Therapeutic Theatre as a process for the inclusion of students with mild dementia in Adult Community Education courses

Author: Jeffrey Bryant Jones
Hobo Playhouse, Australia

Edition: Volume 65, Number 3, Special Edition, November 2025

Introduction: This article explores a therapeutic theatre project facilitated by an acting educator and an older woman living with mild dementia in regional Victoria, Australia. The co-created process utilised improvisation, storytelling, singing and puppetry to present a performance outcome. A qualitative Participatory Action Research methodological framework was adopted to examine the case study. The educator’s notes, video recordings of the performance and a post-performance interview were analysed. Eight themes emerged: Structures and Processes; Tools used in Therapeutic Theatre and Drama Therapy; Personal Issues; Others/Peers Involvement; The Educator/Therapist; The Performance; Contexts; and Learning. This article contributes further evidence that people living with mild dementia can continue to pursue their learning goals in short-term community education courses.

Keywords: inclusion, co-creative, performance, community, adult education, dementia, drama therapy, therapeutic theatre, acting

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This article is part of AJAL, Volume 65:3 The entire volume is available in .pdf for purchase here.