Humans have engaged in theatre for at least 50,000 years for good
reason: it builds social connections, provides opportunities to learn,
and creates meaning through storytelling. Perhaps most importantly, it
is an enjoyable, and therefore self-reinforcing, activity. Theatre
offers readers an introduction to the role that theatre plays in health
and wellbeing, and provides guidance on how to incorporate it into
professional health and social care environments, community spaces, and
the family home.
The book provides an overview of the current evidence demonstrating the
effects of theatre on specific domains of health and wellbeing,
including mental health, physical health, and public health, as well as
its impacts on the education of health and social care professionals.
Case studies illustrate the broad range of applied theatre methods
currently in use across the human lifespan - from bedside theatre
performed for children in hospital to theatre workshops for people
living with dementia and theatre-based interpersonal communication
training for medical students. Theatre also delivers plenty of
practical advice on how to bring theatre into health and social care
environments, including step-by-step instructions for specific
activities, insights into potential barriers, and (most importantly)
strategies needed to overcome them with empathy, collaboration, and
creativity. This volume will be useful to professionals working in
health and social care settings, as well as to theatre artists and
educators who already are or who would like to work in health or social
care settings with special populations.
