Separating and Protective Functions of Isolation: Tools for Taming Otherness Based on the Example of the Artistic and Educational Activity of the ‘Theatre 21’

Abstract

The aim of the article is to reflect on the directions of work on taming otherness in the activities of artists and theatre pe­dagogues from the Theatre 21. We present a model of integration of otherness through theatre art, which aims to remove barriers of inclusion and break the social isolation that separates people with disabilities from the society. At the same time, this model makes it possible to use new protective forms whose main function is to secure the participants of the interaction with the Other. In the article, we present the methods and tools used in the educational work of the Theatre 21 and we reflect on the effects of their appli­cation in the processes of changing attitudes towards disability. The empirical basis of the article consists of the conclusions drawn from the research carried out during the evaluation of the ‘O!Swój Theatre 21’ project in 2017-2018. The artistic and educational activity of the Theatre 21, created mostly by actors with Down syndrome, focuses on supporting the processes of the socio-cultural integration of people with disabilities. However, the discussed model of taming this particular otherness, developed by the Theatre 21 group, is quite universal and, in our opinion, can be applied for working with different dimensions of otherness.