One has dreams of selling his paintings for millions of dollars one day and another wants to compose his own music and sell albums. But with such low IQs as they possess, can they be so high on ambition?
Well, here’s news for all the cynics and sceptics out there. Sujith Jacob Thomas and Arun Kumar, the intellectually challenged musician and artist duo from Bangalore, have in fact been invited to Lund, Sweden, to participate in the Kulturkrubbet Festival.
The festival is a cultural gala where the intellectually challenged are given a platform to showcase their talent in art, music and dance.
Participants from India and Japan have been invited to the festival this year, which will take place on May 25 and 26.
Arun Kumar works only with crayons. With an IQ of 54, he cannot maybe dilate on his style or the inspiration behind his art. But no matter. Without even any formal training, he has completed 100 paintings, most of which seem to reflect contemporary influences. This 26-year-old’s artwork will be on sale at the festival.
Sujith, aged 23 has been playing the keyboard since he was 2 and he is now into anything from Gospel music to Mozart. Despite not being able to read music, courtesy of an IQ at 56, he has cut a CD with 24 tracks, compiling some of his favourite pieces. Sujith will play solo as well as accompany the Lund Choir at the festival.
Sujith and Arun have been trained at the Airforce Amba Intel-Centres for the Economic Empowerment of the Intellectually Challenged, located at the Training Command Air Force. The centre has trained 63 special children in various outsource jobs to enable them be economically independent.