Faces of talent
SANGEETH KURIAN
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Artistic expression allows special children to claim their rightful place in society, says Fr. Felix of Central Institute on Mental Retardation, Kovalam.
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Photo: S. Gopakumar
Crucial: Music sessions help special students attain functional development in a systematic way.
Teaching children with mental disabilities to appreciate the nuances of art and music would not be everyone’s cup of tea. But Fr. Thomas Felix thinks differently.
The director of the Central Institute on Mental Retardation, Fr. Felix, strongly believes that artistic expression allows special children to claim their rightful place in mainstream society.
“Society in general has a negative attitude towards the mentally challenged,” says Fr. Felix.
“People seldom accept the fact that mentally challenged persons are as talented as others. Less ability does not make a lesser human being. If P.T. Usha can sprint, they too can,” he said.
It was this conviction that prompted him to start Freedom Centre, an institution for training mentally challenged persons in art and music at Kovalam.
At Freedom Centre, special children are given training in various art forms and instrumental music, besides Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Odissi, sitar, violin and veena, as part of a three-year programme.
“The stimulus from various art forms can play a crucial role in the holistic development of the candidate,” says Fr. Felix, about the capabilities of special children. “They have a sense of rhythm like all other individuals. But we have to make the effort to bring out the inherent talent in them. Our task is to integrate them with their family first.”
The training helps them to attain functional development in a systematic way. Their parents and family accept them better, which leads to acceptance from the community. This in turn helps them gain entry to all spheres of activity, says Fr. Felix.
Multiple roles
For instance, while performing a dance form or a ballet, some players enact multiple roles, which requires special skills. The demands of the stage are complex and varied. They have to synchronise their movements according to the musical cue. This helps them improve their cognitive ability, says Fr. Felix.
Similarly, when a candidate plays different instruments that require different movements and coordination, they receive developmental inputs. This helps them master different movements. Playing a guitar requires different movement and coordination from playing a sitar, he says.
Art also involves shapes and colours either in two or three dimensions. A total of seven candidates are currently undergoing training at the centre.
The centre, inaugurated in May 2000 by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam who was then the principal scientific advisor to the Union Government, was dedicated to the nation at a function held recently.
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