disability arts festival

Why we need Disability Arts Festivals, now and in the future

Festivals are fun gathering which brings people of all age groups, cultures, casts, sex on a single platform to mingle and enjoy their time. However, over the years, many festivals also started indulging in including the disabled and making them a considerable part of their events.

Disability Art festivals have been taking place in the United Kingdom since the 1980s and have become a significant part of the cultural landscape in the country. It helps people participate in different development cultures and spreads knowledge about the common sections of people in society.

Disability Art festival

Why Disability Art festivals?

Many countries have taken the initiative after the UK to include disabled arts in the cultural spectrum, which has answered many questions surrounding the realm of disability. The measure was initially aimed at increasing social inclusion and gatherings of people with disabilities and bringing forward various forms of culture and expression on a national platform. Some of the other aims of asking for this measure include:

  • Rising awareness about the lifestyle of disabled people
  • Increasing attention to the public that the disabled community can have rich cultural and social practices.
  • Increasing confidence and empowerment of beneficiaries
  • Provide professional training to create a steady path of income for the beneficiaries.

Some topics that disabled artists can cover in the art festivals include:

  • Literature and poetry
  • Visual arts, with the help of adaptive technologies
  • Film, screenplay, and drama
  • Music
  • Dance performances

Disabled artists

Despite their disability, some of the famous artists shined in the limelight and were a crucial part of spreading awareness to increase chances in the field:

  • Mariusz Kedzierski who was born without arms, but broke all barriers to create realistic paintings
  • Stephen Wiltshire, diagnosed with Autism at the age of three, can draw high-detailed images with just one glance of a picture.
  • Paul Smith was born with cerebral palsy and was still able to succeed in creating paintings and sketches with just one finger on the typewriter.
  • Huang Guofu lost both his arms in an electric shock accident and is now one of Asia’s most renowned sketch artists.

Future of disabled art festivals

Since the wave has already begun, the ability for such festivals to increase in popularity is just around the corner, which helps all sections of society, become one! In the future, with the use of adaptive technologies and the aid of growing concern, the disabled will also be able to move to stage performances from street performances, which can be a steady source of income. Such measures will not only spread awareness among people in the society but also provide the benefices with a sense of therapeutic relief and belonging.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *