Article by Sara Rodríguez Medina
Throughout history, theatre has been one of the fundamental bases of culture and entertainment. It has also been used as an effective method, in numerous aspects, to train individuals of all ages, to encourage both expressivity and personal and group creativity, thus lending true confidence to the person who uses this system.
Fundación Adecco has decided to take one step further and seek in performance the ability to promote social and work-related integration and inclusion for persons who face greater challenges owing to their unique conditions.
In order to fulfil this mission, the theatre company Empleario was set up by the school Arte y Comunicación Ítaca, within the framework of the project #EmpleoParaTodos (WorkForAll). Its main goal is to aid the 20 members of the programme to develop themselves, to demonstrate that they can be a part of the work opportunities that are offered within big companies. It also has a highly positive added value, as it provides them with a momentary escape from the difficulties of daily life. It allows them to experience what they are, that is, members of this society and ones that are fully equipped to deal with a wide range of responsibilities within the work environment.
In order to spread this message of integration, Empleario created La Apuesta (The Chance), a play that premiered in the Sala Mirador theatre in Madrid. The plot is about a woman with disability who receives a call from a company interested in her job profile and seeking to offer her a position among its staff. According to Vanesa Sánchez and Jordi Navarro, the integration consultants of Fundación Adecco, the primary goal is to create a tool for awareness that may be circulated in suitable public spaces as well as within companies.
Many of Empleario’s participants have communicated their satisfaction with the results of this programme. It has helped them to gain confidence and have the chance to become part of a working team, thus making them feel part of a larger whole.
Theatre is one of the foundations of human civilisation and what better way to use this method than to allow human beings to continue to learn and enrich themselves culturally. It thus helps them to build a more equitable society, one that fights for the social and work-related integration of those members who face greater obstacles in achieving it.
