ABSTRACT
The objectives of this study were to increase awareness of the issues that people with intellectual disabilities experience in their daily life and about their capacity to participate in arts-related activities effectively and other domains of social life. Also, the aim of this study was to assess the impact of the involvement of persons with intellectual disabilities in arts-related activities on public attitudes towards the social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities.
This study applied a mixed-methods approach to collect data about participants' interest in and expectations of participatory art, their well-being and inclusion in theatre. The data collection included a variety of techniques, including structured online interviews for the collection of data about participants' attitudes, well-being and socio-demographic characteristics. Data collection also included a focus group interview held at the end of the project, as well as observation notes taken by the director about the workshop activities.
Participants were highly motivated and involved in workshops and rehearsals, and they reported high satisfaction with participation in this theatre project. Particularly valuable outcomes of this study were the participants' highly positive and empowering experiences as well as the positive transformative experience reported by the visitors of this theatre performance.
