“Breaking the fourth wall”: Activating hope through participatory theatre with family caregivers

Abstract

In a research context, Participatory Theatre (PT) has been applied to a variety of social problems from sexual assault to community building, youth socialization, and stroke education. However, it has never been used with family caregivers of persons with dementia. The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility of using PT with caregivers in studying hope. Over the course of the study, scenarios, which were based on the realities of the participants' lives as caregivers, were developed for the purpose of exploring strategies to deal with situations that challenged hope. Following two live performances, audience and participants completed open-ended surveys. Participants were also interviewed about their experiences of hope during the process. The results of the surveys and interviews were that using PT with this population was feasible and a meaningful experience. The participants reported that their hope was fostered through participation. Key words: Participatory theatre , family care giving , caring for people with dementia