Nicole Arkless, a performer who has been with Bamboozle Theater for 10 years, said that there is no better reward than the joy of seeing a child being engaged during a show.
"It's a shame that society has not been very nice to people who are different," Arkless says. "Disability is largely invisible in society because our world isn't built for anyone to get access to it."
Arkless adds that she considers it a privilege to be a performer as she gets to witness how the theater has helped children with extremely challenging behavioral problems, supported families and effected change in how schools care for such children.
Liang, the director of SCHAT, says that she shared a similar sentiment when she first met Bamboozle during its tour of Edinburgh in 2016. She notes that she was impressed by the theater's approach, which "has not only deeply moved the audience with their performances, but also brought a brand-new educational philosophy" that she believes could fundamentally influence how Chinese society cares for these children.
In 2017, the Wish of Starfish project was born. To bolster its capability of catering to children with special needs, SCHAT has also invited psychology and medical experts to train their staff. The center has also improved its infrastructure, such as adding a ramp from the gate to the elevator and putting up signposts to direct the children.
Hu Jie, the mother of a 10-year-old who was born with Down's syndrome, still vividly recalls the graceful bow her son gave the actors at the end of their show in 2017 when Bamboozle made its Shanghai debut.
Hu admitted that she was initially apprehensive about letting her son attend the show as he had previously demonstrated that he was rigid and awkward in such settings.
