Strategy type (tool, event, training course, etc.) / Τύπος στρατηγικής (εργαλείο, εκδήλωση, εκπαιδευτικό μάθημα κ.λπ.)

Music, dance, theatre

When did it start/end? / Πότε ξεκίνησε / τελείωσε;

For 37 years have Dissimilis been a cultural organization for everyone.When you are part of Dissimilis, being YOU is enough.
We pride ourselves in seeing individuals for who they really are, facilitating growth and development, creating opportunities and spurring creativity within the performing arts.
We have gigs and different performances running through the year with various students and every other year we try to put on bigger theatrical productions on the stage some where. Be it local theatre or the national opera house.

Name of the organization / Όνομα του οργανισμού

Dissimilis

City and country /Πόλη και χώρα

Oslo, Norway

 1. Describe your project briefly / Περιγράψτε σύντομα το έργο σας

At Dissimilis Nasjonale Kompetansesenter in Bærum, we provide adapted classes for people with special needs. The teaching is organized as after-school activities and is scheduled in the afternoons and evenings, Monday thru Thursday.

What we offer:
Choir practice
Band
Individual teaching
Drum circle
Dancing/Theater
Children´s music groups
Musical therapy

Dissimilis Center is an award winning organization that offers start up packages, workshops, courses and teaching material for the member groups of Dissimilis Norway and Dissimilis International, as well as providing workshops, lectures and courses for anyone interested. Students perform in theatres/opera house, concert arenas, for the general public, for businesses, politicians, and private events. 

2. What was the aim of the project?  / Ποιος ήταν ο στόχος του έργου;

Every year we put on shows, concerts and perform at numerous events with music, dance and theatre building bridges helping to deepen the understanding for what people are capable of within the performing arts no matter how they are perceived in regular life. We give the voiceless a voice.

OUR GOALS
- Improving the quality of life and increasing societies respect for people with disabilities.
- Ensure a natural place for people with disabilities within the cultural landscape, maintaining their rights to an active cultural life.
- To develop the unique talents within each individual performer, both in human and artistic terms.

3. Who was involved in designing process? / Ποιος συμμετείχε στη διαδικασία σχεδιασμού;

Dissimilis

4. If you could change something, what would you change? / Εάν μπορούσες να αλλάξεις κάτι, τι θα άλλαζες; 

It will always be a certain stigma following people with special needs and certainly within the performing arts. Its a challenge to convey to society that there are great artists among our students born into a life of prejudice against them where society tends to label those who are different as somehow less valuable. Great is our joy when we can manage to produce performances that transcends that and communicate across functionality. Be it with laughter, sorrow or great insight to what it means to be a human being in this ever shifting world of ours. The lack og understanding for even the simplest pragmatical and logistical challenges for many of our students and the creative open minded problem solving mind set we have to bring to our teaching, to our way of meeting and helping our students out with technical innovations like developing an alternative system for notes and how to control instruments to name a few. Its a constant struggle or ever lasting adventure depending upon how you chose to view it.

5. How did the project impact on civil society?  / Πώς επηρέασε το έργο στην κοινωνία των πολιτών;

As well as creating meaningful activities and improving the quality of life for numerous individuals, the foreign work of Dissimilis contributes to changing attitudes both in local communities and on a national level of countries less advanced than Norway.
We have a number of associates in a number of European countries and all across the globe.
Dissimilis World is a network of Dissimilis members and associates all over the world. It´s focus is cooperation across national boarders and further strategies for sustainable activities.

6.How innovation, inspiration, impact and inclusion are implemented in your practice? / Πως η καινοτομία, η έμπνευση και η συμπερίληψη εφαρμόζονται στην πρακτική σας;

In modern society, with its increased emphasis on perfection, we need organizations who dare to value differences and embrace the human diversity. At Dissimilis, we actively strive to give people with disabilities equal terms as performers and humans beings. We want to ensure their rightful place in the cultural landscape, as well as in society in general. Thus, we contribute to a broader perception of humanity, as well as a more open and accepting society. Our work and our activities are based on values of dignity and quality, with the objective of being challenging and innovative.

Our primary activities:
Developing and distributing knowledge and methods both nationally and internationally.
Offer individually adapted teaching in the subjects of song, music, dancing, acting and other creative activities.
Organise and facilitate shows, performances and concerts.

7.How was your good practice funded? / Πως χρηματοδοτήθηκε η βέλτιστη πρακτική σας; 

For many years it was voluntary work coupled with financial gifts/aids but now we are more or less fully funded by the government. We also apply for various grants.

8. How was your good practice disseminated / promoted? / Πως διαχύθηκε/προωθήθηκε η βέλτιστη πρακτική σας;

We have been fortunate to win several awards and we have been visible in the cultural landscape up through the years. We promote our activities through the regular channels in Norway for different musical schools and organizations for people with special needs. But with overflow of information in the times we live in its hard to break through to the general public.