The Centre for Performing Arts and Education “Pi Theatre” and PORAKA Skopje launched a multimedia campaign “Laughing windows” on 3 December, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
The focus of the campaign is to develop an understanding about the difficulties that vulnerable groups face when attempting to express their voice in the society.
They have had less possibilities for communication, socialization as all others, as well as less independence in realizing all other activities in this past period. Therefore, persons with disabilities may become even more vulnerable. This situation causes people with disabilities to become more vulnerable, to have a feeling of loneliness, which brings other consequences.
Pi Theatre together with persons with intellectual disability, users of the Republic Centre – PORAKA day centres in Skopje, in the past period, have prepared an exhibition of art installations, online music concert and online documentary film.
Throughout 2020, persons with intellectual disability from the Day Centres of the Republic Centre – PORAKA in Skopje, have been making drawings and photographs on large wooden windows based on their own ideas and views of the specific situation in which we live. Their work will be displayed outdoors on Philip II Square, next to the church of St. Dimitrija in Skopje. The exhibition was opened at 3 December, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities and will be displayed till 10th of January 2021.
The second event od the campaign is a music concert, which will be performed on 18th of December at 19:00 of the Pi Theatre FB Page.
The third event is a documentary film “Laughing Windows”. It is divides in two parts and will be aired on 18th of December at 19:30 on Pi Theatre FB page.
The first part of the documentary film has been filmed before the pandemics, and persons with intellectual disability express their worldview. The actors, in different scenes, show their talents and abilities, and make clear distinction between the stereotypes created about them and who they really are as individuals with all their abilities.
The second part of the film has been made during the pandemic, and the actors had the opportunity to express their needs and reasons to create, in order to overcome this period of isolation, to find their own form and way of expressing themselves, and to identify and voice their problems.
This multimedia campaign is supported by City of Skopje and EU Delegation in Skopje.