The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD), Department of Sports, Arts and Culture (DSAC) in collaboration with the South Korean Cultural Centre, Korean Embassy, and Nelson Mandela Foundation, has been hosting a four-city performing arts and music tour of artists with disabilities from the 17th to 26th of September 2022.
After stunning performances at the Artscape in Cape Town on Saturday, 17 September 2022, and The Playhouse Company in Durban on 20 September, the tour will move to perform at the National Heritage Day celebration at the Union Buildings and the Nelson Mandela Foundation on 26 September 2022.
The South Korea Embassy is celebrating decades and many years of bilateral relationship with South Africa, and to mark this milestone, the two countries are giving a special focus on the representation and advancement of talents of persons with disabilities in the arts.
The star of the tour is performances by South Africa Artists with disabilities and the visiting Dream with Ensemble team from South Korea; a multi-award-winning musical group, consisting of members with developmental disabilities. Throughout the tour of the Korean Ensemble, they performed alongside South African artists with disabilities. Audiences have been enthralled by performances by Unmute, 1st Lady Pinky, Nolwazi Khuzwayo, and Snakho African Arts, amongst others.
This initiative forms part of the Departments of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities and Sport, Arts and Culture’s and South Korea Cultural Centre’s commitment of driving and supporting activities by the disability sector throughout the year.
In line with the 365 days calendar on disabilities, September is the International Deaf Awareness Month, while 23 September is International Day of Sign Language and 3 November-3 December is Disability Rights Awareness Month.
Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Maite Nkoana Mashabane says disability mainstreaming should be an integral aspect of all relevant strategies of sustainable development.
“More representation of persons with disabilities in governance recommits and takes into account the protection and promotion of the human rights of persons with disabilities in all policies and programmes as described in Article 4 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.”

Source: Government of South Africa