Detailed Information on Publication Record

The symposium presented the results of a three-year project of the Theatre Faculty of the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts entitled “Artistic Research of the Production of Theatrical Performances with Actors with Down's Syndrome as Effective Means of Social Inclusion” (project number TL02000500) supported by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic in the ÉTA programme. The project monitored the artistic and personal progress of actors with Down's syndrome employed in the Aldente Theatre stimulated by their participation in theatre workshops and performances, audience reception of performances with the cast made up of actors with and without Down's syndrome, and the possibilities of development of this type of theatre in the Czech Republic and abroad. The workshop included lectures, a demonstration of the rehearsal process, a panel discussion with the theatre professionals from Aldente Theatre, and a performance of Katya and Bajaja, stage adaptation of the poems by Vladimír Holan, featuring actors with and without Down's syndrome. The lectures reflected the three-year artistic research from the inside (the view of the creators) and from the outside (reflections of a psychologist, special educator, theatre expert). The content of the lectures included an analysis of the current state of theatre performed by actors with disabilities in the Czech Republic and abroad and a reflection of the process of creating a theatrical piece with actors with Down's syndrome (Jitka Vrbková), psychological research looking at the attitudes of the audience, actors with Down's syndrome and their parents towards such kind of theatre (Lenka Pivodová), analysis of the therapeutic and inclusive possibilities of theatre from the perspective of a special educator (Ilona Fialová), and a reflection of a theatre expert (Zoja Mikotová).