Theatre and Trauma: Approaches to a Field of Inquiry

The research project focuses on the concept of trauma and the role of theatre in its elaboration, divided into three areas: performance studies and trauma studies, theatre in public spaces during and after the pandemic, and three case studies of theatre as a permanent laboratory. The first part explores the link between theatre and trauma through interdisciplinary approaches, analysing examples such as Grotowski’s Akropolis. The second part examines theatre as a tool for restoring relationships in traumatic contexts, with experiments during the pandemic (online readings, audio performances, innovative festivals). The case studies analyse: La cerimonia del fango (Emilia-Romagna flood, Compagnia Menoventi), Il teatro è differenza (Nerval Teatro, with people with disabilities), and La cura delle parole (Archivio Zeta’s workshop for cancer patients and families). The research proposes a multidimensional methodology to assess the impact of workshops and participatory processes, fostering dialogue between medical humanities and performing arts to enhance the aesthetic, care, and social dimensions of the performing arts.