International DS Day 2013

Let’s make the Theatre loud again!

In 2013 UN officially declared the resolution for World Down Syndrome Day as an observance day on 21st March every year. The DOWN Association organizes the fifth international WDSD in Vígszínház, in Budapest inviting a varied and wide range of society.

Down Világnap 2011On 24th March, Sunday the audience can adore entertaining performances on the stage, beside foreign Down-Syndrome Groups several famous Hungarian performers like 4 For Dance, or the winner of the “Fölszállott a Páva” – Jászság Népi Együttes. The whole show will be presented by the well-known presenters,  Béla Fesztbaum and Gyurcsi Novák.

PROGRAMS ON THE STAGE:

10.30 – 10.40      FRIENDLY HUGS – OPENING CEREMONY (Enikő Eszenyi and Károly Kisari)

10.40 – 11.00       VÍG-FAIRY TALES, different acts from performances for kids in Vígszínház

11.00- 11.55         KALÁKA concert

12.00 – 12.10       ’Csodacsapat’ Dance Group (Nyíregyháza)

12.10 – 12.30        JÁSZSÁG FOLK DANCE GROUP, the winner of ’Fölszállott a páva’ national folk art competition, with live music

12.35 – 12.45        ArtEst Association, Hopi Hope Theatre (Slovakia)

12.45 – 12.55        Úsměvy Association (Czech Republic)

12.55 – 13.05        Ostoja Dance Group (Poland)

13.05 – 13.25        TOMBOLA

13.30 – 14.00        4 FOR DANCE, Dance Group (Hungary)

Presenters: Béla Fesztbaum and Gyurcsi Novák

PROGRAMS IN THE WHOLE THEATRE:

Contemporary painters workshop in the gallery of the theatre, folk art games, craftsmen, intervention games, playground and island for children from ’Csodavár’ (Castle of Miracles – Early Intervention Centre), face painting, book fair, photography for children, Down shop, dance with Jászság Folk Dance Group, photography with HP, beanbag chairs everywhere. 11:00 – 12:00 a.m.  Erika Bartos (famous Hungarian fabulist) inscribes her books for children – don’t forget your books at home.

The corner of experts is open for the civil services: colleagues of Equality Nonprofit Ltd. for Disabled People, experts of Open Heart Association from Dombóvár, Parents of Rainbow Foundation from Szeged, HandinHand Foundation from Budapest, and Invisible Exhibition from Budapest.

The volunteers of Rehabilitation Centre of Disabled People, is waiting for everyone outside the theatre in order to give useful advices and services.

PROGRAMS IN DITRÓI MÓR STREET (next to the theatre):

Rehabilitation Centre of Disabled People is offering not only advices but chances to experience life from a completely different side: people have the opportunity to sit into their wheelchairs. In the open air, if the weather is nice we meet the Invisible Exhibition and different folk art games.

The Visegrad Fund supported a photo exhibition where 20 pieces of photographs can be visited next to the building of the theatre. These photos have been taken in the Visegrad Four Countries in different downtowns with models who were born with Down Syndrome in front of famous national attractions.

Beside the stage of the theatre, we plan to fulfill the whole building of the Vígszínház with smile, love and happiness. Children and their families visiting the V. WDSD can play with folklore games, or take a photo by HP. They can visit the basement for having fun and playing where they are continuously entertained by professional acrobats. We will not forget about the young artists, who can paint, do craftwork, read and buy from the collection of books and audiobooks in comfortable bean-sack armchairs. Down-shop, Sugar Shop, Down-Nanny room, baby- and child care guidance is open all day long for the visitors in Vígszínház.

The Hostess of the day is Enikő Eszenyi (Director of Vígszínház)
*The organizers reserve the right to change program!

Entrance Fee

900HUF

Family Ticket – 2900HUF (1 adult + 5 children or 2 adults + 4 children) – free for younger than 3 years

Opening ceremony  –  10.30

Tickets available in advance at the Comedy Theatre (Vígszínház) Box Office from 1st  March

Venue  –  Vígszínház,  1 Pannónia utca, Budapest  1136

The International Visegrad Fund

Visegrad Fund 2011
The International Visegrad Fund has a mission to enhance mutual cooperation among Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland and to intensify relations among the contracting parties. Its objective is to establish a close regional cooperation of the four Visegrad countries via subsidizing multilateral projects in the fields of culture, science, research and tourism as well as advocating exchange programmes for young people and interconnections between neighbouring countries. The budget of the International Visegrad Fund is created of equal contributions of the four countries. The members offer a contribution of €1.500.000 a year from 2010, thus making subsidies of over €6 million possible every year.

„Hopi hope“ from Slovakia, Kosice

ArtEst – polyaesthetical education of disabled youth, was settled down in 2005 in Košice with main goal – integration through art. Handicapped young people, after schooling are daily educated in arts, mainly in music, theatre, dance, painting. Education is based on methods of informal learning. Within a scope of the integration to the intact environment we have prepared several projects with artists and university students. We are working at common concerts, exhibitions, playing theatrical performances for public. We have established theatrical ensemble Hopi hope, with our actors and our friends, volunteers. We are trying to play not only tales, because we are not a children, but serious classic plays as Steinbecks Of mice and men, Exupérys Little prince or slovak classic author Martin Kukučín „Neprebudený“, any many other. Our young people travels a lot on severel days Art – meetings, performances, and they live full social life.

Úsmévy – Civil Association for Assistance to People with Down Syndrome and to their Families (Czech)

ÚSMĚVY (means: Smiles)  is a non profit organisation established in 2006 in Brno. At present ÚSMĚVY supports about 50 families who take care of a small or adolescent child with Down syndrome.  ÚSMĚVY is a local organisation focusing its activities in Southern Moravia, the Highlands and Zlín areas.
“Little club” – for parents with children below 6 years of age is part of our Association. Parents with babies and young children meet in the Robátko Maternity Center in Židlochovice.  For new parents it is the first positive contact with the problems of DS. The stimulatory tools are at the children´s disposal to help develop their skills and in art workshops. In fine weather they play outdoors.
Activities:
Saturday meetings: Meetings are held several times during the school year in the areas of Special pre-school education, Special Elementary school and Practical school, Ibsenova street Nr. 1  in Brno in collaboration with its leadership. A Program is ready for both parents (lectures, discussions) and children (theater, art creation, etc.). Volunteer assistants look after the children.
Summer camps: We organize reconditioning summer camp for parents with children under 10 years of age and camp for children and youngsters with mental disabilities (without their parents´ presence).
Regular monthly activities: Therapy – The development of cognitive functions using the Professor Feuerstein method. Therapy is intended for children from 4 years of age – preschool children are prepared for school; pupils (children of  school age) – therapy helps them manage school more effectively; young people can repeat acquired skills and continue their development. Lessons are conducted by experienced lecturers.
Dance group – children learn to harmonize their movement with music, developing their coordination skills. The Dance group is, as well as children from ÚSMĚVY ,  also attended by pupils from Special schools, where the group is held.
Aims:
We organize lectures and chats for parents as well as sporty, creative cultural events for their children. We help parents of newborn children with Down syndrome so that they receive contacts to specialists (doctors, psychologist, educators, etc). Our aim is also to give information to the general public about Down syndrome and people living with this disability.