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APPLIED THEATRE IN EDUCATION:
A TOOL FOR SOCIAL INCLUSION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
J. Karic,
V. Radovanovic,
J. Kovacevic
Introduction. The process of developing an inclusive society is a process that takes a long time and requires commitment by all structures of the society, which means that the center of all changes are EVERYBODY. Everyone needs to contribute - people with disabilities, their families and close environment, schools and government agencies, acquaintances, as well as employers, because the benefits of an adequate education through the inclusion and development of an inclusive society has an impact on a whole society (Karic, Radovanovic, 2008).
Our idea was to think about inclusion in the broader social context. About inclusion as a way of life. Of course, a central place, or more precisely, the basic starting point in our thoughts, takes the culture of a nation. Culture is used to mark the spiritual values, but today it marks the whole life of a person. Culture as a creation and a growth of values can not happen without the individual and without creative personality. Culture is not just a product of social life, it is a product of human creativity. Creativity is in addition to being determined by social conditions and the result of human freedom, and a power of self-affirmation (Bozovic, 2006). Art, as a reflection of human creativity, can present a powerful instrument in the implementation of social inclusion. (Karic, Radovanovic, 2009).
Among the various forms of performing arts, in the last twenty years applied theatre plays an important role in the fight against prejudice and discrimination against people with disabilities. Applied theatre is booming in the 80's and 90's of the 20th century, as a means of awakening the social consciousness of individuals and groups, and as such influences the development of new methods in pedagogy, psychotherapy and social work. The penetration of applied theatre in education is best reflected through programs of higher education institutions in the UK, Australia and USA. Applied theatre is the need for a form to be free and symbolic, and that inner experience has equal rights to speak through the form that is not predetermined. The term "applied theatre" started to be used twenty years ago, prior to that the term "participatory theatre" was used for various socio-cultural theatre forms. Socio-cultural theatre forms have been developed outside institutional theatres, mostly through work with marginalized groups, but also with groups of so-called “healthy" people in order to promote social changes. There is no consensus in the literature to which forms of a theatre belong to the applied theatre. Some of the accepted, recognizable forms of applied theatre are Sociodrama, theatre in education, theatre for development, Playback Theatre and Theatre of the Oppressed. Numerous authors from all over the world have studied various forms of applied theatre (Jackson, 1980; Boal, 1982; Salas, 1983; Vine, 1993; Sternberg & Garcia, 2000; Taylor, 2003; Prendergast, Saxton, 2009). This paper gives a short
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overview, as well as the most important results obtained in Applied Theatre project named "Apply Theatre - change lives".
Framework of the "Apply Theatre - change lives” project. The project titled "Apply Theatre - change lives", with the NGO ApsArt as creator and implementer, was intended to help in alleviating the problem of personal and social nature of working with marginalized groups with the systematic use of participatory techniques of applied drama and theatre, through a form of drama workshops, and to increase the sensibility of the community and contribute to eliminating prejudice against persons with disabilities with the help of creative work. The project involved 55 people: 38 of them were graduates or on their final year of the Faculty of Special Education and Rehabilitation and 17 were young people with disabilities. The project was implemented from October to July 2011 and the activities were implemented in two stages. Stage One: Work with students and Stage Two: students work together with young people with disabilities. As a result of the workshops three different plays were created.
