ART AS A WAY OF LIFE
FOR DISABLED PEOPLE
ART AS A WAY OF LIFE FOR DISABLED PEOPLE
Questions about the sense of humanity were asked by philosophers, theologises,
psychologists and representatives of other science for centuries. The effect of applying different
measures to determinate human being was dividing people into categories. For thousands of years
society organized under some ideas of normality and there be an „ average person” was formed.
However in every society there is a certain percent of people, who for hereditary reasons,
congenital medical conditions, as a result of diseases, accidents or poor living conditions don’t
present full physical, intellectual or mental fitness. As people who differ from established
standards of being average, they are described as “disabled”. For many years medical approach
to disabled was applied. It supposed that disability is deviation from standards in aspects of
physical, sensorial or intellectual fitness. As a result of understanding disability this way, actions
on social policy took aim of compensation for deviations from standards and differences in
functioning of disabled people to a greatest possible extent, according to established standards.
The result of traditional-taking for grated charities and specialist community care servicesapproach to disability is fact that more attention is paid to limitations of particular person arising
from his/hers disability, than to actually abilities and skills, which leads to underestimating
personal abilities and not using person’s potential in different aspects of live – including variety
of art forms. It also moves to margin real needs of disabled people connected with their
functioning in society. Artistic creativity and participation in culture fulfill the most important of
them.
Need for
acceptance
Need for
success
Level of self
Artistic
creation of a
disabled
person
Need for
security
Need for
self’fulfillment
Need for
coexistence
Realization of needs determining creative activity and participation in culture by
disabled people
Approach to establishing level of disability of individual takes into consideration wider
aspect than just medical. At present disability is interpreted as a characteristic arising
from interactions between individual and its social and physical surrounding. And what
are external factors, meaning who and what forms disabled person? And more
importantly: who is to help disabled people to find their place in society and therefore
in culture? Will they be, at least be passive audience or active participant and creator?
Cinema
Culture
house
Familly
Disabled
person
Radio
and TV
School
Library
Theatre
Clubs and
peer
groups
External factors determining cultural development of disabled person
However the essential argument supporting the necessity of organizing
continuing system of development and social activation of disabled people is
statement based on results of researches and many observation, stating that high
spending covering the necessary and valuable, early simulation and school
education is wasted if disabled is refused help at the period when he/she is
actually ready and mature enough for participating in open social life. What are
the most influential groups in shaping disabled person?
Familly
Cultural
institutions
Disabled person
School
Workplace
Local community
Church
Groups of influence determining development of disabled person
As organizers of international conference „Chances and opportunities of disabled people in
United Europe” that took place in Tczew in year 2002, we took a position that “Every person
is individuality and that’s how should be treated, therefore taking into consideration individual
determinant, everyone should have possibility to get the taste of life, curiosity and willingness
to overcome challenges and celebrating achievements, which determinates values of
humanity. Today we are sure that leading person to particular aim means finding his place
and starting from there-sometimes difficult- way to full participation in social life. Experience
and conclusions from conducted actions show explicitly that the closes, most natural and at
the same time proven is attitude towards development and wide presentation of possibilities
and artistic achievements disabled people, supported by solid cultural education, focused on
preparing for reception and participating in culture.
Conditions for the participation of disabled people in the culture
Creative
operson
with a
disability
The need
of
disabled
person
Disabled
person
Opportunities
to participate
in the culture
of a disabled
person
Cultural
educatio
n of a
disabled
person
Magnitude of forms and possibilities of expressing emotional, individual perception makes art
a “bridge to society” for disabled people, way of marking the presence of personal value of
each individual. However it’s only when we help him, create environment enabling overcoming
of barriers and limitations. .
LIMITATIONS ON PARTICPATINON IN CULTURE BY THE DISABLED
Disabled
person
The possibility
of a disabled
person
limitations
inherent in the
disabled
person
external
constraints
Methods and techniqes used
at the creative work
Paratheatre techniques
Drama- getting involved in fictional situation, empathize with the character or
thing, becoming it and working as it does. In drama everyone is successful, all
the parts are important. Using drama when working with children makes
cooperation easier, it also helps to build interactions. Children become open,
self-confident and willing to help each other.
