Stage of Inclusion

"Stage of Inclusion" is a long-term photography project that forms part of my work on inclusion in theater. A degree in acting is a key prerequisite for entering the professional theater and film industries. The first training center for people with so-called intellectual disabilities is Der Keller in Cologne. There, I accompanied five actors from the inclusive class known as the Rheinkompanie.

Drawing on rehearsals, classroom situations, and moments in between, I explore the students' daily lives and their relationship to acting. In our conversations, their hopes, dreams, and personal perspectives come to the forefront.

Rehearsal spaces, fragments of the stage, and physical gestures serve as the visual building blocks of this approach. The work is less descriptive than observational: it focuses on relationships within the group, on collective learning and individual growth—and on the question of how participation in theater becomes possible.