2020-02-22
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For the 2020 Taiwan Lantern Festival, Cirque Bijou from the UK will also be invited to debut the high wire spectacle "Dazzling Bright Night", and Taichung City Government will be providing visually impaired visitors with audio description and tactile guided tour service - a first in Taiwan Lantern Festival's 31-year history – in order to materialize cultural balance. Taichung City Social Affairs Bureau (SAB) invited nearly 200 people with disabilities living in care institutions and hardworking staff to appreciate the performance yesterday (2/22). After the show, the visitors expressed cheerfully that "this is a dazzling performance that we will remember for a lifetime!"
According to SAB Director-General Peng Huai-Chen, people with disabilities rarely have the opportunity to venture out; therefore, he hopes that they will be able to attend a grand occasion in Taichung such as Taiwan Lantern Festival. During the lantern festival, groups of people with different disabilities will be taken to join the celebration aboard regular and mini rehabilitation buses. Yesterday, groups invited to view the high wire acrobatics show at the Horse Ranch Park Area include Taichung City Faith, Hope, Love Intelligence Development Center, DSYR, and Hueiming Home for the Visually Impaired. Together, people with disabilities and caregivers will be able to experience the excitement and heartwarming moments of the Taiwan Lantern Festival.
The high wire spectacle "Dazzling Bright Nigh" combines British high wire acrobats, musicians, choreographers, as well as Taichung's local dance troupes and choruses to engage in international exchange. Furthermore, the city government has collaborated with Cirque Bijou to provide visually impaired visitors with audio description and tactile guided tour service, a first in Taiwan Lantern Festival's history.
In regards to the audio description and tactile guided tour service, the Cultural Affairs Bureau (CAB) commented that the latter allows visually impaired visitors to understand the performance details by touching performing equipment such as steel wires and balance poles, helping them to blend into the performing space and venue. Moreover, they will also wear audio description equipment to comprehend the performers' body movements in an immersive manner via specially written audio descriptions.
The SAB emphasized that offering people with disabilities an equal opportunity to partake in social activities is the city government's ambition, hence sign language interpretation service, rehabilitation bus service, and audio description service are arranged for them during the lantern festival, hoping that citizens with disabilities and tourists can all enjoy the benevolence and hospitality of Taichung City. SAB also extended its gratitude to the CAB and volunteers for assisting the people with disabilities to participate in the lantern festival.
unit:綜合企劃科