Pantomime- movement, gesture and facial expressions are used together.
Emotions and feelings are shown. Imagination of a presenting person is
activated as well as imagination of audience.
Changing roles techniques – the child’s role allows it to gain new experience.
For example a child with disturbed social interactions will play a game, in which
it will play a role of an adult(parent, teacher, doctor, etc) and a teacher is taking
a role of a child.
Puppet theatre- theatre creates opportunities to talk about emotion and
motives behind the actions, child’s inner creative activity is moved. Children
make puppets by themselves, they become directors, stage designers and it
leads to cooperation.
Theatre as therapy
Theater classes are in this case classes of expressive character in area of
artistic activities, preparing and participating in performances. Theater as
therapy is understood as particular development of personality, creative
approach to life and problems as well as stirring imagination. Subject
matter and forms of classes run as this therapy are very abounding and
extensive.
In this case theater as therapy doesn’t only limit to preparation and
presentation of performance but it also contains relaxation techniques,
self-massage, diction and movement practice, reading literature and poetry,
which gives pretext for conversation and meetings with poets, writers and
artistic work of other people. Using many different forms of work not only
makes therapy more attractive or simulates participant’s willingness to
undertake actions, but above all it increases the area of influence and gives
better(in terms of quality and quantity) effects.
In proposed theater therapy we can distinguish following
types of activity:
Musical-physical games
They consist of:
Ball exercise-tossing, rolling, throwing at a target,
juggling;
Hoop exercise-swinging it around left/right arm,
swinging two hoops at the same time, swinging hoops
on the hips;
Games with sticks;
Those exercise, involving many difficult acrobatic
elements, on one hand influence cognitive processes, ie
concentration, divisibility of attention, perceptiveness
and visually-motorical coordination, on the other helps
to gain physical fitness which can be then used in
performances.
Activities involving reading literature and poetry,
discussions
In this meetings participant is introduced to
different literary propositions, fairy tales, eastern
parables. Getting to know literary texts and attempt to
interpreting them, is just a pretext for analysing
character’s attitudes, determining their motives,
searching for universal values and relating it to
ourselves. This way texts are source of conversations
about life, politics, philosophy and basic values in human
life.
Thanks to this meetings participants gain the ability to
keep conversation, they also learn basic rules of
discussions. They are taught to focus on listening, not
interrupting others mid-sentence.They are also shown
ways of joining the conversation.
Preparation and presentation of performances
Main aim of the therapy is not improvement of theatre art, but
development and improvement of different aspects of participants’
functioning. Hence performances are not the final product of the therapy,
they are only the ending of certain part of it. In relation to that, from therapy
point of view, the most important part is creation of performance and
preparation for presentation.
Although any action on stage could be described as movement
theatre, performing actors are aware of the topic brought up in a play, they
know what is being told by their gesture and facial expression.
Working on performance, as well as presenting it on many
occasions, are the areas of improving cognitive process, refining abilities
like: obseration, which is related to finding the right place on the stage in
regard to partners and stage props; memory, by remembering and playing
actions and contents of particular scene, the right order. Also coordination is
improved.
Apart from what was already mentioned, every stage performance is a link
between the disabled and society. Participating in festivals or theatrical
overviews contributes to forming positive behavior, it also enables and
makes it easier for the disabled to make interpersonal contacts.
Relaxation with elements of self-massage
This type of activity consists of breathing, calming and relaxing
exercises. Relaxation takes place with music in the background and it’s
combine with massaging the body with hands or balls. At the end
participants express their impressions of the melody heard in the class.
This is important part of the therapy, participants are allowed to calm down
and unwind, but the also need to concentrate on exercises that require
precision and accuracy.
Diction exercise
Activities involve diction exercise, many different kinds of poems
and rhymes with words that might be difficult to produce. Often loud and
rhythmical hand clapping of syllables is used. Improving the speech brings
many positive effects in other areas of functioning, for instance it enriches
vocabulary, sustains interactions with others and improves the quality of
the communication.
