Boosting inclusivity in arts and sports

Shows, facilities that cater to those with special needs seeing higher take-up rates

- Shermaine Ang

On the rare occasion that Ms Deng Anqi takes her son to the cinema, she braces herself for strangers shushing and staring at him and telling her off.

Her nine-year-old boy, Javan Lee, who has autism, cannot sit still or keep quiet for the whole movie, and she often has to take him out for a breather.

But at one theatre performance in March, no one batted an eyelid when Javan got up and danced, nor when he shouted answers to the actors' questions.

In fact, joining in was encouraged during Fatimah And Her Magic Socks, an interactive show at the Esplanade that caters to those with autism. Esplanade presented its first sensory-friendly performance in 2016 to cater to autistic children, against the perception that the theatre is a space that needs to be quiet and full of "house rules".

Arts centres in Singapore have made strides in inclusion in recent years, setting aside sessions to cater to different needs.

Ms Gina Koh, co-chair of the Esplanade's Accessibility Taskforce, said the arts centre targets to have one or more of such accessibility features for performances by its inhouse programming team by 2027.

In 2021, the Esplanade introduced ticket concessions for people with disabilities and their companions. Ms Koh said there was a 33 per cent increase in take-up rate for the ticket concessions from 2022 to 2023.

It began piloting Relaxed Environment performances in 2022, including the free concert series Beautiful Sunday, held once a month.

Such performances allow members of the audience to make noise, leave and return to their seats as the shows are going on. Special modifications include keeping sounds at a consistent level to cater to children who have autism or sensory sensitivities.