Inclusive Theater

The Equal Partners Foundation Inclusive Theatre Programme was set up in response to a research proposal by a Psychology student following her participation in a Inclusive Education Programme study unit delivered by Lou Ghirlando at the University of Malta.

The programme consists of a two-part course, the first of which is in the form of taster drama exercises and the second part reaches its conclusion in January 2010 with a mini performance structure.

Theatre is an artistic work that is construed socially and necessarily involves a communal artistic process. The Inclusive Theatre programme adopts an approach to theatre that explores this principle within the particular context of working with peoples who have disabilities. The approach is based on a principle of accessibility that allows for an equally stimulating process for persons who have disabilities and persons who are non-disabled. This enhances peer collaboration in a creative experience. The method explores ways of responding to every participant’s strengths and needs by creating and devising tasks that are flexible and that can be appropriated individually by each person within a communal creative objective allowing for the groups’ artistic growth, and the artistic growth of each participant.