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Volume 45, Issue 1
  • ISSN: 0263-0672
  • E-ISSN: 2157-1430
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Abstract

Recent studies have confirmed the positive effects of playback theatre groups for the older population. This article presents part of a larger study that examined the experiences of older women in Israel who took part in playback theatre groups in community centres. It explores one theme from the findings that centred on promoting change and growth. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with women aged 62–81 ( = 17) who had been involved in playback theatre groups for over six months. The data were subjected to reflexive thematic analysis. Five subthemes emerged from the analysis: (1) the creative process promotes change from introversion to openness; (2) expanding the self through bodywork and movement; (3) playfulness in playback theatre creates an ageless experience; (4) development in the group is assimilated into daily life and (5) the importance of the role of the conductor in the participants’ development. The findings highlight the importance of playback theatre and its contribution to promoting personal development and self-expression in older women. Through embodied expression, these women reported experiencing a meaningful connection to their ageing body. These results may provide the basis for developing community-based intervention programmes grounded in playback theatre for older women.

Funding
This study was supported by the:
  • The Israeli Science Foundation (Award ISF 1726/22)
© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Intellect Ltd.
This article is Open Access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International licence (CC BY-NC-ND), which allows users to copy, distribute and transmit the article as long as the author is attributed, the article is not used for commercial purposes, and the work is not modified or adapted in any way. To view a copy of the licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
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2024-07-25
2025-06-14
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/content/journals/10.1386/dj_00005_1
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‘I see them speak, I can hear their movements’: Playfulness and personal growth in playback theatre groups for older women
Dramatherapy 45, 71 (2024); https://doi.org/10.1386/dj_00005_1
/content/journals/10.1386/dj_00005_1
/content/journals/10.1386/dj_00005_1
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  • Article Type: Article
Keyword(s): dramatherapy; dramatic play; female ageing; group process; improvisational theatre; older adults

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