The Center of Socio-Cultural Programs «People IN» won a grant in the Second Competition of the Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives in 2026 with the project «Performance in the Dark».
The «Performance in the Dark» is an inclusive literary and theatrical educational project aimed at developing creative industries and conditions for joint professional realization of people with and without disabilities. The project is based on Russian literary and theatrical traditions and is aimed at creating value-oriented creative products reflecting the cultural code and traditional values.
The project’s events will be held in three regions of Russia — the Republic of Bashkortostan, Moscow and St. Petersburg — where inclusive theater programs implemented in a unique format will be presented.
The project is being implemented by specialists with and without disabilities in total darkness, which does not exist in nature. This format allows us to reveal literary and theatrical art in a new way and create an inclusive environment where each participant can express himself in different roles — performer, spectator, guide or volunteer.
There are no restrictions on the literary direction, format, and cast of performers in the project. The only condition for all participants is to work in the dark. The main selection criterion remains professionalism, not the presence or absence of disability. Therefore, performers can be both people with and without disabilities.
With the help of the project «Performance in the Dark», we strive to develop an inclusive creative environment through literary and theatrical art that unites people of different abilities, promotes the disclosure of creative potential and professional realization, as well as the preservation and popularization of Russian literary and theatrical traditions in modern society.