Sappi Ideas that Matter - Book 7

Europe
TIR: Teatri in Rivoluzione
Handicap&Arte
Not many would imagine that the handicapped and
the stage would be a suitable combination. Yet it is
for exactly this reason that Handicap&Arte in Italy
developed their revolutionary theatre programme.
Active in the field of integrated social theatre activity
since 1998, Handicap&Arte Italy holds annual
workshops, seminars and conferences to help the
disabled go beyond their limits, promoting equality
of integration for the sake of diversity, and enhancing
the creative potential of disabled people through
performances on stage.
In an effort to transform the subculture that goes against
the handicapped and to turn it into a culture of diversity,
they produced a campaign consisting of a series of
posters showing able and disabled people together in
highly emotional situations.
The headlines asked the question “Who is the richest?
Who is the poorest?” The embarrassment of showing
the handicap gives way to the certainty that mixing with
‘differently able’ people means to enrich the human
condition, to promote an exchange of ideas, and to
encourage contributions to the organisation.
44
Designers Monica Zaffini and Massimiliano Patrignani
and copywriter Noemi Rinolfi at ma:design in Pesaro,
Italy, felt very strongly about reversing the negative
attitude that generally accompanies the public
perception of the handicapped. They also felt they
could communicate Handicap&Arte’s belief that the
limits of the disabled are resources for the arts and that
the arts are a resource to help the disabled to overcome
their limits.
This was followed up with flyers, books, conferences
and workshops, at which lively debate and a gradual
changing of attitudes were evidence of the success
of the campaign.