A creative space for drama and self advocacy
In a society that thrives on diversity, championing social inclusion and confronting discrimination isn’t just a global goal that benefits people impacted by reduced inequalities —it’s a pathway to meaningful change for all. When people with disabilities can participate fully and equally, society becomes richer, more vibrant, and is one step closer to true inclusivity.
Higher education institutions, like TU Dublin, must play their part to address barriers in inclusive education and lifelong learning opportunities for people with disabilities. Guided by the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 10: Reduced Inequalities, and SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions and by breaking down barriers and fostering understanding, higher education institutions are not just opening doors— they are working to build a society where everyone belongs, contributes, and thrives.
Everyone has a story to share
In Semester one of the 2024/2025 academic year, as part of their Students Learning with Communities + (SLWC+) project 'Drama and Advocacy Workshops in TU Dublin’ – final year BA (Hons) in Drama (Performance) (TU962) students and Conservatoire lecturers, Charlotte Tiernan and Sarah Fitzgibbon, invited adults with intellectual disabilities to engage in four weeks of workshops at TU Dublin on the theme of ‘Drama and Advocacy’. The group worked with collaboration partners in WALK (Walkinstown Association for People with an Intellectual Disability), St John of God's Community Services, and St Michael's House Services.
In advance of the project, as part of earlier work in years 1 and 2 of their degree, the Drama Performance students facilitated local junior primary school children and second level Transition Year students within the setting of their own schools.
Speaking of the SLWC+ collaboration TU Dublin Lecturer, Sarah Fitzgibbon, said: “It is easy to talk of facilitating someone who is a non-traditional communicator, but the actual space required to allow them to communicate their thoughts and wishes while managing the rest of the group within a creative process, is only something you can experience in real life. It is the challenge of flexibility and adaptability with kindness within a creative process.”
A creative space for Drama and self advocacy
Theatre is a collaborative art-form. It doesn’t exist without people; people making it and people watching it.
Educationally, the project aimed to support students and participants in navigating “the polyphonic speculations of a relational network” (Murphy, A., 2012), which serves as a cornerstone of socially engaged and participatory arts practices.
The drama and advocacy project allowed TU Dublin students a firsthand experience of co-creating a creatively collaborative space with people who present with very specific individual needs. In this unique collaboration, students needed to facilitate the participants both as individuals and as a group. Most students will experience similar experiences as freelancer artists working on commission as part of a creative process or building a creative product.
Participants used drama to explore the concept of advocacy and to practice advocating for themselves and others. By using drama and hypothetical scenarios, participants can practice self-advocacy in various real-life situations—for example, addressing a partner who dismisses their needs in a relationship, standing up for themselves if a customer is disrespectful in a restaurant, or asserting themselves when being ignored in a shop.
TU Dublin Lecturer, Sarah Fitzgibbon, concluded: “We believe that this experience rounds out our student’s training as drama facilitators. Through it they develop the skills to navigate the range of voices and expressive needs of a group of people with a specific group identity. For the participants, they get to rehearse advocating for themselves and their peers in a safe, fun, and collaborative space. The success of this collaboration exists in the repeat attendance of participants over the years, who visit the Conservatoire at TU Dublin and are welcomed to our drama spaces and the wider University campus. The participants also get to visit and be welcomed to our drama spaces and become familiar with the college.”
As part of their reflections, some of the adult learners said:
“ I learnt that this is what I want to do” - Morgan
“I struggle with making decisions, but I did this week” Colm
“ I enjoyed the acting” Karl
More of the beautiful same - the joy in consistency
Collaborating with communities has been an integral part of the BA (Hons) in Drama (Performance) since its inception, and it serves several purposes. Drama and theatre is about humanity. Without a broad experience of humanity while in University, the graduate is missing the opportunity for personal growth and a realisation of the range of interpersonal collaborative possibilities in their creative career. Without a positive, creative and respectful engagement with a third level institution, the adult with an intellectual disability may not see those institutions as a place for them.
Through many years of collaboration, students and staff on the Drama Performance programme have developed trust and a regular cohort of participants. In 2023, the group hosted their first summer school with The National Museum of Ireland and with support from the John of God's Community Services, which allowed them to employ two recent TU Dublin graduates as professional drama facilitators. Following its success in 2024, programme staff conducted a similar summer school with two recent graduates in May of this year and as a team we aspire to develop this summer school to an annual event, along with further engagement and partnerships with the ensemble of adults with intellectual disabilities.
Shared Impact
Co-learning activity within the real-world is a fundamental principle to the SLWC+ pilot, and these workshops have given TU Dublin students the experience of using their drama facilitation skills to support the social and personal development of the participants.
This SLWC+ project works on community cohesion on several levels. It also works to enhance resilience on behalf of the participants (to self-advocate) but also our students to reflect and recognise their role as advocates and ‘upstanders’ for those for whom inequalities in societal structures and bias, places them at a disadvantage.
As well as supporting SDG 10 and SDG 16, this collaborative project strongly reflects the values of SDG 3: Good Health and Wellbeing and SDG 4: Quality Education. By fostering inclusive, participatory learning experiences, the workshops helped to support the mental and emotional well-being of both university students and adults with intellectual disabilities. The creative environment empowered participants to express themselves, build confidence, and develop social-emotional skills. Simultaneously, the initiative promoted lifelong, inclusive, and equitable education by challenging traditional barriers to learning and broadening access to third-level educational spaces. In doing so, the project reimagines the role of universities as truly shared spaces for all learners, regardless of ability.