Theatre and health: origins, scopes, perspectives

A recent WHO research states with no doubts the contribution of the arts to mental and physical health in the four areas of prevention, promotion, management and treatment and calls for health policies to take this into account. Theatre is nowadays recognised as an effective practice for important health challenges: healthy ageing, mental health promotion, health education and development, vulnerability, social inclusion, care and training of health personnel. Contemporary theatrical practices oriented towards wellbeing and health have their roots in the 20th century theatre revolution and practices. Social and Community Theatre, which in Italy reaped the legacy of the 20th century theatre in its function of social care and cure, is well recognised among the community-based arts for the support of the psychosocial well-being of individuals and communities in many contexts and conditions. At present the mental health of adolescents and young adults is a major public health emergency that stands out with evidence after the pandemic. In Italy social and community theatre research projects and theatre programmes proved to be valuable tools in the field of mental health promotion of adolescents, children and their carers.