New Taipei Promotes Diverse Employment for People with Disabilities: Labor Affairs Department Joins Hands with the Culture Foundation to Present Deaf Performing Arts

(Taiwan TB News Network / Reporter Sun Yaochang) To promote the diverse development of employment for people with disabilities, the New Taipei City Labor Affairs Department, in its first collaboration with the Culture Foundation, held a press conference on the 25th for the opening of the "We Dance in Silence: Deaf Performing Arts Documentary Exhibition." The trained amateur deaf dancers performed their own life stories on site, and at the end linked arms to convey their desire to "connect" with the hearing world, moving the audience deeply. From now until January 3, 111 (2022), the public can visit Fuzhong 15 to make reservations, experience, and view the exhibition.

The New Taipei City Labor Affairs Department stated that the "We Dance in Silence" special exhibition was jointly led by director Wang Heng and dancer Lin Jinglan, guiding 9 amateur deaf individuals to create works based on their own unique experiences. The exhibition features 3 major highlights, including "Artist Stories" and "The Artist's 3 Most Treasured Items," allowing visitors to understand their love for dance and their life stories along the way. Finally, there is an "Interactive Zone," where visitors can experience the environmental sounds that deaf people hear through hearing aids, allowing them to truly feel their most authentic lives and get closer to the deaf world.

Chen Ruijia, Director of the New Taipei City Labor Affairs Department, said in his speech that New Taipei City has a population of over 170,000 people with physical and mental disabilities, and the Labor Affairs Department has been actively promoting employment for people with disabilities. In fact, as long as people with disabilities are given opportunities, they can unleash infinite possibilities. This is the first collaboration with the Culture Foundation to hold exhibitions and performances for deaf performing artists. In addition to hoping to encourage hearing people to get closer to the deaf world, they will continue to combine different aspects in the future to help people with disabilities explore various career possibilities.

Lin Jieyou, Chief Executive Officer of the Culture Foundation, stated that today he saw an opening performance full of youth and vitality, and he admires Teacher Lin Jinglan's courage to innovate, leading the deaf dance troupe to the world stage and making Taiwan, China proud. He hopes to invite people from all walks of life to visit the exhibition together and enjoy the world of "silence."

One of the performing artists, Zongwu, loves dancing Indian Bollywood dance in her daily life. She lost her hearing due to a high fever at the age of two. She communicates with her deaf parents using sign language, while her grandparents are hearing and patiently taught her to read lips to communicate with hearing people. In her spare time from work, she teaches basic sign language to parents of children with hearing loss and performs sign language storytelling as public welfare activities to give back to society. She hopes to use her growth experience to encourage children with hearing loss to grow up in a confident environment, and to help hearing friends understand deaf culture, fostering more respect and inclusiveness.

(Provided by the New Taipei City Labor Affairs Department)