Empowering Through Art: A Magical Journey of Inclusion and Transformation

By Gopinath Muthukad

Before 2017, I was known as, and always loved to be known as the 'magician.' I lived in an entirely different field until 2016, in the world of magic, a realm of miraculous performances. Until then, the word disability never crossed my mind or thoughts, and I still believe it was destiny that changed my vision and perspective towards life when Different Art Centre was established.

In 2016, when I decided to do something for the well-being and happiness of children with special needs, I was completely unaware of what I should do. All that I had then was magic, so I thought of teaching magic to them. With the support of the Minister for Social Justice, Govt. of Kerala at that time, K K Shylaja, and Dr. Mohammed Asheel, Former Executive Director of Kerala Social Security Mission (currently serving as the Country focal point on disability at World Health Organization), we had a humble beginning of magic training for these children.

There were a lot of initial struggles and challenges; however, with the support of a dedicated and passionate team, they gradually started learning, practicing, and performing magic in front of others. The result of that training and practicing magic was miraculous; these children showed significant improvements in social, communication, and cognitive abilities after a period. Here I am going to proudly present the amazing skills of our children at DAC, from the first batch, who have achieved these skills by overcoming the challenges of different disabilities, like Cerebral Palsy, Intellectual Disability, Down Syndrome, Hearing Impairment, etc.

Magic is an art form in which sleight of hand, dexterity, bilateral coordination, memory, and attention span are very important for a successful performance. When a child with special needs undergoes this magic learning process, it directly and indirectly imparts improvement in their cognitive, sensory, and fine-motor abilities.

Inspired by the successful outcome of this training in magic and its impact on the skill development of these children, we have extended our programs to other art forms like music, instrumental music, dance, drawing, and painting. Along with training and practicing, we ensure opportunities for them to perform in front of the audience and get appreciated, which really motivates them to learn and practice the skills. These performance opportunities contribute towards their social and communication skill development as well. Now at our centre, we have 300 children under different art training programs.

In addition to art-based programs, we provide clinic-based advanced therapy services like Occupational, behavioral, and Virtual Reality-based therapies, training to conduct basic scientific research, training in electronics and robotics, computer training, etc.

The specially-abled children at our centre are groomed to perform different art forms just like professional artists. The international scientific community has shown interest in understanding our art-based model in detail so that it can be replicated in other countries as well.

I am glad to share with you our recent achievement, to present our model on an international research platform at Sophia University, Tokyo. In the first week of November 2023, we were invited to deliver the ‘Keynote Address’ and to demonstrate the artistic skill of one of our children in ‘Magic’ at the international symposium on ‘Inclusive Society.’ We could represent on the prestigious G20 platform as well, nominated by the World Health Organization, as a successful model for the empowerment of Youth with Disabilities. The parliamentary committee on Culture and Tourism conducted a study visit at our centre in September 2023 and appreciated this model, recommending replication across the country.

As an appreciation of their artistic skills, these children received several invitations to perform their talents in front of many reputed personalities. Performances in front of the Parliamentary Secretary, Govt. of Singapore at Singapore, Excellencies of Govt. of UAE at Dubai and Abu Dhabi are a few examples. Also, the children had the opportunity to perform before the Honorable President of India, Her Excellency Droupadi Murmu, who appreciated their talent.

On this International Day for Disabled Persons, I would like to mention that when we talk about the rights of children with disabilities, the rights to access education and health services are widely discussed. There are many areas not being considered seriously in terms of adaptation, despite their possible crucial role in the process of social inclusion of these children.

Art is closely associated with cultural life, and access to cultural life is a human right that benefits individuals, families, communities, and societies. As per the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Article 30, the state parties need to recognize the right of persons with disabilities to take part on an equal basis with others in cultural life and to take appropriate measures to enable persons with disabilities to have the opportunity to develop and utilize their creative, artistic, and intellectual potential.

In an art-based disability management model, the opportunity to participate in cultural activities and artistic expressions provides opportunities for having self-concept by hearing our own voice and self-confidence and motivation by being heard and acknowledged by others.

The role of society is very crucial in any disability management model, as they are the most responsible stakeholders in terms of building inclusive societies. The popular contemporary model of disability management, the social model of disability, describes that disability does not result from individual impairments or limitations; rather, disability exists entirely because of society's failure to provide appropriate services and implement adequate strategies to ensure that the needs of people with disabilities are fully taken into account.

(Gopinath Muthukad, Founder and Executive Director of the Different Art Centre (DAC) and the Academy of Magical Sciences, is a distinguished Indian magician known for enchanting performances that seamlessly blend magic, storytelling, and insightful social commentary. His magical artistry often incorporates elements of Indian culture and mythology, adding a unique and culturally rich dimension to his shows. Beyond his role as a performer, Muthukad has dedicated his life to championing peace, human rights, and social justice through magic. His art serves as a powerful vehicle for raising awareness on critical issues such as child labor, domestic violence, and environmental degradation.)

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