Inclusive Potential of Social Theater: Studying the Experience of Participants

The paper examines the inclusive potential of social theater, which is expressed in the influence of the experience of participation in social theater on the daily life of its participants. People with disabilities are a significant part of the population of the Russian Federation (7.5%). The development of various inclusive activities is one of the directions of the state's social policy. Inclusive theater, which is the most common type of social theater in Russia, aims to integrate people with special needs into society through theatrical techniques, as well as to draw attention to the topic of equal opportunities. However, the mechanisms by which these goals are achieved remain unexplored. The main purpose of this study is to study the process of inclusion of socially excluded groups in society through the practice of inclusive theater. The empirical base of the study consists of 18 interviews with participants of three different types of inclusive theater, including participants with inborn or acquired disabilities and participants without special health, who are professional actors and stage directors. The results of the work conceptualize the inclusive potential of social theater at three levels: macro - (public, social environment), meso- (audience of inclusive performances) and micro- (participants of inclusive theaters), helping to understand how the process of inclusion of socially excluded groups in society occurs through the practices of inclusive theater.