Enabled Theatre

Theatre and Disabilities

The pepersons with disabilities can both produce and enjoy theatre in many cases. Arts in general and theatre in particular can be very beneficiary for the persons with disabilities. In the Western Balkans, there is very little theatrical activity that is specialized for and/or about persons with disabilities. Enabled Theatre is a project that cultivates a theatre for and about the persons with disabilities. It also enables mobility of persons with disabilities and those looking after them. It will bring together persons with disabilities, the professionals in the field field of working with persons with disabilities (psychologists, therapists, pedagogues and others) and  professional artists (actors, musicians, visual artists, writers, directors). It will take place in Budva, Montenegro; Novi Sad, Serbia and Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The participants will comprise persons with disabilities (and persons accompanying them) and professional artists. They will have a series of the workshops together. During the workshops, they will create a set of scenes produced by the persons with disabilities and also a stage material for the professional artistic theatre piece. One presentation for the selected audience will be a collection of the scenes produced and performed by persons with disabilities or in the collaboration with professional artists. The second piece will be created and performed by professional artists alone and its subject will be the life of persons with disabilities and their loved ones. The professional piece will be for the general audience. The participants with disabilities and persons looking after them as well as the experts from the field and professional artists will be coming to the coastal city of Budva.

The idea is to pave the way for a future establishment of the Balkan Arts Center for the People with Disabilities in Budva. There is no such a centre in the Western Balkans. Also, the people with the special needs of all ages are not very mobile because their travel often requires special conditions and the accompaniment. This will be opportunity for them to travel to the seaside and meet the people from other cities and countries while getting engaged in an interesting and inspiring creative activities and guided by professionals.

 

Activities

Budva Workshop 1
Novi Sad Workshop 2
Sarajevo Workshop 3

Premiere

April 6 & 9, 2024 – Serbian National Theatre Novi Sad
May 11, 2024 – National Theatre Sarajevo
May 27, 2024 – City Drama Theatre Zagreb
July 15-16 – Festival City of Theatre Budva

Enabled Theatre will be beneficial both for the field of working  with persons disabilities and also for professional arts. The professional arts rarely focus on persons with disabilities as a theme or  characters of plays and films. While there is quite some talk about the inclusiveness in the arts of the Western Balkans, there is very little progress in the field. Enabled Theater will be pioneering greater inclusiveness in the WE arts and will also create the foundation for the first Balkan Arts Centre for Persons with Disabilities.