Tbilisi Puppet Theatre involves disabled folk in theatre life

People with disabilities in Georgia are being given an opportunity to learn new skills and become theatre employees in a project by the Tbilisi State Puppet Theatre.

The theatre will collaborate with London's Chickenshed Theatre to create prepare a project that allows disabled individuals to take part in various forms of the theatre's life.

An announcement by organisers said the initiative would seek to integrate people with disabilities in all aspects of the theatre’s operations, including "details of usual routine" and "activities of larger scale," to enable them to become "common employees of the theatre".

The project – the first of its kind in the South Caucasus - will be implemented using knowledge and experience of Chickenshed Theatre staff to allow disabled individuals the space and means to express their creative skills.

A theatre team led by artistic director Elene Matskhonashvili will travel to London on December 27 to meet members of the Chickenshed Theatre, and attend a local performance to learn how to implement the project in Tbilisi in 2016.

The project will come to life in Georgia in the New Year once the Puppet Theatre moves to its new venue on Aghmashenebeli Ave, not far from its previous building which was in a state of disrepair. Work on the new theatre is currently underway and when complete it will meet modern standards and the needs of the disabled community.

Traditionally known for its productions aimed at children, the Tbilisi State Puppet Theatre recently announced a new initiative to present shows staged on adult topics of social issues, including those faced by disabled people.

The initiative was spearheaded by the venue's recent production Before the Prince Kills Himself, which staged interviews with marginalised community groups who shared their hardships and experiences.