Performers with disabilities showcase talent tonight in Durban

A PERFORMING arts and music tour of artists with disabilities is underway in Durban at The Playhouse. The tour, which kicked off on Sunday in Cape Town, opens at the Durban Playhouse tonight before heading to Johannesburg. Tonight’s performance is at 17:00 and is open to the public free of charge.

The tour marks the South Korean Embassy celebrating a 30-year bilateral relationship with South Africa. The two countries are celebrating with a special focus on the talents of persons with disabilities in the arts.

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The tour is hosted by the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) and the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture (DSAC) in collaboration with the Korean Embassy, Nelson Mandela Foundation, Artscape in Cape Town and Playhouse in Durban.

This initiative forms part of the department’s commitment to driving and supporting activities done by the disability sector throughout the year.

In line with the 365-day calendar on disabilities, September is the International Month for Deaf People, known in South Africa as Deaf Awareness Month, while 23 September is International Day of Sign Language and November 3–December 3 is Disability Rights Awareness Month.

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Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, says disability mainstreaming should be an integral aspect of all relevant strategies for sustainable development.

“The decision to provide more representation of persons with disabilities in governance recommits and takes into account the protection and promotion of the human rights of persons with disabilities in all policies and programmes as described in Article 4 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.”