Developing independence: the experience of the lawnmowers theatre company

This paper describes an action research project in which the Lawnmowers The atre Company (a company of performers with learning disabilities) mounted d rama clubs and a series of night clubs for people with learning disabilitie s. The objective of the project was to demonstrate that initiatives involvi ng what might loosely be called 'drama' offer important opportunities for a dult education and that night clubs for people with learning disabilities c an be effective in providing new opportunities for social contact and also recognition for disability arts. All of these factors, it is argued, are im portant if people with learning disabilities are to be taken seriously as c apable, interesting individuals with something useful to say. The project f ound high levels of participation and a range of skills acquisition.