Every Person Counts: learning lessons on inclusion from Cambodia
A fully inclusive dance company from Cambodia featuring performers with various disabilities visited Edinburgh College last month to deliver a workshop and perform to the college’s dance students.
Epic Encounters is a group of talented dance and theatre performers from Cambodia, consisting of hearing-impaired, disabled and non-disabled performers. It is first and only fully inclusive dance company in South East Asia.
The company came to the college’s Performing Arts Studio Scotland(PASS) to perform examples of its work that it uses to raise awareness of issues in Cambodia such as road safety, sexual health and child protection to PASS students and staff.
The performers also led an inclusive movement workshop based on their performances and the company motto of Epic Arts – Every Person Counts.
They performed a thought-provoking piece called Come Back Brighter, about the effect of the Khmer Rouge Regime on the artists of Cambodia and the current explosion of creativity sweeping the country. The performance also included a mini sign language lesson and life story from one of the performers.
The Epic Encounters team tours nationally and internationally, creating and performing educational theatre and dance performances. It mixes traditional Khmer dance and contemporary physical theatre techniques to inspire, raise awareness and educate.
Epic Encounters is a social enterprise from Epic Arts Kampot. Epic Arts is an international NGO that works to raise the aspirations of disabled and non-disabled Cambodians through arts-based education, community and social businesses such as the dance company, which is a valuable source of sustainable income for the charity Epic Encounters visited the college as the final stop on a UK tour of performances, workshops and talks.
Ethelinda Lashley, a dance lecturer at PASS, said: “This was a fantastic opportunity for our students to learn from dancers from a very different background and to understand and appreciate the importance of diversity and inclusivity in dance. Our students are encouraged to appreciate dance within a social and cultural context and explore this through their work.”
Susan Inglis, equalities, policy and research manager for the college, said: “The performance by Epic Arts from Cambodia was most impressive and inspirational.
“The dance team should be congratulated for bringing this highly skilled and energetic inclusive dance group to the college. They demonstrated vividly their commitment to a world where every person counts, and where people with disabilities are valued, accepted and respected.”
