The story about Theatre organisation, the Publics approval and the Actors identity processes in Nordic Disability Theatre
Jens Ineland, Department of social work, Umeå university, Sweden
& Department for health and social science, University College of
Harstad, Norway
Co-author(s): Lennart Sauer, Rikke Gurgens
Abstract
Nordic disability theatre is a relatively new and interesting field of
disability research. In this paper presentation we give an overview from
the field of disability theatre in a Nordic context. The paper is based
on a comparative analysis from three research projects conducted in Sweden
and Norway. The projects were using qualitative methods and was analysed
from different theoretical perspectives. Interviews were conducted at
four different disability theatres involving actors with hearing impairments,
intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities and mental disabilities.
The aim with the paper presentation is to illustrate how the organisational
settings reflect different goals and aims at the political and artistic
level. We also want to discuss the relationship between the theatres and
the public opinion and media. Finally we want to illustrate in what way
organisation, recognition and the public approval play an important role
for the actors' identity formation and sense of belonging.