Exploring onstage portrayals of parent/carers of disabled adults/children

This poster and brief presentation are outputs from an RKE internship held within the Sidney De Haan Research Centre for Arts and Health (SDHRC). My initial intention for the internship proposal was to consider how public portrayals of the lives of carers/parents of disabled people shape perceptions, and how families of disabled people might be key allies in challenging societal misunderstandings of disability through the arts. The project focused on a literature review aimed to overview onstage portrayals of parents/carers of disabled people in modern theatre. It was intended to prepare the ground for participatory research that will encourage a series of conversations between decision-makers in theatre who have lived experience of disability in their families. The outcomes of this research have begun to utilise existing research in a way that could prepare for a future bid in this area.