Accessibility took centre stage at the ongoing Kochi-Muziris Biennale as organisers hosted an Indian Sign Language workshop aimed at widening participation in contemporary art spaces. The initiative, conducted at a heritage venue in Fort Kochi, reflects a growing push to embed inclusion within India’s cultural infrastructure.
The workshop was organised by the Museum of Art and Photography in collaboration with the Kerala Museum as part of programming linked to the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. It was integrated into one of the featured exhibitions at the Dutch warehouse venue, drawing a diverse audience that included both hearing and non-hearing participants.Structured across three sessions, the workshop introduced participants to the fundamentals of Indian Sign Language (ISL), including hand gestures, facial expressions and body movement as primary tools of communication. Facilitators from the Museum of Art and Photography guided attendees through interactive exercises designed to build awareness of non-verbal communication in artistic and everyday contexts.
Cultural institutions in India have increasingly recognised that physical access alone does not ensure meaningful inclusion. Language barriers, particularly for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, remain a significant gap in public programming. By incorporating ISL into its engagement strategy, the Biennale signalled a broader shift toward universal design principles in the arts.A senior representative associated with the programme noted that public art events must be accessible to audiences across abilities and backgrounds. “Art spaces should not be limited by sound, language or physical constraints,” the official indicated, emphasising that inclusive programming strengthens both community participation and cultural literacy.
The exhibition associated with the workshop featured tactile and textural elements, including fabric installations, clay-based works and soft flooring components, encouraging multi-sensory engagement. Curators suggest that such material diversity can make art more approachable for audiences who rely on visual and tactile cues.Urban development experts observe that inclusive cultural programming contributes to more equitable cities. When major events like the Kochi-Muziris Biennale integrate accessibility features, they help normalise inclusive practices across public infrastructure — from museums and libraries to transit systems and civic spaces.
Kochi’s heritage precincts, particularly Fort Kochi, attract substantial domestic and international footfall. Embedding accessibility into high-visibility cultural events can influence tourism standards and set expectations for future developments in the city’s public realm.As Indian cities compete to position themselves as global cultural destinations, the integration of Indian Sign Language workshops into mainstream art festivals underscores a critical principle: sustainable urban growth is not only about infrastructure, but about who gets to participate.With accessibility increasingly recognised as central to resilient and people-first urban ecosystems, such initiatives may well shape the next phase of cultural planning in Kochi and beyond.
