The Theatre Times: The importance of including people with disabilities in active public life is a keenly discussed topic. The equality of disabled people is undoubtedly a global problem, but it is a big shame that Belarusian society is very intolerant against people with disability. Although there is a huge amount of problems disabled people have to face in their everyday life, the power of art (and theatre in particular) can divert them from their burden. This is why the accessibility of theatres for disabled people is one of those delicate problems the Belarusian society has to solve.
2 comments:
This article did a great job of being extremely through and level in it’s discussion of the representation of disability through theatre (both onstage and in the audience) in Belarusian. In discussing the topic of representation on stage it can be very frustrating very quickly because it feels as if there is a diminishing return on investment and all attempts to remedy the situation can feel futile. I think the work that the Joy Theatre is doing is really important and beneficial to the community as a whole, but of course their lack of funding limits the scope of their projects and their ability to consistently produce shows. Then of course there is the issue of under representation on the stage. This alongside the accessibility issues are something that need to be prioritized by the major theatre companies. My interpretation of theatre seems to be very similar to that of the authors and in that regard we need to think about the art we’re creating that is meant to influence and inform the public. We need to stop telling the same stories with the same type of people, it’s not progressing the artform anywhere and it is time to change.
This article brought a lot of light to the topic of disabilities and visibility/accessibility for both disabled viewers and performers. I really appreciate how the author covered both the issue of inclusion for both disabled viewers and actors, because both are a part of the theatre experience. It is good to hear a theatre is making the effort to bring this issue to the mainstream and create more conversation around it. This article furthermore dives deep into this topic, discussing the lack of opportunity actors with disabilities are given and the problems that exist with the abled-bodied norm and expectation of society. I do wish the author gave even a brief overview on this topic within Belarusian society. At the beginning, there is a mention of Belsrusian culture being exclusive and intolerant towards the disabled community. It would have been nice for an expansion on this topic- I had to do some research to fully understand the extent of it.
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