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Практики инклюзивного театра в России: анализ смыслов для участников и потенциала для социальных изменений
Theater where people with disabilities participate, or inclusive theater, is
aimed to foster the social inclusion of people with disabilities. This research
studies inclusive theater practices to understand their potential for social
change and its meaning for the participants. The potential for social change
refers to 'inclusive potential,' which is measured through the markers of
inclusion highlighted in this paper. Based on a literature review, the main
markers of inclusion as a sense of equal opportunity have been identified in
different social environments: (1) at the macro level, a sense of acceptance
and visibility of the group in the public sphere is important; (2) at the meso
level, it is a sense of support from the community; and (3) at the micro level,
the identity of changes and partially normalizes, through increased personal
opportunities and social capital. Between April and May 2021, 18 interviews
were conducted with the participants and workers of inclusive theaters in
Russia. A thematic analysis of the interview data was carried out. We noted
the presence or absence of identified markers of inclusion (deductively) and
formulated the practices and meanings assigned to them by the participants
(inductively). A comparison of practices in different types of the theater was
implemented. Three types of inclusive theaters in Russia were identified:
professional, where professional actors participate equally alongside people
with disabilities; participative, where only people with disabilities participate
under the guidance of a theater specialist; and rehabilitative, where only
people with disabilities are involved with the aim of further recovery. The
interview data show that professional inclusive theater has the greatest inclusive
potential because of the participation of professional actors on an
equal footing with people with disabilities and public performances with
media participation. The professional inclusive theater develops a sense of
'inclusion' at three social levels, namely macro, meso, and micro.