By Trần Khánh An

HÀ NỘI —   A talkshow has taken place to highlight how able-bodied and people with disabilities can benefit from the arts.

The event, "Potential of Inclusive Arts: Beyond Pity Love", was organised by the Goethe Institute as part of their inclusive art project to provide insights on art and disabilities.

Oliver Brandt, director of the Goethe Institute Hanoi, takes a selfie with speakers and participants of the talkshow. — Photo courtesy of Lê Hiếu/Goethe Institute Hanoi

Oliver Brandt, director of the Goethe Institute Hanoi, told Việt Nam News: “The Goethe Institute believes that arts and culture should be accessible for everyone and that both able-bodied people and disabled people profit from more inclusion.

"In the coming years, the Goethe Institute wants to create more space for reflecting the topic of inclusion through various formats of culture and promote artists with visible and invisible handicaps more strongly.

"In recent years, we have witnessed a new wave of inclusive art practices in both Việt Nam and Germany. These art projects seek to champion the stories of people with disabilities while also advocating to make art activities more accessible to all."

"The Goethe Institute Hanoi believes that this opens up countless opportunities for cultural exchanges and partnerships between the two countries, which will help further our conversations toward better, more inclusive societies."

Hiếu Lưu, My Nguyễn, Hà Phương and Prof Bertolt Meyer (from left). — Photos courtesy of Lê Hiếu/Goethe Institute Hanoi

The talkshow featured stories from three speakers: Bertolt Meyer, a psychology professor at Chemnitz University of Technology and a techno DJ; Hiếu Lưu, a disability advocate and photographer; Hà Phương, a model and actress from the award-winning film Cu Li Never Cries.

Talking about her love of photography, Lưu said: "A lot of people did not think that I could take a photograph because the camera is too heavy for a person with cerebral palsy."

Meyer said: "Being treated with pity is how you learn society does not treat you as equal. People with disabilities are often seen as 'others'. As a result, society has not fully used people with disabilities’ potential and ability to contribute to the arts.

"The language also matters. When we said 'people with disability' instead of 'disabled people' - it meant we have seen them as a person first." — VNS