Pedagogical experiences to create around functional diversity with students of the Performing Arts program at the Central University of Ecuador

Abstract

Theater offers a space for people with disabilities to express their feelings in a society that tends to be structured and normative. How do you raise awareness about functional diversity among a group of students in the Performing Arts program at the Faculty of Arts of the Central University of Ecuador? This article summarizes the work carried out with students in the first level of the Space Dramaturgy course, during the 2023 academic year, regarding blindness. The methodology employed included awareness-raising talks, incorporating stage exercises from a perspective of blindness into the classroom, and organizing these exercises using Ramón Griffero's Space Dramaturgy. The students learned and understood about functional diversity and developed greater empathy and solidarity toward people with blindness.