SIBUR supported an inclusive ball in Nizhnevartovsk
5 december 2023
Elena Snezhko, Head of the Formula for Good Deeds social investment program:
“We have been advancing the inclusion theme within our Formula for Good Deeds program since last year by integrating all of our past initiatives in this area. This was the first time we had sponsored an inclusive ball, acting on the proposal put forward by the SAMiT Center. I am convinced that initiatives like this have a bright future in the cities where SIBUR has a presence as a way of promoting inclusive values in our society!”
The ball was attended by 27 dancing couple with each of them standing for a case of creative synergy between volunteers and people with mental impairments. The ball's participants performed such dances as the polonaise, the waltz, the country dance, and the French quadrille. These used to be traditional dances typically featured at our country's salon balls in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. All dance numbers in the program had been adapted for people with disabilities. And at the end of the party held at the Nucleus art residence, the king and the queen of the ball were chosen.
Margarita Ishkova, director of the Inclusive Civic Creativity Center SAMiT:
“This ball represents the crowning moment of an effort that started back in February, with rehearsals taking place every Saturday. Ours is a special category of participants - people with mental disabilities, and because of that they have different behavioral responses to what is going on around them. That is why it was quite a challenge to stage several group dances involving 50 or so dancers. My special thanks go out to the volunteers who had consented to this unusual experiment! I am very happy that we pulled it off quite successfully and that in the end we saw the happy faces of our children! This is what’s worth living for!”.
Russia has been holding inclusive balls since 2014. This was the second time an event like this had been held in Nizhnevartovsk. This year, inclusive balls will be held in 11 cities.
Oksana Dayanova, chairperson of SiburTyumenGas's grassroots-level trade union organization:
“This was the first time I had attended an inclusive ball. I am very happy that I got to attend this event! This is something we need very much as it helps us to look at alternatively able people in a new way. Not only the ball itself, but also the days and weeks of getting ready for one were very important for fostering the progress made by the children from our SAMiT Center, as a way of overcoming their impairments through creativity and socializing. It was a real pleasure to see the sparkling eyes of the kids' parents. I am sure that they are now even more proud of their children than before! Many thanks to the ball's organizers: it was obvious that their team had approached this task wholeheartedly and earnestly!”