Uploaded January 2023 | Updated September 2026, 30 minutes ago
Laila was born in refugee camps of Tindouf, where, at seven months of age, she contracted poliomyelitis. At the age of eight, she was fostered by a Swedish-Catalan family in Girona (Spain).
At first, she started dancing in the dark, her bedroom became the refuge where she would find peace from the bullying she experienced at school.
Now as a contemporary dancer, choreographer, photographer and artist, she has collaborated on projects with international artists including Neus Canalias (Girona), Taiat Dansa (Valencia), Cie BewegGrund & Alessandro Schiattarella (Switzerland), Antonio Quiles (Seville), Jessie Brett Dance Company (Wales), Les Impuxibles Clara and Arianda Peya (Catalonia).
In 2022, she co-led an international artist laboratory for disabled dancers with Europe Beyond Access.
Europe Beyond Access is a collaboration between 7 leading arts organisations from across Europe: British Council (UK), Onassis Cultural Centre (Greece), Holland Dance Festival (The Netherlands), Kampnagel (Germany); Per.Art (Serbia), Skånes Dansteater (Sweden), Oriente Occidente (Italy) and co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Commission. It aims to support disabled artists to break through the glass ceilings of the contemporary theatre and dance sectors.
There are many ways that you can take part in and support Europe Beyond Access.
Follow us on Facebook and share recent videos of disabled artists facebook.com/europebeyondaccess
Talk to us on Twitter @disartsint #EuropeBeyondAccess
Find out more about British Council's work in Disability Arts: arts.britishcouncil.org/disability-arts
Find out more:
europebeyondaccess.com/artists/profiles/laila-white
Laila was born in refugee camps of Tindouf, where, at seven months of age, she contracted poliomyelitis. At the age of eight, she was fostered by a Swedish-Catalan family in Girona (Spain).
At first, she started dancing in the dark, her bedroom became the refuge where she would find peace from the bullying she experienced at school.
Now as a contemporary dancer, choreographer, photographer and artist, she has collaborated on projects with international artists including Neus Canalias (Girona), Taiat Dansa (Valencia), Cie BewegGrund & Alessandro Schiattarella (Switzerland), Antonio Quiles (Seville), Jessie Brett Dance Company (Wales), Les Impuxibles Clara and Arianda Peya (Catalonia).
In 2022, she co-led an international artist laboratory for disabled dancers with Europe Beyond Access.
Europe Beyond Access is a collaboration between 7 leading arts organisations from across Europe: British Council (UK), Onassis Cultural Centre (Greece), Holland Dance Festival (The Netherlands), Kampnagel (Germany); Per.Art (Serbia), Skånes Dansteater (Sweden), Oriente Occidente (Italy) and co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Commission. It aims to support disabled artists to break through the glass ceilings of the contemporary theatre and dance sectors.
There are many ways that you can take part in and support Europe Beyond Access.
Follow us on Facebook and share recent videos of disabled artists facebook.com/europebeyondaccess
Talk to us on Twitter @disartsint #EuropeBeyondAccess
Find out more about British Council's work in Disability Arts: arts.britishcouncil.org/disability-arts
Find out more:
europebeyondaccess.com/artists/profiles/laila-white
