Potters Gallery Initiative has called on government to formulate policy to enhance disability inclusion in creative art industry.
The Executive Director, Donald Unanka, Potters Gallery Initiative made this call on Saturday in Abuja during the final day of 3-day Art Ability Festival to commemorate International Day for Persons with disability (IDPD 2022).
Mr. Donald, the originator of Art Ability Festival to The Qualitative Magazine (TQM) that the festival is an annual event designed to promote creativity among persons with disabilities. It is taking place every Dec as part of the activities marking the International Day for Persons with disabilities.
“It is to expose potentials inherent in persons with disabilities and also draw the attention of the world towards the plights of persons with disabilities”
Speaking further, he said that the festival has become a platform to engage stakeholders in arts and creativity industry.
We have been able to make some input in engaging the stakeholders such as National Gallery of Arts and other organizations as a result of that, they have been getting persons with disabilities involved in their programmmes. For example, art organization like Aroja concept is now involving PWDs in their programmes.
Mr. Donald believed that in the next five years, the festival will be celebrated globally as International festival, where art ability festival should be recognized as one of disability art festival around the world. It would be bringing to Nigeria international artists, tourists, and other admirers of arts.
He said that that government should take seriously issues of creative arts among persons with disabilities and formulate a policy that will address the challenges.
He also urged government to expedite action in implementation of National Disability Acts.
He encouraged PWDs to take arts seriously and know that art is beyond drawing and painting, PWDs should make use of the opportunities like this to promote themselves.
The three days event witnessed the presentation of many paintings, drawings, fashions, hairstyles and entertainers who rendered songs, dances, poems etc.
This laudable festival supported by British Council, it has been growing from strength to strength, next year’s edition promise to be better.
