Creative inclusion in community theatre: a journey with Odyssey Theatre

Abstract

What does ‘inclusion’ mean in practice? This article considers the work of Odyssey Theatre, a group of learning-disabled and non-learning-disabled performers as they put together a production with the support of professional theatre workers. Working processes are examined and the balance of empowerment and professional leadership considered. It is argued that the outcome is an art form with its own artistic and social validity. Inclusive theatre will be unlike other community theatre or professional theatre just as an inclusive society will be different from the one that we currently share.