Theatre as a Therapeutic Means for Stress, Anxiety and Burn Out Syndrome
Inclusive Finances
| Organisation | Panagia Eleousa (Greece) |
| Target Group | Service users with intellectual and related disabilities and staff |
| Description | The art of theatre as a tool is based on an axis that has two poles. At the one pole there is the target group, the people with intellectual and related disabilities, and at the other pole there are the employees. The barrel axis is the society and the audience. In order the Welfare State of Justice and Social care to operate smoothly for all the classes of weak people, the human resources in organizations providing services to these individuals should mainly be taken care of. The staff should work with sobriety, commitment and harmony to ensure the homeostasis, that is to say, the balance of mental and physical function holistically. The first ones, who pointed out the need for such harmony and balance were Pythagoras and Aristotle. It is therefore imperative in the modern world, as the famous Greek professor-Pediatrician Mr. George Chroussos claims, to have notions of Justice, Love and compassion. This will contribute to avoid stress. Stress is defined as the impaired balance of mental and physical function and this is the major problem in today's life. Theatre as a “psychological intermediate” becomes a means of cognitive, emotional experience that contributes to the strengthening of the employees’ personality development mechanisms and of the service users’. The latter, by enhancing in this way their self-esteem, they become confident that they can carry out a "role" and with very good results. Through the theatrical act the employees become able to escape from the everyday life with the pressing problems and approach the service users from another angle warmer and very human. Through the secure psychiatric discharges of the plot of the story, the service users experience an emotional phase that contributes to the maturation of their own emotional world. Their memory, attention, and cooperation are enhanced in the realization of their relations with the other people. Thus, by developing new cognitive and emotional skills through the theatre, the development of healthier relationships is facilitated and therefore the awareness of society on issues of disability is achieved as well as their smooth acceptance and integration into society. On the other hand, theatre gives society the opportunity, through the theatrical play, with actors individuals with intellectual disability, to expel prejudices against this special group of people, to understand their equality, their dignity, and the respect of their rights. With the help of admiration and applause, some glimmers that escaped from the light and magic of the performance embrace everyone in a climate of deep awareness able to give harmony and maturity - the only means to clear the anxiety and stress of the people today and restore the balance. This year, we present the theatrical play "Daedalus and Icarus" from our Greek mythology, a legend that accounts the achievements of technology of the ancient Greek civilization. It prophesies and lays the foundation for the modern advanced technology. This particular theatrical play will be staged in April in the cities of Agrinio and Messolonghi and in May in the Music Hall of Athens. In case it is staged abroad there will be translation into English. |
| Partners |
Panagia Eleousa, The Municipal theatre of Agrinio city
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| Staff and Resources |
34 service users, 10 employees / Greek mythology |
| Duration | 2 years |
| Budget | Funding by the Greek State, citizens, and sponsorships by businesses |
| Contact /more information | Ms Dionysia Samanta and Mr.Dimitrios Cheimariotis: panael@otenet.gr |