Dramatherapy-informed facilitation in opera outreach for adults with learning disabilities

Abstract

Although opera outreach has gathered momentum over the last few years, opera is still often overlooked as a potent multisensory tool in dramatherapy, perhaps due to its association predominantly with music and music therapy. Using drama-related case studies, this article wants to breathe new life into the discourse of opera therapy initiated by music therapist Emma O’Brien in 2006. It further ties in with a discourse around dramatherapy work for adults with learning disabilities. The article traces how inclusive engagement techniques inspired by Francisco Cilea’s opera L’Arlesiana can be rendered useful within a dramatherapeutic context. The project was facilitated as part of Opera Holland Park’s accessibility programme in 2019. By sharpening consciousness for the distinct contributions to opera therapy from individual disciplines other than music therapy, the article hopes to put opera back on the map as a medium also for other creative therapies to explore.