This festival gave a huge charge of positive and boosted their self-esteem

“Baku Autumn” dance and art festival was organized in Baku by support of US Embassy in Baku and Azerbaijan Youth Union (AYU) for children with disabilities. More than 150 children with disabilities (Children with Down syndrome, autism, mobility limits and etc.) were participating at the Festival was held in State Theatre of Song named after Rashid Behbudov. 

During the competition the participants of the festival have been given an opportunity to show their talents and abilities in various spheres of creativity (a vocal, dance, tool execution, poetry and others). The event became also preparatory stage of the new project which will be realized in the near future. Within the project, AYU is going to open Academy of arts, for children with disabilities. “The project purpose identification and support of talented children with disabilities. Special classes for training in dances and other art forms will be created in the Academy. It is not a secret that art, especially dance is significant psychological factor in rehabilitation of such children and in their integration into society. We are also planning to create cultural camp for students of the Academy and graduates of other dance and art schools.” – mentioned Aziz Azizov, the Head of Department of Culture of AYU, the author of this idea and the head of this project. According to him - it will be a huge step on the ways of rehabilitation of these children and their participation in everyday life of society. Certainly, integration of these children into society through art is the integral and even important part of inclusion.

In opinion of most of parents of the children who have participated in this festival, creation of such conditions gives the chance to children not only to show the abilities, but also to receive a huge charge of positive, to boost their self-esteem and it becomes much easier to be integrated into society.