Results and Discussion. Evaluation of the workshop was based on the analysis of questionnaires. Questionnaires were given to students at the end of the first stage, during, and at the end of the second stage, and to youth with disabilities at the beginning and end of the second stage. Most of the students (82.4%) entered this project with enthusiasm to improve the communication with the wider community, which in the opinion of participants is not properly informed about the possibilities and needs of persons with disabilities. A small number of students (5.3%) had experience in the activities of applied theatre, while 83.4% of young people with disabilities were participants in some of the theatrical forms. Young people with disabilities have reported that they expect workshops to have an impact on their personal lives (83.4%), and that they will learn something new through workshops (58.8%). After completing the second stage, we analyzed the responses of participants in order to assess the experience of applied theatre and its impact on relationships, communication, social interaction, and satisfaction with participation in workshops. 93.4% of students were satisfied with their participation in workshops, while the majority (60.8%) states that their expectations were met and that they had progress on a personal level, namely in improving communication and reducing the phenomenon of „cold feet“. 84,2% reported to have experienced changes both on a professional plan, which is statistically significant compared to 28.9% of students who agreed completely with the statement in the previous (x2=2, 903; p=0, 01). Analysis of the responses of youth with disabilities shows that the workshops helped them learn something new: 82.4% and it shows no statistically significant difference in the responses given in the first survey, 58.8% (x2=0,093; p=0,289). 70.6% reported they think that people understand them better after participating in workshops and in significantly greater numbers than in the first survey - 35.3%% (x2=2,121; p=0,07), while 82.4% have a positive view of themselves, compared to 52.9% at the beginning of the workshop (X 2 = 2.550, p = 0.016). All young people reported that they made new friends during the workshop. Workshops, and workshop leaders were rated with the highest grade and examinees expressed a desire to continue to participate in the activities of a similar type.
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Conclusion. Most of the socio-cultural theatre forms do not require significant investments and are applicable in different circumstances and contexts, which creates prerequisites for mass application. Applied theatre can be applied in working with population of different ages, it is just necessary to adjust the methods and techniques to physical and mental characteristics of the users. There are many organizations worldwide that promote applied theatre projects, working with people with disabilities, which creates space for further expansion of these and similar ideas in the field of inclusion (Quest Visual Theatre, River’s Edge Playback Theatre, Theatre Terrific, The Outside Edge Theatre Company, etc.). As the main result of applied theatre workshops we can outline positive reactions of participants, satisfaction with themselves and their abilities, increase in selfconfidence and belief that the image of society about persons with disabilities will change. Changes within the participants, as well as around them, are the best indicators that theatre forms should be used as a catalyst for change in attitudes towards people with disabilities.
References
1. Boal, A. (1982): The Theatre of the Oppressed, Routledge: London.
2. Bozovic, (2006): Leksikon Kulturologije,Agencija Matic, Beograd.
3. Jackson, T. (Ed.) (1980): Learning through Theatre: Esseys and Casebooks on TIE, Manchester: Manchester University Press.
4. Karic (2004): Stavovi premia ukljucivanju dece sa posebnim potrebama u redovan sistem obrazovanja, Nastava i vaspitanje, br.1, str 142-147, Pedagosko drustvo Srbije, Beograd.
5. Karic, Radovanovic (2008): Pruzanje podrske porodicama dece sa posebnim potrebama u redovnom sistemu obrazovanja, U susret inkluziji-dileme u teoriji i praksi, Univerzitet u Beogradu, Fakultet za specijalnu edukaciju i rehabilitaciju, 187-197.
6. Karic, Radovanovic (2009): Studenti sa hendikepom na beogradskom univerzitetu-polozaj i dostupnost”, Istrazivanja u specijalnoj pedagogiji, Univerzitet u Beogradu, Fakultet za specijalnu edukaciju i rehabilitaciju, 561-573.
7. Prendergast, M., Saxton, J. (Eds.)(2009): Applied Theatre, International Case Studies and Challenges for Practice, Briston: Intellect Salas, J. (1983): Culture and Community:Playback Theatre,The Drama Review,Vol. 27, No. 2, pp.15-25.
8. Sternberg, P., Garcia, A. (2010): Sociodrama: who is in your shoes?, Westport: Preager Publishers.
9. Taylor, P. (2003): Applied Theatre - Creating Transformative Encounters in the Community, Portsmouth: Heinemann.
10. Vine, C. (1993): TIE and The Theatre of Oppressed, in Jackson, T. (Ed.): Learning through theatre: New perspectives in theatre in education (2nd ed.), pp109-127, Routledge: London.
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