Charitable organisation Treats has established a circus team to help children with special needs overcome prejudice.
In the past year, Treats, an organisation dedicated to the development of integrated education in Hong Kong, has recruited 80 children with mental handicaps, autism and learning difficulties.
The children teamed up with 40 volunteers from local companies to form the circus, giving performances in hospitals, elderly homes and at carnivals.
Kris Tong Sung-man, director of Treats, said the circus aimed at breaking down barriers between special-needs children and society.
'In a positive and joyful atmosphere, friendship and trust among special-needs children and ordinary people can be built up much more easily,' Ms Tong said. 'The government policy of settling both ordinary and special-needs children in a classroom would simply intensify the pre-existing bias.'
In a series of training workshops, children and volunteers have been taught the basic skills of diabolo top juggling, spinning plates and ball juggling by a professional circus artist.
