Dubai: Dubai Autism Centre has inaugurated the “Autism Murals” initiative in the presence of Ms. Hessa Buhumaid, Director-General of the Community Development Authority in Dubai.
The initiative is part of the annual autism awareness campaign, which was launched earlier in April 2023 under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, with the slogan “Towards an Autism-Friendly Community.”
A live mural painting event was performed by children of the Dubai Autism Centre, in which a number of government officials participated in the presence of the students’ parents and a number of the Board of Directors of the Dubai Autism Centre.
Under the supervision of a group of local, Arab, and foreign artists, the initiative aims to transform the walls of buildings into artistic paintings that carry awareness messages about autism as well as unveil the talents and creativity of people with autism.
We are participating in the initiative today in the presence of a group of children with autism from the Dubai Early Child Development Centre,in addition to a number of talented and distinguished people with autism in various fields, along with their parents, confirming that they are the best ones who can efficiently carry awareness messages, and that we, as individuals and institutions, shall provide them with everything that would guarantee their rights.
Ms. Buhumaid shared.
Mr. Mohammed Al Emadi, Director-General of the Dubai Autism Centre, commented that “since its establishment, the Dubai Autism Centre has sought to enhance community awareness of autism by using innovative educational means. Our new ‘Autism Murals’ initiative aims to highlight the creative skills of children with autism with the support of a group of volunteer painters who harnessed their skills and tools to participate in drawing with children with autism.”
Ms. Hala Badri, Director-General of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), remarked that “the mission of the arts is no longer limited to the aesthetic aspect only, but its role expands to treatments as it has become integrated and accredited into different such programmes and methods that contribute to enabling individuals to unleash their creativity.”
“The ‘Autism Murals’ initiative launched by the Dubai Autism Centre reveals the importance of art and its therapeutic role. Such murals are unique in their ability to elevate societal taste and are distinguished by their ideas and awareness messages about autism. Besides their psychological and societal effects, these murals help discover distinguished autistic talent to enable them to express themselves creatively and imaginatively in our society,” Ms. Badri added.