From therapeutic to artistic-political examples The historically shaped dimensions of art involving people with disabilities and the Greek cultural context

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Published: Dec 28, 2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/edth.37341
Keywords:
disability theatre art arts education
Maria Koltsida
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Abstract

Art involving disabled people and artists is a field that is gradually attracting the interest of academics, researchers, artists and cultural organisations in Greece. However, the relatively limited theoretical and research scope of the field requires an exploration of different trends in relation to the arts, and in particular theatre and people with disabilities. The first part of this study explores the different artistic practices related to disabled people and artists through specific, historically shaped dimensions. The second part focuses on the relevant research and the structure of artistic practice and education of disabled people in the Greek cultural context. Through a theoretical analysis of the above data, the study attempts to discuss how the historically shaped dimensions of art involving people and artists with disabilities are intertwined with the artistic practice and education of disabled people in the Greek cultural space.

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Author Biography
Maria Koltsida, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Maria Koltsida holds a PhD from the School of Early Childhood Education of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), Greece, where she is currently completing her postdoctoral research. She has worked as a lecturer (University Fellow) at the School of Primary Education (AUTh) in the field of Theatre in Education. She studied at the School of Primary Education (AUTh) and received her Master's degree in Creative Arts in Education with a specialisation in Theatre in Education from the University of Exeter, UK. Her publications have appeared in Greek and international journals and she has participated in scientific conferences in Greece and abroad. Her research interests include Theatre Pedagogy and Disability Studies. She participates in international European projects in the areas of theatre, education and arts. She has worked and continues to work as a primary school teacher and as a theatre practitioner in mixed groups with disabled and non-disabled participants. She received a scholarship from the State Scholarship Foundation for her doctoral thesis.

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