Vecchie e nuove categorie di diversità nell'ottica inclusiva: il contributo del linguaggio teatrale

The present research concerns the importance of theatrical art in the social and psychological development of individuals and is strictly weaved with the author's private and professional life that intermingled in his theatrical practice. Following the principle “education for everybody” the project is addressed to Inclusive Education, depicted as Science of complexity and diversity by P. Gaspari, within the framework of the Inclusive logic worked out by A. Canevaro. The theatrical language, (very differently staged) is regarded as a privileged tool for pedagogic and formative interventions. The general aim is to put forward the idea of an Educational Inclusive Theatre, “a theatre for everybody” intended as a resource to diffuse the concept and the sense of equality. By documenting some of the operative interventions, the study helps to establish a common understanding that integration and inclusion processes as well as enhancement of everybody potentialities are possible and, indeed, very needed. In this light theoretical and practical approaches to the old and new categories of diversity were taken into account, together with languages, methods, objects of research and socio-cultural contexts. After outlining the debate in Italy – and, in the first chapter, in the US - the study discusses theatrical language with special reference to disabled persons. The intention is to activate transversality of competences and educational strategies “for everybody”, integrated with a cooperative approach. The research makes use of qualitative methods to study “cases” and to design an experimental approach to disabled persons and people in jail. This last aspect is the core of the study (third and fourth chapters). The two laboratory experiences (devised in agreement with the educational structures of the appropriate areas) were carried out with disabled persons, and with convicts of both sex in the region of Marche. We believe that confinement in jail represents today a “new educational emergency”. The data that we have gathered so far provide useful suggestions about the methods and procedures we have experienced. Although the results are preliminary, there are some elements that allow to identify good practices. Among those, the educational interventions in penal institutions have been very successful. The topic of “educational emergencies” has been discussed with important experts of the international scientific community, and the essential of this discussion is reported.