Play With Me

The Good Practice takes the form of a five-day international inclusive festival, composed of more than 40 diverse workshops – on topics such as art, games, sports, creativity – spread around the city's main square and park. These are accompanied by a three-hour daily programme of varied performances on a big stage – ranging from dancing and singing to theatre. There is also an inclusive evening concert. All prepared and implemented in the most inclusive way possible, allowing each individual to express their potential, as well as reducing barriers, fears and prejudices.  

The event’s international nature is expressed in performances and workshops carried out by partners from other countries. Synergies are also forged through international partnerships and projects such as youth exchanges – on environmental sustainability, or recycled art, for example.  

Now in its 18th edition, the whole event stems from the need to include people with intellectual disabilities in wider society. In many cases they are still segregated, being in special education institutions. The festival brings them into the very heart of the city centre, exposing them to society, giving them the time and place to present their skills and abilities. The most visible impact over the festival’s eighteen years is society becoming more and more accepting of people with intellectual disabilities, cooperating with them, seeing their skills and talents, and including them. These steps are slow, but gradual in a positive way. 

The festival combines economic, environmental and social dimensions. 

Economic: Organisers bring together different sources of funding while also striving to do as many tasks as possible themselves, with volunteers or other associates, partners, and donations. Other NGOs, individuals and organisations may also use the festival for their own promotion. 

Environmental: The event uses very few printed materials and as little packaging as possible. Instead of plastic water bottles and cups there is a water filling station at the park fountain. Pancakes are served on paper plates. Other measures include an eco-island with careful waste separation, use of public or shared transport instead of individual cars, and workshops dedicated to re-use of materials, environmental sustainability and green practices. 

Social: This is the core of the festival – bringing together people of different skills, needs and backgrounds, and enabling them to contribute their human capital, talents and competences to society and each other. Gathering people of different abilities, the festival diminishes fears, obstacles and prejudices, cherishes diversity, and makes society as a whole more open, tolerant, and led from the heart. Basic human values are addressed and nurtured, since people with special needs make us more sincere, open and honest. This is why the organisers believe that inclusive practices like theirs are important for all communities, in Slovenia and beyond. 

The whole festival is prepared and implemented in an inclusive, accessible way, allowing people with any kind of special needs to attend, be supported and take part. The project has been prepared for the past eighteen years through close cooperation between an NGO, a formal education centre and the local authority. Even more relevant is the fact that the festival is developed and implemented by and with numerous other partners. These include educational institutions (such as kindergartens, schools and special education centres), NGOs representing various fields and topics (art, sport, dance, music), as well as people with and without special needs – and other groups with fewer opportunities, such as migrants. These partners perform on stage, carry out workshops, and provide volunteers, assistants and other staff throughout the five-day festival. 

The practice is also supported economically via various sponsorships, donations and corporate volunteering. There is also support from local and national authorities and other public institutions, for example in 2024 the Department of Youth from the Ministry of Education and a private financial company. The festival truly connects many social partners, public, private, governmental and NGOs, and formal and non-formal education stakeholders, around one core theme – inclusion. Last but not least, the festival attracts local and national media, from traditional radio, TV and magazines to social media influencers. 

The “Play With Me” festival has had an impact across Slovenia: 18 years ago, people with special needs were much more isolated, segregated and not as visible in the capital’s centre as they are now. The festival is well recognised in Slovenia and beyond, with international partners coming to experience it in person, and expressing interest in having similar events in their own country. Not only has it grown over the years, in terms of the number of performances, volunteers, workshops and attendees, it has truly become known as the festival of people with special needs. It is their festival; they plan it and implement it. Every year more than 1000 people are engaged daily in the event’s preparation and implementation. Several thousand residents, tourists and other visitors join the experience over five days in the city centre.  

Levels of interest continue to grow, with more and more volunteers – young and adult, NGOs and corporate – requesting to take part. Certain impacts are harder to measure, such as the feeling of society becoming more open, or the experience of seeing people overcome their own prejudices and fears, and cooperate more closely with people with special needs.  

Having worked with relevant stakeholders to implement their festival over 18 years, the organisers believe this well-established model can be transferred successfully to any other city – if adapted to local circumstances, priorities and challenges.

The Good Practice is relevant to all cities since inclusion is a national, European and international priority.

This festival contributes to improving education and reducing inequalities, supporting the Sustainable Development Goals. It also develops long-lasting partnerships between local authorities, NGOs, and one of Slovenia's largest special education institutions. This aligns with one of the guiding principles of the Urban Agenda for the EU: tackling the challenge of inclusion, diversity and culture in the city. While not directly devoted to the inclusion of immigrants, many of the festival’s target group – people living with intellectual disability, autism, associated disabilities and other special needs – have origins in other countries and have migrated to Slovenia.

The model supports the Convention on the Rights of Disabled, in particular its articles related to their right to social inclusion, participation in society and education – general principles that apply in all countries.

Cities adopting this practice will require a quality partnership of eager, committed staff and organisations, backed up by the relevant local, regional or national authorities, and a clear vision of aims and goals. Organisers should have a wide network of potential partners willing to cooperate, contribute to the event and make a change. 

The Good Practice now takes place in smaller cities around Slovenia – as well as in other countries such as Norway, Poland, Montenegro and Croatia, thanks to various international projects. All these festivals took a similar form, respecting the core ideas of inclusivity and non-profit, while being adapted to the scope and possibilities of each location.