Page 60 - Proceedings Collega2023

In 2015, I suffered a devastating stroke that affected my nervous system and made it difficult for
me to walk normally, and diagnosed with depression. Physiotherapy, sports massage, acupuncture, and
various other alternatives, including counseling, did not seem to work for me. Ironically, I used to be
skeptical of the idea that depression led to suicide until I experienced it. However, Performing Arts saved
my life, as I experienced its healing power through a creative process in 2019 up until today. I realized that
I could share my experience with other PwDA with depression by exploring this alternative therapeutic
process.

In 2019, I was approached by Pei Ann Yeoh (a music lecturer from Universiti Teknologi MARA) to
collaborate on an experimental performance (Tujuh Tanah, 2019) for MAP Experimentum in Melaka. This
performance (Tujuh Tanah, 2019) is the starting point for me to explore as I realize the existence of therapy
through performance arts. In the same year (2019), I was invited by Ras Adibah Radzi, the Founder of OKU
Sentral (organization of People with disabilities), to perform in a charity concert Ilham (2019) in Damansara
Performing Arts Centre (DPAC). In the concert (Ilham, 2019), there were a number of shows by performers
with disabilities, including dances, choirs, sketches, and music. Ilham (2019) proved the existence of
therapy through my choreography (Angin, 2020) which also triggered me to study the topic associated
with disabilities, depression, and Performing Arts.
Furthermore, in 2020 during the pandemic of Covid-19, Pei and I once again collaborated on the
Isolation project (2020). This project’s outcomes were fruitful as we presented our pieces in a recital
lecture in Graz, Germany in 2020; performed in Creative Economy Forum 2021: Focus on Arts and Culture
(2020) organized by CENDANA Malaysia, and once again performed in Map Experimentum Online 2020
organized by MAP Fest These collaborations open up opportunities to explore more on therapeutic for
performers with disabilities.

The main objective of this paper is to propose an alternative process of therapeutic for PwDA with
depression. Subsequently, this study aims to evaluate an alternative process of therapeutic for PwDA with
depression through a pilot study. The scope of this paper is to explore the alternative process of therapy
participated by 17 PwDA (users of wheelchairs) with volunteers among a choreographer, lecturers (drama
& dance), and students (theatre).

Literature Review

In Malaysia, the Performing Arts therapy of People with Different Abilities (PwDA) is very much a new
development and PwDA participation in performing arts has yet to be promoted. In 2019, a non-
governmental organization (NGO) Malaysia International Dance Organization (MIDO) organized a limitless
Talent competition over 100 participants competed. As one of the judges, it sparked my mind to see the
participation of PwDA performing in different categories (dance, singing and music). However, there is a
gap in the literature about the presence of PwDA in the field of performing arts, particularly in therapy for
depression in Malaydis. Most studies on disability and performing arts are conducted from the perspective
of arts as a tool to enhance the psychomotor skills, psychosocial ability, or health of persons with
disabilities (Mohamed Ghouse, 2011; Tye & Tong, 2011) (Faizah Masud, et al., 2015).

Depression among PwDA is worrying as reported by WHO that the risk of the illness is higher
among PwDA. Turner & Noh (1988) note that a positive association between physical illness and

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