Academic style of writeing 2ed draft!!

Through being a student at chicken shed theatre company, I have found myself having a stronger opinion on what inclusive theatre is and the benefits of working in an inclusive environment. ‘At Chickenshed there is only one type of people: everyone.’[i] It was Chickenshed’s ethics that caught my attention at the age of 16. I not only believed in this value, but also wanted to become part of this organisation and understand the core benefits of inclusive theatre.
Chickenshed’s website states ‘Our inclusive creative process values all our members as equals. It’s the way we run our theatre company, our youth workshops, our outreach projects and our education programmes. And, one day, it will be the way the world works. That is our vision.’[ii] From this, I wish to explore the placement of inclusiveness in contemporary theatre and how Chickenshed has impacted on society as a whole and on individuals.
Inclusiveness emphasises on the concept of including all. It has been proven that
Somers’ posed the question ‘Is an intensive rehearsal process conducive to the integration of persons with a disability into theatre art?’ In other words, is the rehearsal process a strain for the disabled body? In my experience at Chickenshed, I have found that you cannot categorise disabled people as to whether they are in a position to undergo the strain of a rehearsal or show, for the main reason that all disabled person/s are individuals. In disagreement to Somers quotation I would argue that if one is to label someone as unable, whether it is a child, a disabled person or an adult, it is a form of discrimination in itself. The benefit of being part of chicken shed is that they have made implementations that aid those that require support. For example, access to stage entrances, like lifts and ramps have been placed to assist those that need it.
Somers further implies that a rehearsal period my hinder one’ self-esteem. ‘It would appear that working intensively may in fact not be helpful for individuals with disabilities, primarily because of the fatigue factor.’ This suggests that through the demanding nature of rehearsals that some may feel discouraged, as they are physically unable to compile to rehearsal demands. In Chickenshed this has not been the case, as Chickenshed trains all there team to support those who may find difficulties. For instance, all students are taught level one signing, so that all are able to communicate with each other.