Performing Arts, Education and Disability Challenges for artists, facilitators, teachers

Performing Arts, Education and Disability
Challenges for artists, facilitators, teachers

WORKING GROUP / DISCUSSION PANEL

Athens International Conference “Theatre/Drama & Inclusive Education”

Athens 23 March 2025

Hellenic Theatre/Drama & Education Network (TENet-Gr)

Language: Greek

Coordinator:

Maria Koltsida, Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Early Childhood Education, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), Greece

Guests:
Maria Ioannidou, Psychologist/psychotherapist, disabled dancer, Greece
Vassilis Economou, disabled actor-director, Greece
Konstantina Georgiou, community artist, creative mentor, Greece
Eri Kehra, Theatre Educator, teacher in Special Education, Greece
Elli Merkouri, PhD candidate Theater Department A.U.TH - Head of Theatrical Group of Deaf "Crazy Colors" Greece
Olga Dalekou - Deaf actress - Graduate student of the Department of Theater Studies N.K.U.A Greece

Commentators:
Antonis Lenakakis, Prof. Thessaloniki University - Department of Early Childhood Education Greece
Vera Lardi, Psychodramatist, Adult Educator, Performer Greece

The thematic table "Performing Arts, Education and Disability" focuses on exploring the relationship between performing arts, education and disability, examining theoretical, experiential and practical dimensions. Through the speakers' presentations, issues of co-education in theatre between disabled and non-disabled participants, experiential experiences of disabled artists in the performing arts and challenges related to the education of disabled people in the arts in Greece will be discussed. At the same time, issues of accessibility, both in artistic and educatioSYnal programs, the need for inclusive design of educational and artistic projects, as well as the access of disabled people to the arts in the context of formal education will be examined.

SYNOPSIS by Maria Koltsida

The Working Group on "Performing Arts, Education, and Disability," held in Athens Greece on the 23rd March 2025 within the framework of the International Conference "Theatre/Drama and Inclusive Education" (Athens, 21-23/03/2025), brought together artists, educators, researchers, and practitioners with the aim of exploring the relationship between the performing arts, education, and disability through theoretical, experiential, and practical approaches.
Coordinated by Maria Koltsida, the working group consisted of Maria Ioannidou, Vasilis Oikonomou, Elli Merkouri, Olga Dalekou, Konstantina Georgiou, and Eri Kehra, with critical commentators Antonis Lenakakis and Vera Lardi.

From the presentations and the subsequent discussion, important points emerged concerning the political dimension of the issue of equal participation of disabled individuals in the fields of arts and education, highlighting the need to reconstruct the institutional and socio-political framework.

Exclusion and Institutional Inconsistencies
The artistic and educational reality for disabled creators bears the marks of a long-standing, systematic deprivation of rights. Despite the formal abolition of the “able-bodiedness” requirement (which had been a prerequisite for entrance exams held by the Ministry of Culture in Greece)—a significant achievement brought about through the collective struggles of disabled artists—the reality faced by disabled applicants shows that this change is more theoretical and superficial than substantive. At the same time, the same ableist formulation remains in effect within the field of dance.
In practice, there are no necessary infrastructures or accessible environments in place for disabled candidates to participate equally in entrance exams for drama schools. The central question remains: “How can you pursue a professional career in the arts when there is no access to arts education?” A disabled artist begins engaging in the arts knowing they will struggle to find employment, that they don’t “fit” into a space defined by specific normative criteria, and that in many cases, they will be asked to conceal their impairment.
Similarly, in the educational sphere, there is a lack of manuals and guidelines for theatre pedagogy processes that are inclusive of all students without exception. The systematic absence of the arts from the core curriculum for disabled students, along with understaffed schools, highlights its long-standing marginalization—even though theatrical practice is a powerful tool for developing students’ expression, imagination, and creativity.
 

In Search of Artistic Education
In the absence of state support, artistic groups and communities of disabled artists in Greece have taken it upon themselves to create their own frameworks for education. Notable examples include the theatre group THEAMA and the Theatrical Group of Deaf "Crazy Colors", which, in collaboration with professionals from various artistic fields, have developed their own conditions for training and artistic expression. These practices demonstrate the dynamic potential that can emerge within an artistic community. At the same time, however, they highlight the lack of state care and foresight regarding the artistic education of disabled individuals.
During the working group session, there was also discussion about educational and artistic initiatives that may have positive intentions but lack the genuine involvement of disabled people. These are programs where the voices of disabled individuals are absent, where they are excluded from decision-making processes, and which may inadvertently reinforce prejudices and stereotypes.

Accessibility: A Right, Not an Exception
Accessibility to artistic performances remains extremely limited today—both in terms of physical infrastructure and the services that ensure equal access for disabled audience members. Art venues must provide appropriate infrastructure and offer accessibility services (such as interpretation in Greek Sign Language, surtitles, and audio description).
As reported by various groups, the cost of these services is covered exclusively by the production teams themselves, without any institutional support. As a result, ensuring accessibility becomes financially unsustainable for creators and relies almost entirely on the personal commitment of artistic teams and the support of their collaborators.
Particular emphasis was placed on viewing accessibility not only as a means of equal access, but as an integral part of the creative process itself, one that enriches theatrical expression. During the discussion, the importance of translating theatrical texts into Greek Sign Language was also highlighted, as practiced by the Theatrical Group of Deaf "Crazy Colors" in collaboration with both Deaf and hearing interpreters.

Toward an Art With Everyone, For Everyone
Art that aspires to include disabled artists cannot take the form of a mere “hosted space” within an already existing and narrowly defined dominant artistic framework. On the contrary, it demands a radical reconfiguration of the structures of education and artistic creation in order to genuinely engage with human diversity.
Disabled artists are not asking for “a seat at the table”; they are demanding visibility and a redefinition of institutions, methods, values, and aesthetic standards.

Proposals and Needs
From the Working Group’s discussion, several key proposals emerged, including:
•    The immediate institutional removal of all barriers preventing the participation of disabled individuals in artistic studies and professional processes
•    Public funding for accessibility services, integrated into the planning of artistic and educational programs
•    Support and institutional recognition of theatre groups formed by disabled artists
•    The development of training programs for educators, artists, and theatre pedagogues, grounded in the principles of universal design