Street Theatre in Brazil: Healing Illness, Promoting Action and Restoring Tradition

Abstract

This study examined the potential healing aspects of a psychosocial intervention using street theatre with those suffering from schizophrenia in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Qualitative research was conducted to explore how art, culture and public health can provide a comprehensive approach to promote mental health within communities. The sample consisted of eight men and women who were active members of DyoNises Theatre group for at least one year. Participants were either staff at Municipal Institute of Health Care Nise da Silveira or volunteers. A qualitative design methodology based on Heidegger’s interpretive phenomenology was used. The data revealed nine major themes, 18 subthemes, 48 categories within subthemes, which were divided into three sections: a) Performance; b) Manifestations of Health; and c) Cultural Identities. Major themes in the Performance section included: 1) Play: from spectator to protagonist; 2) Ritual: providing structure; and 3) Theatre: development of social consciousness. Major themes in the Manifestations of Health section included: 1) Body in action: strengthening self-other boundaries; 2) Embodied Learning: practical actions to promote knowledge; and 3) Externalizing the Shadow: what within you kills you, out of you can save you. Major themes in the Cultural Identities section included: 1) Community Dialogue: rethinking perspective; 2) Experiential Knowledge as an Exercise of Power: expanding our models of thinking and behavior; and 3) Historical Heritage: reconnecting with ancestral knowledge. Clinical implications were related to reconstructing cohesive body boundaries, deepening the range of emotional responses to the environment, promoting autonomy, leadership, and community, educating the public, and redefining our cultural practices.