Nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in Raleigh with a commitment to inclusivity have an opportunity to step up their game; Raleigh Arts, in partnership with United Arts Wake County, is rolling out applications for their Arts Learning Community for Universal Access. This program, which is now marking its decade of operation, aims to help these organizations welcome people and artists with disabilities into their programming more successfully.
The initiative is set for a kickoff at the Kennedy Center's LEAD® Conference with subsequent monthly meetings where participants will get to dive into discussions around improving accessibility in the arts—and it's not just talk; they will actively work on projects and seek to hit self-set goals that better engage folks with disabilities. Raleigh Arts, which oversees community arts and supports the nonprofit arts sphere in the city, as well as running arts centers and managing exhibition spaces and the municipal art collection, has opened application submissions for the 2025–2026 cohort and the deadline, as they recently announced, is April 21.
Interested organizations looking to boost their inclusive game can hit up the City of Raleigh Arts website for more information on the program and how to throw their hat in the ring for the upcoming yearlong learning community. It's clear that Raleigh Arts holds a firm belief that "the arts are for everyone," and by working to ensure every resident can not just access but enjoy and participate in the arts, they're placing this belief into palpable action.
This learning community is one strand among the initiatives powered by the Raleigh Arts Partner Program, which collaborates with local nonprofit arts groups providing funding and resources, so Raleigh’s residents and visitors are treated to art across various spaces in the city.
