Voice 1
Hello and welcome to Spotlight. I'm Marina Santee.
Voice 2
And I'm Ruby Jones. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
People clap their hands together as another arts performance finishes. They wait for the next act. When all the performers finish, the judges will give an award for the ‘best act.' There are several creative acts from around the world. It will not be easy to choose the best. There are many skilled performers. All of the performers have some kind of disability. For example, one group has hearing problems. This group is from Uganda. Other performers have other physical or mental problems. They are competing at a festival for disabled youth.
This is an unusual event because of where it is. It is Tehran - the capital city of Iran. Here, as in many nations, disability is still something that many people do not understand. This creates fear. And so for disabled people, life is often difficult. Often, they do not receive the same chances as other people. However, festivals like the one for disabled youth are working to change all this.
Voice 2
The teacher of the winning group was Hatef Doostar. He works as an art and music therapist in Tehran. He uses art and music to help to heal the body and the mind. This is not an easy job in Iran. He says:
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‘Art therapy is very much tied to your culture. Cases are completely different here from the more developed countries. Our children all have more than one disability. They are disabled economically, mentally, culturally and physically.'
Voice 1
Hatef works in different ways with disabled people. One of his jobs is teaching young disabled people creative skills. For example, he teaches some how to play musical instruments and others, acting skills! Hatef decided to enter his group into the festival competition for disabled youth in 2008. And his group won! Their winning act was a play.
Voice 2
The play was about a group of students who fell in love with their teacher. In fact, the play writer said that she based the play on some of the actors. Many of them have had this experience! The actors worked hard to learn their characters' words. Some of them had to learn words in ancient Persian. However, the performers enjoyed acting as their characters. One of female actors said:
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‘I really like my part. Everywhere I go, even in my family they call me Fakhro Zaman. That is my character's name.'
Voice 2
The play has had a positive effect on the young people. It gave them a chance to show their skills. It gave them a chance to perform - and give something to society. One of the mother's spoke about the effect the play had on her daughter:
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‘At home, my daughter did not believe in herself. She would always ask, ‘What am I good for?' She does not ask this anymore. Now, she awakes happy. She repeats her lines for the play. She is gifted in this work. A mother's wish is to see her child happy. My wish has come true.'
Voice 2
One of the young actors explains how performing makes her feel:
Voice 6
‘My disability is not important when I feel that I am being useful. And people should not consider my disability a problem in society.'
Voice 2
However, at the end of the show, not all of the performers were happy. Tears came from one young girl who did not receive an individual award. It is one of the risks of such a competition.
Voice 1
Doctor Shaffee is the organiser of the festival for disabled youth. He was also one of the judges. He said that the festival is educating Iranians about disability. He said:
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‘Today I met a man who said this to me: "Before, I used to think that disabled people were poor and useless. But now I understand how gifted they are. Now I see that I was the disabled one - for not understanding what they could do."'
Voice 1
The art therapist, Hatef Doostar, works in different places across Tehran. He takes with him art, colour and communication! One place that he works is Rezaei Hospital. This hospital is for patients with two kinds of severe mental conditions. One is schizophrenia and the other is severe depression. Here, Hatef brings new life into the hospital.
Voice 2
Hatef walks in, carrying his equipment. He sets up the music. He gets all the patients to stand together, in a circle. Hatef stands with them. The music plays - and the atmosphere in the room changes. Slowly, the patients begin to move to the music. They wave their arms high above their heads. And they move gently from side to side. Smiles begin to appear. This is a completely different kind of treatment to the medicine they swallow each day.
Voice 1
Doctor Aflatoonie specialises in sicknesses of the mind. He works at Rezaei Hospital. Doctor Aflatoonie supports Hatef's work. He said:
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‘Medicine does not create a solution for everyone. For some people, the best medicine can do is control their condition. But medicine does not create much of a change for them. Things like music therapy are of great help. I believe we have had great results. The patients recognise a piece of music and move their arms and legs. This is very good.'
Voice 1
Hatef's work is unusual in Iran. And it has greatly improved the lives of many disabled people. This helps the disabled people themselves - and it helps to influence society. When disabled people know their own abilities - other people will be able to know them too. This is a powerful way to change attitudes towards disability. Many people form an opinion about a disabled person by what they cannot do. Some people say that the very word disabled does this. But Hatef does not do this. Instead, he concentrates on what a disabled person can do. His desire is to enable them to lead fuller, happier lives. And together, in a small but powerful way, they are making way for new thinking in Iran.
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