International Overview of
Wonderful Theaters
Art is very effective form of therapy. International Overview of Wonderful Theaters,
organized in Tczew for 8 years, are a great indication of the fact that art is very effective
form of therapy.
Expirence gain by Association, projects that had been carried out indicate unequivocally
that the disabled are gifted with great sensitivity and artistic abilities. The world of their art
is free, uncompromising and in obvious way natural. This is why artistic actions of disabled
people are full of positive energy. Honesty shown in their interpretation of reality gives
audience wide range of magnificent sensations. The energy and joy of actors is spread
across the audience. This approach to phenomenon allows introduction of artistic creativity
into system of social activation of the disabled. Programs of integrations and
countermeasure of social exclusion of disabled people based in cultural activity might be
introduced. Considering the range of institutional propositions of support for the disabled,
gaps are becoming noticeable. Our project is trying to make changes by continuing and
developing actions which had been run up to now and developing new forms of work in this
field.
The disabled show great resistance to joining open society. They are concerned about their
abilities, not sure of how the surrounding will react. However if they convinced of their
value, sure of candidness and honesty of coworkers they become successful. Most
capabilities of the disabled are shown in artistic activity. Multiannual activities run by
Association show that art therapy is effective way to social integration of disabled people.
Next step arising from our strategy is creating music and theater therapy room, which would
become a place of activity for a big group of disabled adults. This will give them opportunity
to get away from house and every-day reality, they can start to create their own personality.
Overview was created as a result of need for presenting achievements and artistic
abilities of disabled people. Theatre as art is very wide. Here everyone can find its own
place. The delicate bonding between human hearts, imagination, thoughts and sense of
human being is made. This is why we create opportunities for every individual to come up to
the world, speak up-quietly, but very clearly. We combine the effort of hundreds, thousands
of people to use art as a tool to break the barriers.
Through eight editions of Overview on the stage of Cultural and Art Center Tczew,
we hosted artists from Poland, Russia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Denmark, Azerbaijan,
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Great Britain and South
Africa. Overview became a ground for common theatrical project, which were presented on
stages of Poland, Lithuania, Germany and Great Britain. Overview had it owns starts. There
is no doubt that “Saint Martin Group from South Africa was one of it. All the energy and
professionalism shown by children would be enough for many professional. And the
climate? True Africa!
„Nasze Kociewie”
Regional Overview of Creativity
Overview of Creativty for children and youth from Kociewie. It’s main aim is to integrate
childrend from different special schooling units from Kociewie,it supports development of
intrest in culture, tradition and our region, it also arouses interest of local enviroemnt in
artistic activity of disabled people which develops creative activity in children.
Annually-starting from year 2001- stage performance, based on local literature take place.
They use local dialect. On the second day of the event workshops with folk artists.
Assosiation together with Special Center Schooling-educating(?) run folk group, which
works on theater performances, dances and folk music. Members of the group were given
national costumes made by disabled children
European Art Therapy Center
This project was participated by disabled people from
Poland, Lithuania and Germany.
Project was realized with finacial support from
European Union.
European Art therapy center
In year 2005 Assosiation was runing international Project entiltiled „ European Art therapy
center”. The wide range of workshops was created including: weaving, ceramic, painting,
musical and computer graphics for disabled youth from Tczew, Kowno and Furstenwalde.
Young people were taugh how to develop their abilities and how to use them in order to join
the employment world. Project lasted for 7 months and included:
warsztaty artystyczne i aktywizacji zawodowej
artistic and professional activation workshops
The effect of workshops was among others: elaboration of the strategy of increasing artistic
and professional activation of disabled people and international program of therapy for the
disabled.
Traning:
For employers referring to employment of disabled people- Polish system and the systems
of other countries which are involved in the project
For the disabled referring to their rights and abilities in European Union.
Courses:
In workshops and courses on:
Self-presentation,
Job seeking,
Research and analysis conducted by other countries involved in project, referring to artistic
and professional activation of disabled people.
exhibition and presentation Center work
Tczew
Kowno
Furstenwalde
Project proved unequivocally, that chosen direction is right. Artistic activation is an
excellent way to professional activation of the disabled. This opinion was shared among
observers, producers and guests.