Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education

by Epic Arts
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Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education
Give Children with Disabilities an Arts Education

Project Report | Jul 24, 2017
When I Joined Epic Arts My Dreams Came True!

By Hayley Holden | Projects Manager

Savun in costume ready for a performance
Savun in costume ready for a performance

"I always loved performing & making silly faces"

I started acting at school when I was 15. I loved acting, but it was something I did for fun. My wildest dream was to become a performer.

My time at school was coming to an end. One day I was reading the newspaper and wondering what to do next. That's when I saw the advert for the Inclusive Arts Course.

It looked perfect, I was so excited about the course it had all the things I enjoyed doing. I borrowed my friends phone and looked up Epic Arts.

I saw the Epic Arts Happy video, I watched it again and again, I thought all the dancers looked so cool. I wanted to do that! I asked the School Director if I could apply to join the course.

"Growing up people in my community gave me a new name ‘Broken Leg’."

When I was growing up people didn’t call me by my real name, people in my community gave me a new name ‘Broken Leg’.

I was in an accident when I was three months old and my right leg didn’t develop in the same way as my left leg.

I grew up with a leg that wasn’t strong so I knew that I had to be strong. I didn’t like the people who called me ‘Broken Leg’, they made me angry. I became determined to be smarter than them.

I knew I couldn’t do traditional physical work so I made it my mission to study hard and get good knowledge. I could prove all the mean people wrong and I would be able to support myself.

"I’d never seen someone like me in a important job."

When I saw that the Director of Epic Arts was a Cambodian women with a disability it made me feel proud!

Seeing Sokny as the head of an organisation gave me more energy to keep going, to keep trying, to keep gaining experience and growing my knowledge and maybe one day I could be a role-model to a girl with a disability.

After a week at Epic Arts I knew that I defiantly wanted to join the Inclusive Arts Course. It was all the things I loved doing and Epic Arts had many staff with disabilities who were inspiring to me.

“When I came to Epic Arts my dreams came true!”

Now I’ve graduated from the course, I’m much more confident in myself. Before I used to think that I would fall over if I tried to dance or that my leg would break!

Before I joined Epic Arts I didn’t like to work in a team, I worked by myself and that's how I liked it. Now I like working together with others, it makes me happy to be in a supportive community.

I’ve had a lot of opportunities at Epic Arts to gain different types of work experience. As well as studying I worked at the Epic Arts café on Saturdays and I also worked at the Come Back Brighter show. I liked working with the customers and learning to make cake.

“The biggest thing I learnt during the course is that if you have a disability don’t think that you can’t do things. Believe in yourself - you also have value to society!”

 

Savun Graduated the Inclusive Arts Course in April 2017 after completing the two-year Inclusive Arts Course . After Graduating Savun applied for and secured a position at Epic Arts.

Savun is now a performer at Epic Arts. She works in the Theatre company to deliver workshops, create and tour performances about issues in Cambodian society.

We are currently looking for new students to join our Inclusive Arts Course. 

Please donate if you’d like to support another young person to join the Inclusive Arts Course.

Donations big and small make a huge difference to our work and any gift helps us to continue to change lives.

Savun in dance class with fellow IAC students
Savun in dance class with fellow IAC students
Savun painting a mural she designed
Savun painting a mural she designed
Savun delivering a workshop at a local school
Savun delivering a workshop at a local school

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Organization Information

Epic Arts

Location: London - United Kingdom
Website:
Facebook: Facebook Page
Twitter: @EpicArtsNews
Project Leader:
Anthony Evans
London , United Kingdom

Funded Project!

Combined with other sources of funding, this project raised enough money to fund the outlined activities and is no longer accepting donations.
   

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