When Disabilities Bring the Stage to Life: World Theatre Day in Cimahi Becomes More Special

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, CIMAHI - Saturday night (11/4/2026) felt particularly special and valuable for people with disabilities in Cimahi City, West Java. They were given a platform to perform a musical theatre production in commemoration of World Theatre Day. The fusion of sign language, music, movement, and theatre broke the silence and mesmerised the audience present at the Sangkuriang Building that evening. It was not merely an artistic creation, but a space demonstrating that everyone has an equal place on the stage of arts and in life. “This World Theatre Day serves as a concrete step that Cimahi City is striving to become an inclusive city, open to everyone. There is collaboration between the Cimahi Theatre Community, civil servants, and deaf friends,” said Deputy Mayor of Cimahi, Adhitia Yudisthira. Adhitia hopes that the commemoration of World Theatre Day in Cimahi does not stop as an annual ceremonial agenda. He encourages similar activities to be continuously developed on a larger scale and involving more community elements. “We certainly want events like this arts appreciation to always take place every year on a larger scale, with more people involved,” Adhitia stated. Amid the undimmed vibrancy of the arts scene, the government acknowledges that accessibility to venues for such activities remains very limited. There are not many suitable places to serve as stages for artistic expression. “The community already exists, and activities are already underway. The key now is how we can provide dedicated venues or spaces for the arts community to create in the future,” Adhitia said. The Cimahi City Government is currently considering the optimisation of public spaces such as the town square as alternative performance areas. The concept of open-air stages is seen as a way to bring artistic works closer to the public. “In the future, we want Cimahi Town Square to become a living space for artistic expression, a place where the community can create art while enjoying performances. Of course, permits and all related matters will be simplified,” Adhitia said.