ph.D. Ok talks about the inclusive arts system of the United Kingdom compared with South Korea, noting that “The U.K. supports it as a dimension of the nation from the beginning of establishing a theater company by structuring it as a space that disabled and non-disabled artists can work in together.”

She also notes that “Creators usually stay up all night while cooperating, so a disabled artist who receives an assistant’s help usually has to compromise on the schedule according to their assistant’s availability.

The U.K. prevents such trouble in advance by employing the assistant 24 hours a day or making a compromise on the schedule directly.”

Rather than avoiding cooperation because of worries about problems that may arise, enough data of inclusive art has to be considered when designing the procedures.
The cooperation between disabled and non-disabled artists has to be perceived as an extremely normal situation by the public through conducting inclusive arts actively.

 

2. Opportunities for Flexible Income-Generating

Considering the irregular income structure, extra income has to be approved. President Bang says, “If they give up their creation income to maintain their living allowance, the productive mind of working will be reduced.”

Also, the nation can collect more taxes when approving extra income, so it corresponds to interests. President Bang discusses the case in which all disability welfare received was stopped suddenly when the book written by the disabled artist Paul K. Longmore became a bestseller and received a copyright fee.

He needed constant support because he was a severely disabled person, but the government stopped all services after he received a creative income one time.

Paul was resentful and protested by piling up his books and setting fire to them in front of the federal government. After this protest, the Framework Act on Social Security was changed, and the U.K. started to approve the extra income.

Like this, allowing disabled artists to earn money by working and being approved for extra income is the first step to breaking down the economic limitation of their creative activities.

President Bang proposes a new method by which disabled artists can create income.

It involves making a shopping site selling the creations of disabled artists by establishing an Information System for Cultural and Artistic Activities of artists with disabilities.

The government is already operating the shopping site “Ggumdre,” selling products made by severely disabled people.

On March 28, 2021, the policy “Preparation of Preferential Purchase Measures for the Creation of Disabled Artists” was enacted for the creation of disabled artists to be purchased priorly by a public institution and national and local public entities.

This can solve the problems of only the works of a large organization or famous artist being sold by selling items openly online.

The policy applicable only in public institutions can be expanded to the public and a wide range of consumers too.
In this way, an income for disabled artists is possible through art activities.

Even though the government designated a lot of money for directly paying a living allowance or for creative grants,constant income and quality development can be realized by encouraging their art activities through increasing creative income.

 

3. Facilities Pursuing Practical Convenience for the Disabled

 

There is a law about the enhancement of facilities for the disabled, but most spaces do not follow it.

The policy structuring the related facilities by force and inspecting them regularly is needed.

In 2015, I-eum Center by Korea Disability Arts & Culture Center was opened in the middle of Hyehwa. In I-eum Center, there are spaces possible to create and present as a means of connecting the disabled and non-disabled.

In particular, facilities for the disabled are well created and maintained.

President Bang who participated in I-eum Center’s budget planning heard surprising impressions from users about being comfortable going to the toilet.

This is the result of input from the disabled and regular inspections of the center and after being opened.

Big-I built in Osaka, Japan, is also used for cultural and artistic exchange, and it is useful for both the audience and the creator.

There are no stairs at the entrance of the hall, and up to 300 wheelchairs can enter.

It was designed for comfort, for example, by installing the buttons of vending machine and elevator low and making the material on floors differently so that the blind can recognize obstacles. It is easy to get to Big-I because the building is close to a subway station, and there is a passage between Big-I and the shopping mall, so accessibility to other facilities is good.

In particular, Big-I operates accommodation that applies universal design.* It considers the flow of the assistant to the emergency exit route.

This accommodation can solve the problem suffered when a disabled artist living in the countryside visits the cultural facility in the capital area. Big-I was built in 2001.

It has been there for 22 years, but the cultural and artistic facilities to accept the disabled are not sufficient.

From now on, the limitations that disabled artists feel when using facilities and creating activities must be addressed by increasing the facilities with a universal design like at I-eum Center and Big-I.

Art activities of the disabled are a right to be guaranteed, not a luxury. Of course, the way to grow into a professional artist can vary.

However, the end result of meeting the audience as an artist should be the same.

An artist with a disability is just an artist like any other who loves art and wants to make a living with art.

To continue their creative work without any barrier of distinction, the efforts of the government and the interest of the public are desperately necessary. In conclusion, The Argus hopes that the day will soon arrive when careers in art is open to everyone. 

 

 

* Park Gyeong-jin. “Art is More Than Able to the Disabled.” The Argus, March 8, 2023.