Inspira, the accessible and inclusive festival in the Ripollès

The image of the Inspira festival. On a white background, several circles in shades of green, blue, pink and lilac stand out. Superimposed, right in the middle, in white letters, “Inspira, Inclusive Festival”.

The 3rd edition of the Inspira festival has arrived. On 8th October, the Pla de Ripoll meadow will be filled with music and culture in a festival that aims to give visibility and normalise disability. The festival breaks down barriers with an inclusive programme and fills the capital of the Ripollès with music and performing arts.

An inclusive and sustainable festival

Inspira is a unique accessible festival that makes culture accessible to everyone and showcases diverse abilities on stage. It is organised by the MAP Foundation, which aims to make the event a benchmark inclusive festival in Catalonia. Proposals and activities featuring people with and without disabilities come together in an accessible space, including opening hours, and with a reduced ticket price. Regarding communicative accessibility, at the festival you will find magnetic loop, pictograms, audio and sign language.

*By day, an aerial view of part of the festival grounds. A crowd gathers in front of the main stage. Image from the Inspira festival.*

In addition to inclusivity, this year’s festival is also committed to sustainability. Some of the measures taken include the installation of eco-points and the use of eco-cups and metal bottles. In addition, environmental agents will inform attendees and will be responsible for keeping the spaces clean.

Inclusive shows and universal accessibility

The Inspira programme will start at eleven in the morning and will not stop until one in the morning. Leading groups from the Catalan music scene will be performing. This is the case of Xiula, a unique musical entertainment experience; Blaumut, who will present their album Olímpica i primavera, Els Catarres, who are back with Diamants, and the constructive approach of Marcel i Júlia.

Todos estos grupos compartirán cartel con otras producciones protagonizadas por personas con capacidades diversas. El festival contará con la banda de pop ecléctica e inclusiva, que cuenta con un grupo de coristas con discapacidad intelectual; el espectáculo P9, danza inclusiva que borra prejuicios y barreras sociales, o DJ’s por el cambio, un proyecto que fusiona el campo social y la cultura de club.

All these groups will share the bill with other productions starring people with different abilities. The festival will feature the eclectic and inclusive pop band Clams, which includes a group of chorus members with intellectual disabilities; the show P9, inclusive dance that erases prejudices and social barriers, and DJ’s for change, a project that fuses the social field and club culture.

Musical and artistic performances will be combined with a wide range of parallel activities for all ages: a musical aperitif, food trucks, children’s area, adapted bicycle circuits, circus and live inclusive radio.

In the children's area of the festival, a child in a wheelchair plays bowling. Image by the Inspira festival. — *In the children’s area of the festival, a child in a wheelchair plays bowling. Image by the Inspira festival.*

Tickets for Inspira can be purchased online through the Codetickets platform and in person at the CAT Can Guetes restaurant in Ripoll. The establishment is located at kilometre zero of the Green Ways and offers market cuisine with organic and local products.

Inspira and Ripoll

In 2018 the MAP Foundation gave life to Inspira to celebrate its 50 years of service to people with disabilities in the Ripollès area. Today the Foundation has the support of the Ripoll Festival Committee, the Town Council and several social organisations. A network that makes the Inspira festival a catalyst for the cultural, social and touristic sphere of Ripoll.

If you still have energy left after experiencing everything the Inspira festival has to offer, make the most of the weekend and let yourself be seduced by the attractions of Ripoll, a city that breathes history at every turn.