Steps – a Dance Festival for Everyone

Since its inception in 1988, Steps has been taking place all across Switzerland, both in urban centres and beyond: Dance companies present their work in rural areas and even the farthest reaches of the country. The festival not only bridges the gap between city and countryside but also connects the different linguistic regions of Switzerland. Steps and its theatre partners strive to make dance accessible in various ways and to an audience of diverse cultural and social backgrounds.

For a Broad Public

The selection of artists and topics in our program is intended to reflect the diversity of our audiences. In cooperation with our partner theatres, we aim to provide access to visitors with or without prior knowledge or experience of dance, for example through dramaturgical introductions or artist talks before and after the performances, respectively. More information is available in our schedule.

For Audiences on a Budget

Our partner theatres determine ticket prices, including discounts. More information is available on the websites of the respective theatres linked on our venues page.

In 2024 we particularly support three selected groups: Because people with cognitive disabilities often do not have an income, we offer special discounts for Steps events. Young people will be able to purchase concession tickets for selected productions for 20 Francs or less. A contingent of concession tickets for all Steps events has been set aside for dance professionals. More information is available on our ticketing page.

For People with Disability

We promote the self-determined access to cultural life by people with disability. We focus on audience accessibility and representation in front of, on, and beyond the stage.

Since 2006 we have been curating inclusive dance events with the support of our theatre partners. We also organize formats other than performances, for example dance workshops by and with artists with and without disability.

Since 2018 our festival runs under the label “Kultur inklusiv.” Together with our theatre partners we work towards accessible dance events. Our inclusion experts provide two guides on this topic for event organizers (which can be found below).

An overview over additional measures is available on our accessibility page, which contains practical information about access support and the initiatives developed by our experts for Steps 2024 for audiences with limited mobility or cognitive disabilities.

In 2024 we run a pilot project for people with cognitive disabilities for which we invite institutions from the Baden and Zurich regions to attend “BLKDOG” by Far From The Norm. The production was recommended by Theater Hora. Steps accompanies the event including an introduction and an artistic talk before and after the performance, respectively. PDF with further information (in German).

On our homepage we welcome people that are deaf or hard of hearing with a video in sign language (available in French, German, and Italian).

For Artists and Ourselves

We want our visitors to feel comfortable but also our artists and members of the Steps team. We stand for fair practices.

More information on “Kultur inklusiv” and accessible event organization:

Cultural inclusion charter (available in French, German, and Italian) The cultural inclusion charter was developed collectively and represents the foundation of our label partnership with Kultur inklusiv. Steps is committed to adhere to the guidelines and to continue to develop its inclusivity efforts.

Event organizer guide to accessible culture events (available in French, German, and Italian) Published by Kultur inklusiv and Sensability – Experts in Inclusion, supported by Migros Culture Percentage.

PDF Quick Guide: Restricted Mobility (available in French, German, and Italian) for event organizers

PDF Quick Guide: Hearing Impairment (available in French, German, and Italian) for event organizers