Silent theatre? The intellectually disabled actor in Arka Theatre

Silence is not always golden. It is clear for intellectually disabled persons, for whom communication disorders are often indicators of their disability.

I would like to present Wrocław’s Arka Theatre team, composed of and meant to address the disabled. Its functioning has both a therapeutic and creative dimension. Thanks to drama activities, the silent disabled are given an opportunity to act together, looking for ways to eliminate the effects of disability through new, different means of expression. Therapy through theatre is not only intended to re-educate language and cognitive functions, but also becomes a space for exchanging experiences and exposing weaknesses arising from disability. The apparent silence is symbolic here, becoming a transfer between individuality and the clichés turmoil of modern times. During therapeutic sessions, the disabled actors tame their fears, trying to confront their own traumatic experience through dramatic art. The suffering of a disabled actor becomes literal, and the conscious exposure of infirmity makes the voice of silent amateur actors audible.