What is the difference between not having a hand to reach out to when lost in a crowd and “feeling safe”? What might it feel like to be left out in the cold while only some are allowed to bask by the community fire, warm their feet and sip soup?

Is inclusion the difference between in and out, alone and together, risk and safety? Is it the smile of an orphaned child who has never known abandonment or loss in her being? Is inclusion the difference between a patch of sunlight in a courtyard and the warmth of the wholesome winter sun in wide open spaces that belong to all? Is it the difference between presence and a deep yearning for connection?

Through this blog, we hope to open conversations about inclusion – what it means to different people: artists, writers, activists, teachers, homemakers; people working with special needs groups, people “not allowed” to work, people aspiring, seeking, searching for answers; people burning with passion to include everyone in endless spaces of wellbeing. This blog will carry video and print interviews, profiles, book extracts, movie reviews, book reviews and other reflections on inclusion.

Why is inclusion so crucial? How does it impact the health and well-being of society? What are the challenges on the path towards inclusion? What could we do to overcome them? The one year Certificate Course on Arts Practices for Inclusion (API) has inclusion at its very heart. Hence these conversations will inform the trajectory of the course. Add your thoughts to this medley – the more diverse the voices, the richer the symphony.