A creative spirit that conquers challenges

The play is scheduled to tour next year in cities including Guangzhou and Shenzhen in Guangdong province, as well as Shanghai. She also hopes that more interested theaters and performing arts platforms could contact the team, so that the play will be seen by more people.

At the forum, Zhao also expressed that she received motivation and inspiration by discussing with artists and practitioners who had a similar experience.

"I used to think of art as something lofty and distant, but after becoming a performer, I've realized that art is simply a form of expression, whether it's theater, dance, painting, video, or writing," Zhao says.

"Everyone has the right to appreciate art, of course including people with disabilities. That's why it is essential to provide accessible services in art facilities. Meanwhile, we can be creators of art. People with disabilities also possess talent, creativity, knowledge and rich life experiences that make compelling stories and provide the value of beauty."

The fifth edition of the UK-China Disability Arts Forum, hosted by the British Council and Beijing Body On&On Cultural Exchange Center, took place at the Yun Theater in Guangzhou from Dec 2 to 3.

As the annual event's first time outside Beijing, the forum continues to invite guest speakers from both home and abroad, to promote equality, diversity and inclusion in arts, as well as to facilitate the exchanges and collaboration between China and the United Kingdom in the disability arts field.

Themed on "historical encounters", this year's forum aimed to offer a chance for reflection and evaluation of the two countries' past endeavors in disability arts, while calling for the attendees to envision building a more accessible future.

"Five years mark a crucial milestone, which allows us to reflect on the past and also envision the future. Five years are able to validate the vitality of a cause. The fact that we are still here and influencing more and more people over the past five years demonstrates that disability arts is becoming a new force for artistic innovation and cultural exchange," says Ge Huichao, founder of Body On&On.

This year's events include eight keynote speeches, 10 promotional pitches on latest arts projects and two roundtable dialogues — the Creation Space for Disabled Artist and the Inclusive Development of Disabled Arts in China.

Barrier-free support was offered at the event, hosted at a guide dog-friendly venue and livestreamed, including sign language interpretation, simultaneous interpretation in Chinese and English, as well as real-time Chinese subtitles.

"I hope that in the future, a broader public will pay attention to and engage in inclusive art. We firmly believe that art is always the best conduit and the most effective way of storytelling to present the life experiences of people with disabilities to a diverse audience. Despite our differences, these experiences contain many fascinating aspects that allow for mutual understanding, fostering a more inclusive society," Ge says.