Nanshan Disabled Persons’ Federation Recitation Art Troupe Wins Three Major Awards
Recently, the Classic Poetry Recital & National Recitation Competition of the 26th Shenzhen Reading Month came to a successful close. With their original work Let the Voice of Love Resound Loud and Clear, the Nanshan Disabled Persons’ Federation Recitation Art Troupe stood out from the competitors and won three prestigious awards in one fell swoop: the Best Original Work Award, the Excellent Group Award and the Online Popularity Award. As the team with the most awards in this competition, they showcased a unique radiance of life on stage with sincere emotions and firm expression.
On stage, members of the Nanshan Disabled Persons’ Federation Recitation Art Troupe face varying degrees of communication barriers, yet once their recitation began, all such limitations were broken by the power of their voices. Parent-child pairs consisting of autistic children and their parents delivered their recitation in a slightly unpolished but utterly resolute manner, narrating the love for life and longing for the future embodied in Let the Voice of Love Resound Loud and Clear. Their voices echoed through the venue and touched the deepest chords of everyone’s heart. “Judging by professional standards, their recitation may not be flawless, but this cry and love from the depths of their souls is enough to stir the softest part of every person’s heart,” a judge commented after the competition, voicing the heartfelt feelings of all present.
Behind this outstanding achievement lies the support of original creativity and long-term perseverance. Let the Voice of Love Resound Loud and Clear embodies the sincere perceptions of life shared by all team members. Revised and polished seven times, the work not only integrates the life experience of each individual, but also carries their gratitude for the warm care from the Disabled Persons’ Federation and all sectors of society. The piece not only claimed the Best Original Work Award for its profound ideological connotation and sincere emotional resonance, but also garnered overwhelming popularity in the online voting session, winning the Online Popularity Award.
Looking back three years ago, when the Nanshan District Disabled Persons’ Federation launched the disability recitation training class, it was met with doubts: what could recitation possibly bring to this special group of people who could barely string together complete sentences? Today, solid data has given a powerful answer: more than 85% of participants have seen a marked improvement in their verbal expression skills, and the anxiety index of their family members has dropped by nearly 60%. Many people with disabilities have transformed from avoiding eye contact and fearing to speak up, to taking the initiative to communicate and being willing to express themselves. “Every recitation is like opening a window to the soul,” said Wan Teng, a member of the recitation troupe, articulating the feelings of all its participants.
In the weekly intensive training sessions, the members have forged ahead steadily step by step — from basic pronunciation drills and mastering emotional expression, to coordinating body language and shaping stage presence. Their instructor noted, “Here, we do not merely teach recitation skills; we hope to help everyone transcend physical limitations through their voices and rebuild confidence in life through expression.” Mutual encouragement and support within the team have also served as a vital driving force for the members to move forward.
Today, the Nanshan Disabled Persons’ Federation Recitation Art Troupe has grown from an initial dozen members to more than fifty. A staff member of the Nanshan District Disabled Persons’ Federation stated, “What we have persisted in is never just a training program or a competition. Rather, it is to enable those who were once confined by their disabilities to find new life paths through audio works and role interpretation, and to build a bridge for society to understand the disabled group.” Going forward, the Nanshan District Disabled Persons’ Federation will continue to provide more opportunities for people with disabilities, allowing every individual to shine with their unique brilliance on their own stage.