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What is Applied Theatre?
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Applied Theatre is a growing field within the theatre realm. The Centre for Applied Theatre Research (CATR) defines applied theatre as “the practice of theatre and drama in non-traditional settings and/or with marginalized communities. It refers to theatre practice that engages with areas of social and cultural policy such as public health, education, criminal justice, heritage site interpretation and development (The Centre for Public Culture and Ideas, 2007)” Several Applied Theatre research organizations and journals have been created including: The Centre for Applied Theatre Research (CATR), International Drama/Theatre Education Association (IDEA), American Alliance for Theatre and Education (AATE), The Applied Theatre Researcher, and Research in Drama Education (RIDE). With conferences, events, and projects occurring world-wide, Applied Theatre is reaching many people with diverse backgrounds. Persons who are incarcerated, elderly, or low income or who have vision impairments, behavior disorders, or Down’s syndrome as well as others have participated in Applied Theatre projects.
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Is Applied Theatre Being Used with Individual’s with ASD?
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Until recently, Applied Theatre techniques have not been a common treatment intervention for individuals with autism. An analysis of the component aspects of theatre and the deficits common to autism listed in the Diagnostic and Statistics Manual-IV helps make a case for applying theatre techniques to help individuals with ASD.
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Theatre Aspects
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Body Awareness
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Emotional Expression
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Emotional Recognition
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Empathy
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Group Dynamics
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ASD/AS deficits
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marked impairments in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body posture, and gestures to regulate social interaction
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a lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interest or achievements with other people
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lack of social or emotional reciprocity
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failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level
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How Can Theatre be Applied to Help Individuals with ASD?
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Parents, professionals, and researchers are always searching for new ways to help individuals with ASD, and there is a growing interest in using theatre to do so. Theatre activities can be used to teach emotion recognition, emotion expression, non-verbal behaviors and gestures, listening skills, eye contact, conversation skills, strategies to handle social situations, and several other critical social skills. Practitioners and parents are using masks to promote eye-contact and social skills, creating exercises to train individuals to refine observation skills, teaching body awareness through movement, building friendships through performance projects, etc. Particular features of theatre-based strategies make them especially useful when working with individuals with ASD:
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-The theatre is a safe place for individuals to try new things/make mistakes
-Theatre is inherently fun and motivating
-Theatre is highly STRUCTURED (an actor has prescribed lines and actions)
-Theatre strategies are usually inexpensive (just need an idea, space, and time)
-Theatre activities allow for repeated practice of specific skills
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What is the Role of the
Applied Theatre Research and Autism Network (ARTRAN)?
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ARTRAN was created to unite professionals and parents interested in using theatre to help individuals with autism. ARTRAN is the first network to bring people from around the world together to strengthen theatre-autism work. The collaborative work of network members will be used to develop best practices, create new techniques, spread the word about theatre interventions for individuals with autism, generate data to support claims of effectiveness, and ultimately increase the quality of life for individuals with autism.
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How Do I Become a Member?
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Membership is free to all who are interested in joining. Simply complete the membership application by following the “Become a Member” link. Once you are a member, begin to access resources on the site and contribute to the development of the field by:
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directly contact other network members to share ideas or use the ARTRAN Forum to post ideas for members to read and discuss
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request trainings in your area to learn more about autism-theatre techniques
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attend theatre/autism events and report findings to network members
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attend ARTRAN conference
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share joys, successes, concerns, ideas, and feedback with network members often!!!
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ARTRAN Connections
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Co-founders Dr. Parasuram Ramamoorthi and Andrew Nelson facilitated the First Annual Full Spectrum Theatre and Film Festival, April 2008, Oakland, MD
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Planning meeting and Podcast with Cindy B. Schneider, author of “Acting Antics” and Director of Acting Antics theatre program.
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ARTRAN Future
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ArTRAN e-journal release in December 2008
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ARTRAN Conference coming soon
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US-India Autism Education Exchange: theatre practitioners traveling between India/US to work with families and individuals with ASD
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Podcasts with autism-theatre leaders from Hong Kong, U.S., and more...
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Continued development of the Network
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