Me - The Other - Uniservitate

🥇Uniservitate Award 2022 winning experience

SUMMARY

Inclusive theatre for undergraduates and social inclusion on the university campus.

Given the persistent social problem of discrimination and invisibility of people with disabilities, art was the best option to foster interaction between students and young people with intellectual disabilities at the university and overcome their prejudices.

Motivated by the professor of the cross-cutting training course “In search of God…” the students embraced the idea of living an experience of communication with “the other.” It aims to raise awareness and acknowledge the everyday problems of people with disabilities to help them become socially visible and learn how to communicate with them. This way, they contributed to overcoming social barriers and stereotypes among people in the campus environment.

In the Theology, Philosophy and Literature courses, the undergraduates worked on and discussed the concept of otherness to give meaning to the plot of the joint theatre production. So they worked with the inclusive theatre group “Laughter and Tears,” belonging to the university’s Emmaus Center for Support of Persons with Special Needs. The participants in the experience began a creative process over four months under the guidance of the inclusive theatre teacher. The play was performed three times for the whole community.

Thanks to the pedagogy of inclusive theatre, students acquire a series of communication skills enabling them to foster relationships with people with special needs and find non-verbal communication strategies. In addition, they develop the ability to find simple solutions, ask for advice and help, and solve conflicts. Writing the script and staging the play allowed the students to acquire human skills like empathy, intellectual humility, teamwork, flexibility, and responsibility, as well as work with the body and discover the creative arts and communication potential among the participants.

The beneficiaries had the opportunity to overcome fears and communication barriers regarding the environment, proving that it is possible to integrate into the academic environment of the university campus, celebrations and festivities, proving that art is accessible to all.

Me-The Other – Rome Reports Interview