Practical use of theatroterapy in the activation process of adults with intellectual disability

The aim of my bachelor thesis "A Practical Usage of Theatrotherapy During a Stimulation of Adult People with Mental Handicap" was to create, execute and evaluate a theatre performance focusing on a stimulation of mentally disabled adults. During leisure activities, it is possible to offer to mentally disabled people such activities that develop their personalities universally, lead towards their own activity and creativity. However, the mentally disabled people´s selection of activities is limited in comparison with the intact ones. Considering an offer of leisure activities for the target group, I decided to use theatrotherapy which has been created for them and then to implement a theatre performance. According to the specialised literature, by using it, it is possible to reach positive results in the field of communicative and locomotive skills as well as the memory and social relations. This thesis consists of three chapters. The target group will be defined in the first chapter in which I define the term of mental disability, characterise adult people with medium or severe mental disability and specify their social, mental and locomotive limitations in details. I define the theatrotherapy, describe its development, aims and methods in the second chapter. Simultaneously I mention it as a means of stimulation in the conclusion of this chapter. Theoretical part of the work is followed by in the third, practical chapter. I prepare a theatre performance based on specialised literature which I implement and evaluate here. The theatre performance was based on principles and rules of theatrotherapy. An original script adapted to the target group was used for its implementation. Classical teaching methods and drama teaching methods were used for rehearsing, namely methods verbal, graphically demonstrative, practical skills gaining, roleplaying, methods and techiques of training games and exercises, evaluation and reflection. During the evaluation and objective technique was used which aims for an analysis of actor´s activity, and a subjestive technique which aims for self-evaluation and actor´s feedback. The above mentioned activity was supported by IN Civic Society and ten people with medium and severe mental disability aged 25-45 participated. There was a process of involvement during a making of the performance and positive results in the field of communicative and locomotive skills were reached. The actors experienced new and unusual situation during the performance. They met new people too because some students of the University participated too. This resulted in social integration. The bachelor thesis is meant as an inspiration for the personnel of institutions providing social services