EVALUATING APPLIED THEATRE’S PROJECTS: STATE OF THE ART OF A DEBATED CHALLENGE

The article presents the debate about one of the greatest challenges within applied theatre field: evaluating its impact. After an introduction of what applied theatre is, the issue of assessing its efficacy is framed inside the broader debate of evaluating arts’ activities. The issues of what and how to evaluate applied theatre’s projects are underpinned, alongside contradictions and different positions about this topic. Moreover, a brief focus on evaluation within Italian practice of social theatre is made. Finally, challenges and opportunities in evaluating applied theatre’s projects are presented together with indications of possible future perspectives.