FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES
National Network
Cyprus
Address
Aigeos 4, Apt 403Country
City
NicosiaMobile Phone
+35797793188Telephone
0035799582387Telephone (other)
+35799582387Website
Click HereYear of Establishment
2016Contact Person1
Marianna PafitiJob Title 1
PresidentContact Person 2
Loucas IoannouJob Title 2
MemberOrganisation Type
Public/Private Non-Profit FoundationFields of Activity
Arts, Human rights, Youth and educationGeneral Information
Neofytos is presented as a cultural organization focused on disability, inclusion, and social awareness. The organization says it is named in memory of Neophytos Antoniou, who died in 2013, and it links the name symbolically to the issue of exclusion. The site also frames its broader vision around building a positive and recognized “Disability Culture.”
Mission and Objectives
Neofytos.org is a disability-focused cultural organization that promotes inclusion, awareness, and the development of “Disability Culture” through arts, education, research, and public engagement. Its objectives include reducing social exclusion, supporting lifelong learning, encouraging international collaboration, and advancing accessibility and disability awareness in society. Its main activities include disability arts festivals, art exhibitions, disability theatre, inclusion events, publications, and digital accessibility initiatives.
Main Projects / Activities
Neofytos.org’s main projects and activities focus on using art, culture, accessibility, and public engagement to promote inclusion. Its best-known initiatives include the DIS European Art and Culture Disability Festival in Larnaca, which has been presented as a multi-day programme of exhibitions, workshops, theatrical performances, academic presentations, and accessibility support services; the “Dis” group art exhibition, which approaches disability through the social model in order to challenge perceptions and raise awareness; disability theatre projects, including productions such as Dystopia: Il Paradiso; inclusion events and other public awareness actions; and AbleBook, a digital accessibility initiative designed to improve quality of life for people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups by providing practical information on services, benefits, routes, parking, and accessibility. Alongside these, the organization also maintains a publications and research-oriented strand, showing that its work combines cultural production with education and accessibility advocacy.
How can you contribute to the Network in your country?
In Cyprus, we can contribute to the Network by serving as a local bridge between disability, culture, education, and community engagement. Through Neofytos.org’s experience in disability arts, inclusion events, awareness activities, and accessibility initiatives, we can help expand the Network’s visibility, connect it with local artists, organizations, educators, and disability communities, and support the development of joint projects, workshops, festivals, and public discussions. We can also contribute by sharing local knowledge on accessibility and inclusion, promoting cross-community and international collaboration, and helping adapt the Network’s aims to the Cypriot context through advocacy, research, and cultural action. In this way, we would not only strengthen the Network’s presence in Cyprus, but also bring valuable local perspectives and partnerships to its wider international mission.
Why do you want to join the ALF Network?
We want to join the ALF Network because its values of dialogue, inclusion, cultural exchange, and cooperation across the Euro-Mediterranean region strongly match the mission of Neofytos.org. As an organization working through disability culture, the arts, education, and social awareness, we see the Network as an important space for building meaningful partnerships, exchanging knowledge and good practices, and developing joint initiatives that promote participation and mutual understanding. Joining ALF would allow us to connect our work in Cyprus with a wider regional community, strengthen our impact through collaboration, and contribute a perspective that places accessibility, disability inclusion, and culture at the centre of intercultural dialogue. We believe that becoming part of the Network would help us both learn from others and actively contribute to a more inclusive, creative, and socially connected Mediterranean region.