Normalising disability and differences, toward a more inclusive and accessible art world
In Transit is a non-profit contemporary arts platform committed to artistic exchange and increasing access to the arts. We support artists and creatives to make thor work more accessible to disabled audiences.
We run online residencies, exhibitions and courses on arts access. We create opportunities for artists to experiment with new ideas, reflect on what they do, and develop accessible, thought-provoking work and research.
The difference we make:
It all began with a question: What if access wasn’t just a fix, but a creative force?
When our founding director, Celina, lost hearing in one ear as a teen, the world didn’t come with an instruction manual for how to adjust. Conversations in busy restaurants turned into a guessing game and sound seemed to play tricks – was that voice coming from the left or the right? It was frustrating but also kind of fascinating. It changed the way she listened, noticed and navigated the world.
Fast forward to working in the arts,she saw something familiar: accessibility was often treated as an afterthought — important but rarely baked into the creative process. But what if it was? What if access wasn’t just something to add but something to create with?
The more Celina explored, the clearer it became: when access is considered from the start, it doesn’t just make things more inclusive. It sparks new ideas, deepens artistic practice and expands what’s possible.
Celina initiated In Transit in January 2021. Throughout the year, she consulted artists and accessibility specialists to set up In Transit as a platform which embed accessibility from the ground up, as well as, designed In Transit’s residency programme. In November 2021, curator Elizabeth Low and freelance accessibility specialist Andrew Ronksley joined Celina and together, they launched In Transit’s pilot year in 2022. Through two pilot residencies, In Transit supported seven artists from the UK, Spain, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. From July – December 2022, In Transit took time to reflect on the feedback of artists and adjusted areas that were not working in the pilot residencies while acknowledging the year’s successes.
In January 2023, In Transit announced Removing barriers: Making your work accessible, a training programme around arts access co-delivered by Celina, Andrew Ronksley, Minnie Scott (interpretation specialist) and Anne Hornsby (Director of Mind’s Eye Description Services). Removing barriers is an integral part of In Transit’s residency.
CARE | COLLABORATION | INCLUSION | INNOVATION
Our work at In Transit is informed by the Social Model of Disability. The Social Model states that a person is not ‘disabled’ because of their impairment or health condition. Rather, it is the physical and attitudinal barriers in society – prejudice, lack of access adjustments and systemic exclusion – that disable people.
We see disability arts and culture as a caring space where experience of barriers can be shared and valued. At In Transit, we recognise failure as a learning experience. We strive to learn and build upon what we do as a way of finding out how we can better contribute to increasing access in the arts.
That’s why we take a process-led approach, embracing experimentation, learning and adaptation.
In Transit promises to:
Celina is the Founding Director at In Transit where she manages the organisation's day-to-day activities and programmes, finances and stakeholder relationships. When not wearing her In Transit hat, Celina curates and writes for art exhibitions and events in the UK, Czech Republic and Malaysia. In her role as an independent curator, she supports artists and organisations with delivering accessible, inclusive and engaging content. Celina is also the Project Manager at FRANK Fair Artist Pay and is on the selection panel of UK Open Awards 23/24 by Unlimited.
© In Transit Space CIC
A non profit community interest company (CIC) registered in England and Wales. No. 14421882