ENCORE is a place that is in construction
Interview with Moussa Cheniguel
Please introduce yourself
I’m Moussa Cheniguel, I am a person with a disability and I am the initiator of the ENCORE project.
Can you tell us more about ENCORE?
ENCORE is a place that is in construction, we don't have a physical place yet, but I can say that the project is already very much alive.
There are many projects around disability, but I have noticed that there is a lack of spaces where you can just live, and not just spaces where you are taken care of. The project will unfold around several different dimensions: there will be neuro-fitness, a cultural side where we're going to talk about crip culture and more practically we will offer coffee and a space where people with disabilities can work, exchange, and be together like everyone else.
How did the idea for ENCORE come about?
This idea came when I was walking with a friend, we were talking about all this and he said to me: “Why don't you create your own space?”, and I said “You're crazy, it's not possible, it's too much. It's too big of a project”. But he gave me some good arguments and I went home and the seed grew. The seed was planted, and it began to grow. So I started writing my ideas down and studied the world of disabilities.
What can we expect?
This first weekend, we will see how the project can work physically. During the days, there will be video and audio installations, discussions and a barista bar where people with disabilities will be able to work and exchange.
What are you excited about?
This project is about seeing presences that we're not used to seeing. People who will be able to feel legitimate to work in a space where they will be able to create together, to speak. It's going to be great to see that the project is starting to come to life.
What do you hope to achieve?
What would make me happy is that people are going to come out of this with a different way of looking at disability. And above all, I hope that they will understand what the project is and why it should exist.
