3.2.10 Vision for the Future
The vision I have regarding teaching people with different needs I share with Esmeralda, founder of the school Danza Mobile 16 years ago in spain. At that time it was still to be discussed if art created by people with a disability should be funded by a disability organisation or an organisation with an artistic view. I can tell that in my country, holland, we had the same discussion and I believe that this is the same all over the a world. This believe became stronger by reading the book "making an entrance" by Adam Benjamin. He is an educator in integrated dance from england. I worked with him for years and he is a big inspiration for me regarding my professional artistic development and regarding teaching dance to integrated groups. He helped me set up my own foundation Fidoda a foundation that facilitates all forms of art and fosters integration between people with and people without disabilities.
In the book mentioned above he talkes about the practical necessities to integrate people with disabilities into mainstream education and the art world.
Teachers of art schools should be professional but also have passion for their job. They should challenge people with different needs in the same way they do with regular students. Festivals for people with disability should not be necessary anymore because they are integrated in the mainstream artscene. Disabled people should be concious of their own actions and know that they are not only dependent of other people but be aware that they have also something to give to others in their life.
