A unique play, «Group Photo», premiered at the New Theater Dornach [Neues Theater Dornach] this June. Directed by the Basel actor Rowan Blockey and with the support of Damian Bright, a performer with Trisomy 21 and former actor in the renowned Hora Theater for Inclusive Performing Arts, an ensemble from Sonnhalde Gempen presented a play that celebrates and strengthens the courage to embrace diversity and creativity. A motley group finds itself stranded somewhere it shouldn’t be and must work together to find a way out of this disaster. This is the premise and dramaturgical crux of Sonnhalde Gempen’s inclusive theater project. While pure playful delight reigns at the start, the tone becomes more thoughtful as the play progresses. The actors offer insights into their lives and recount blows that fate dealt them, which linger in the audience’s memory. Twelve individuals from the adult community at Sonnhalde Gempen began rehearsing this production in September 2024, under the professional guidance of Rowan Blockey (Director and Artistic Director) and Damian Bright (Mentoring, Double Theater). They were supported by staff members and the Sonnhalde Gempen Department of Supported Communication [Fachstelle für Unterstützte Kommunikation]. The production offered a safe space for flexibility, imagination, and team spirit, where individual strengths were able to come to the fore, regardless of support needs or disability. Sonnhalde Gempen – a place for living and learning For over 50 years, Sonnhalde Gempen has been committed to helping people with special needs, particularly those on the autism spectrum, based on anthroposophic principles. Their offerings range from kindergarten and school to vocational training, work, and a variety of needs-oriented forms of housing. The focus is on self-determination, participation, and personal development. The workshop facilities at Gempen offer adults with assistance needs a meaningful daily structure, with a particular emphasis on handicrafts and creative activities. Sonnhalde did not step into an entirely new world with this inclusive play. Rather, it broadened the scope of our perspective, creating new opportunities for participation. The conditions for participation were deliberately low threshold: two mornings a week and the willingness and ability to work in groups were all that was required. The theater workshop, which quickly gained in popularity, grew from six to twelve participants and was supported by a committed team of social workers and specialists. Close cooperation with external experts and the Department of Supported Communication, as well as targeted educational drama techniques, established a supportive, creative environment in which artistic and development-promoting work could happen. Theater as a driver of development and inclusion The journey from the first rehearsal to the premiere was characterized by challenges, team spirit, and many successful learning experiences for everyone involved. Flexibility, mutual support, and the use of local synergies in the Gempen community contributed significantly to its success. The participants showed increasing self-confidence, perseverance, and growth. The project became a space where true inclusion was not only an aspiration but a lived experience. What happens next? Future plans are still open, but the great interest with which the project was received has encouraged the team to consider turning it into a regular workshop. Whether future productions of this magnitude are possible will also depend on the support of patrons. One thing is certain: This project opened doors for more freedom, more participation, and more courage to try new things.
Translated from German by Tascha Babitch.
Photos: Victor Hege
Contact: Sonnhalde Gempen, www.sonnhalde.ch
