‘Theatre has made me look people in the eye’: achievements and challenges of applied theatre in social work

Abstract

ABSTRACT Applied Theatre is an emerging field of knowledge concerned with the social, political, and educational uses of theatre and drama that is attracting increasing interest in social work research as it encourages creative practices committed to the participation of marginalised groups and the fight against injustice. This article presents the main results of a case study carried out over two years in the theatre group ‘Fuera de la Campana,' created in the context of an association of social intervention with homeless people. The achievements, challenges, and logics of this experience are analysed through a qualitative ethnographic methodology that includes participant observation and in-depth interviews. Through the participants' voices, the findings unfold the benefits of the experience of artistic participation, revealing that theatre provided them with a ‘refuge' from the hostile circumstances of their lives and a place of recognition to unleash their abilities. Dilemmas of inclusive artistic action embodied in this experience are also addressed, exploring how some applied theatrical practices can result in the re-victimisation of certain disadvantaged communities. Finally, it is concluded that theatre’s relevance in social work practice should be reinforced as it potentially provides powerful strategies to combat stigmatisation of marginalised groups.