Inclusive festival lets visitors experience life through the eyes of disabled artists

SINGAPORE - Artist Janetta Tan, 35, was paralysed from the chest down after a car accident in 2010. She turned to painting with her mouth as a way to express herself and regain a sense of control.

She hopes greater awareness of the abilities of people with disabilities will lead to more support for artists like her, many of whom work on their art from home and in their own time, often without the resources of an established organisation.

“We are not a company... I think we need help to do what we do.,” said Tan, who works in the social services sector.

She said greater awareness could encourage more people with disabilities to venture into the community and get more support.

“I think more of us can come out and not just stay at home,” she said.

“We don’t need to just depend on our family members and friends who know what we need.”

To help people experience the world from their perspectives, artists with disabilities are taking on a more central role in the Shaping Hearts inclusive arts festival this year.

More than showcasing their work, it is having them shape how the wider public experiences disability.

Organised by the North East Community Development Council (NE CDC), the sixth edition of Shaping Hearts was launched at Punggol Digital District on Sept 13, under the theme “Step Into Our World.”

For the first time, artists with disabilities have helped design experiences that invite visitors to see, hear, touch and move through the world from their perspectives, through four co-created playgrounds - Texture, Motion, Rhythm and Visual - that draw on the lived experiences of participating artists.

For example, at the Texture Playground, visually impaired artist Katy Lee shared how she navigates the world through texture rather than sight. Student volunteers then translated her descriptions into textured blocks which visitors can feel, giving them a tactile way of experiencing the world as she does.

Mayor of North East District Baey Yam Keng said the approach was a step beyond previous editions, when artists’ works were largely displayed as exhibitions.

“This is an important step because it’s not just showcasing their work, exhibiting their art, but it’s also involving them in the co-creations,” said Baey, who is also Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth, and Transport, and a Tampines GRC MP.

Instead of just viewing a painting or other artwork, he added, visitors this year encounter artists’ ideas, creativity and life experiences through sensory, movement and audio elements.

“We hope that this platform continues to grow so that more Singaporeans… will have a better appreciation of people with disabilities, about different talents in our society, and how we can all play a part to elevate them,” said Baey.

The launch was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong and Minister of State for Defence Desmond Choo.

For Tan, that visibility is important because inclusion is also about giving people with disabilities greater opportunities to participate independently in society.

“Being independent is very important to me,” she said. “Being able to come out into the community, having people help you get around, being able to navigate places yourself, and having the community be more open.”

Building on that push for inclusion, Shaping Hearts 2026 also marks the launch of Playdate@PDD, a new platform aimed at bringing artists with disabilities and the wider community together through shared play.

Its inaugural edition features 16 inclusive play booths created by artists with disabilities, community groups and partners. The booths are organised around the same four themes - Visual, Rhythm, Texture and Motion - with visitors invited to draw, listen, touch and move alongside artists and community creators.

There are plans to expand the initiative to 80 inclusive play booths across the North East District over the coming year, with NE CDC saying it hopes to take inclusion beyond a single event and into the wider community.

For Tan, the hope is that such efforts will encourage more people with disabilities to be seen not just as recipients of help, but as people with talents and contributions.

“I think supporting inclusiveness - letting people know a bit more about what people with disabilities can do - will hopefully gather a bit more support to help us do more,” she said.

Shaping Hearts 2026 runs at Punggol Digital District until Sept 27, before moving to Tampines Mall from Oct 8 to 13 and Suntec City from Oct 26 to Nov 1.