On 15 May 2015, a celebratory event was held in the halls of Classical Antiquity for the children with hearing impairments who regularly visit the Hermitage as part of the special programme “We hear the world! A Dialogue with the Hermitage”.
The event was planned by specialists from the School Centre and Yelena Logacheva of the Department for Scientific and Educational Work, who is head of the special programme for hard-of-hearing children, and was implemented as part of the state programme “An Accessible Environment for People with Special Needs”.
The event was attended by 5th-, 6th- and 9th-year pupils of boarding school №33 for children with hearing impairments. The children went around the museum halls in costumes specially prepared for the occasion completing entertaining tasks, reciting poems and acting out little scenes about Ancient Greek gods and heroes. They performed a song in sign language and pupils from the ballet class of school №210 presented a dance of the nymphs. As a surprise for the children the Peacock Clock was wound up.
Those attending were greeted by Irina Diubanova, the head of the School Centre, and Yelena Logacheva. The children and teachers of the boarding school also expressed their best wishes for the upcoming International Museum Day. The Hermitage was formally presented with a gift that the children had made themselves. At the end of the event, some of the museum volunteers gave a master class on Ancient Greek theatre for the participants.
The unique inclusive educational project “We hear the world! Learning about the world and people through art” is 15 years old. The School Centre’s special theatricalized programmes for children with hearing impairments that are created with the active involvement of the teaching staff of school №33 have already become a positive Hermitage tradition.
