The White Hands Chorus NIPPON (WHCN) is an inclusive choir with members aged 6 to 20 years old, half of whom are children with disabilities, representing unity in diversity. The choir consists of a singing group and a gestural group that performs using sign language. The singing group includes members with vision impairment, those who use wheelchairs, individuals with Down syndrome, and others without disabilities. In the gestural group, deaf members express the lyrics through sign language while wearing white gloves. The genesis of the WHCN was in 2017 and was inspired by the White Hands Chorus (Coro de Manos Blancas) founded in Venezuela in 1995.
The WHCN aims to challenge social barriers affecting children, families, and civil society, and advocates for social inclusion. Its members receive classes from professional performers, musicians, photographers, media artists, and have teachers with disabilities as role models. This includes a deaf teacher specializing in sign language theater. In order to enable as many families in vulnerable situations to join, learn, and support one another, weekly lessons are provided free of charge, online and onsite at three different cities in Japan. The choir organizes professional performances 2 or 3 times a year for a wide range of audiences, where the members showcase their abilities, challenge mindsets and break social barriers and ultimately enable transformative action in society.
About the White Hands Chorus NIPPON
https://youtu.be/FZccQg2iKEo?si=wCRNYl984gfTclwV
About “Visible An die Freude” Project
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A replicable model of an inclusive youth choir making music incorporating sign language
White Hands Chorus Nippon by El Sistema Connect, Japan: Inclusive music choir merging deaf and hearing individuals. Grew from 35 to 98 members by 2023, offering free lessons and professional performances.