Local TOUR

The Inclusive Arts Course students are officially now on tour!

It has been a brilliant week going with them to two local schools around Kampot Province. 2 more weeks of it to come.

In each setting the students deliver a dance workshop with a sign lesson, an art exhibition and a performance piece combining dance and visual art.

The performance shows students from the Inclusive Arts Course, those with and without disability enjoying each other and working together. It shows friendship and equality through everyone performing equally together. One person in a wheelchair and one with amputated arms catch fish and therefore provide their family with food. This shows that people with disabilities can provide for themselves and their families. People’s disabilities are highlighted throughout, by outlining their bodies and celebrating their differences, and showing what they can do regardless of their disability. This educates the audience about accepting disability and sharing it; it is not something that should be hidden away. Throughout the performance the message of ‘Look what we can do in Kampot’ is reiterated by flowing through daily activities in simple (so easy accessible) yet skilful manner.

The visual setting, which is continually added to throughout the piece using movement and visual props, becomes the hometown of not only most of the performers but also most of the audience members as this is a local tour. This provides an easily relatable scene, and shows that this message of equality and ability can work here in Kampot.

The visual art as well as movement shows what skills IAC have learnt this year, as well as creating an interactive and multidisciplinary piece. If the workshop is to be before the performance, the performance will also use origami stars created by participants during the workshop. This allows the audience to have had input into the final production.

The piece follows a very simple story about life in Kampot, and how it can be lived and fulfilled by everyone regardless of ability or disability. This lack of complication aims for the piece to be accessible for all ages and abilities, and as the tour is based in Kampot, this should provide the audience with a relatable situation to implement the message shared (that every person counts) into their daily lives.

Movement and visual art, although facilitated by myself came from only the students themselves, providing them opportunity to share personal experiences and implement what they have learnt throughout year 1 of the Inclusive Arts Course.