Self-determined living through the arts: The call for nominations for the Zero Projects Awards 2027 is now open.
The call for nominations for the Zero Project Inclusive Arts Awards 2027 shows how inclusive art and culture can support self-determined living, artistic freedom, accessibility and equal participation of people with disabilities worldwide.
As part of its annual call, Zero Project invites organizations, initiatives, entrepreneurs, artists, and innovators from around the world to submit solutions for promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities. Call 27 (#ZeroCall27) focuses on three thematic areas: Independent Living, political participation, and assistive technologies (AT).
As part of the thematic focus "Self-determined living", the Zero Project Inclusive Arts The initiative specifically seeks nominations from the arts and culture sector. The Zero Project Arts Awards recognize innovative projects that create equal access, leadership opportunities, artistic careers, and cultural participation for artists and audiences with disabilities.
The concept of inclusive art is based on Article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD), which emphasizes autonomy, freedom of choice, participation in the community, and protection from exclusion. Within this framework, the Zero Project seeks nominations that demonstrate how art and culture can empower people with disabilities to live self-determined lives and promote their inclusion.
The call highlights several areas of innovation in inclusive art:
- Freedom of creative expression: Projects that ensure artists with disabilities can freely choose how, where and with whom they create and present their work.
- Accessible and needs-based art environments: Initiatives that make cultural venues, festivals, museums, galleries, theaters and art institutions physically, digitally, financially and sensorially accessible – for example through sign language interpretation, subtitling, tactile offerings, audio descriptions and sensorially adaptive formats.
- Participation in the community and belonging: Programs that build peer networks, accessible art education, mentoring opportunities and inclusive participation in local art.
- Professional artistic careers: Solutions that support professional development, including education, employment and career opportunities for artists with disabilities.
- Support systems for artistic independence: Projects that provide adaptations, communication support, accessible funding, inclusive residency programs and personal assistance to enable artists with disabilities to work independently and professionally.
- Recognition and representation: Initiatives that value artistic work led by people with disabilities and increase the representation of cultural workers with disabilities in leadership positions, curation, programming and cultural policy decision-making processes.
The nomination process is open to organizations of all sizes and industries. Throughout the selection process, Zero Project places particular emphasis on three criteria:
- innovation
- Impact
- Scalability
The nominations undergo peer review and fact-checking by the international Zero Project Inclusive Arts Community, The entries will be reviewed by a jury of experts in inclusive art. The selected Zero Project Arts Awardees 2027 will be announced on December 3, 2026, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
The selected innovations will be invited to present their work at the Zero Project Conference 2027 at the UN City. This will make them part of a global network of more than 10,000 innovators, policymakers, artists, and other experts working together towards a barrier-free world.
The nomination period for #ZeroCall27 ends on June 21, 2026 (11:59 PM CEST). Organizations can submit their nominations via the official Zero Project nomination platform.
Further information about the 2027 call for nominations can be found here. here
Further information about the Zero Project Inclusive Arts You will find the initiative here