Alla Mezentseva

Born in Perm. Since 11 years old is engaged in the theatre. In 2003, graduated from Perm Institute of Arts and Culture, Directing faculty (master of the course — V. A. Iliev). Professional actress, works with theatres Novaya Drama, Bolshaya Stirka and Theatre-Theatre. Head of the inclusive theatre-studio Space of Love, teacher of stage directing and acting in Perm college of Arts and Culture.

Quotes

• When something works out, it inspires you, and you feel warmth.
• You start lacking optimism when you realize some parents don't believe their children can do more. For some of them it is easier when child stays at home — then there are no problems. Nevertheless, it is the minority.
• We try to say «people with increased needs» rather than «people with reduced capabilities».

My story

Theatre-studio Space of Love was created on October 15, 2015 under Dzerzhinsk district department of Perm regional community organization «All-Russian Community of Disabled People». Members of the theatre-studio are kids with musculoskeletal disorders, with mental disorders. Currently there are 12 people in the studio. These are special kids, with their own interests, fortunes, stories. Nina Valentinovna Myslyaeva was the first person in the company. She is the head of the community of disabled people in Dzerzhinsk district of Perm and mother of Anton. With a small grant, she once received a task to stage a theatre performance with children with Down's syndrome. Anton was the first to come to class, he brought his friend Ivan, and then five more people joined the group. This is still the core of the company. Premiere was at the contest of a small festival in Kirov district of Perm: first stage, first costumes. Today we have 12 actors in the company. Theatre is their second home. They can't wait for another class. They know the laws of the stage but sometimes they already like to have fun like all the actors do. We are also open for new participants to join us.

Theatre classes are not about theatre, our most important goal is communication and, at the end of the day, therapy. Kids already draw very complicated things, they juggle, dance contemporary. We are currently working on the show Seasons, which we already premiered to huge success in Museum of Modern Art PERMM. It is a complicated performance, which includes a lot of movement, eurhythmics, working with props. It doesn't include speech, but there are many senses in it: life, death, birth, rebirth. Audience gets involved in it quickly and soon we have a communicative theatre, so to say.

You have to work contagiously, play contagiously. Like a child. In order to pass some knowledge we work with images: we are leaves, we are leaf fall, we are melted ice cream. Once Kirill entered and said, «Alla Viktorovna, here, I will show you.» And he starts juggling three balls! I jumped, I cried, I felt tears on my cheeks. Everyone was so happy. It is very important to understand one thing about people with Down's syndrome: it will stay the way you taught them. If you taught them wrong, then it will be extremely difficult to change something.

Yes, we are different, we are special, but our goal is to walk out into this world, use public transport, go shopping, work. It is important to change society's attitude and to create work places, which we don't have currently. It is important for a person to have an opportunity to work, because work means socializing, it means communication.

In order to become a real theatre, a therapy centre, we need our own space. A big open space is everyone's dream. We need a home. We don't want to depend on someone, we want to rehearse, grow and invite those who would like to join us.

Of course, children are nervous. If they are not nervous, then they are not involved enough. And if they are, it means, they enter the stage consciously. And everyone waits for the end of the show when everyone will congratulate them. They like it a lot, when people give them presents, flowers, and applause...

If I am honest, I had a wish, like every young person, to go to Moscow and become in-demand actor. I even tried. But at some point I realized I wanted to live here, create this space, create interest for myself and my occupation. I now understand that it is not so important where you are and what city you live in — you can become part of this world in any place you choose, if you create a space around you. Currently we are here, then we are in Moscow, later we are going to Kazakhstan, Czech Republic, and we become part of the world. Everyone knows about our work.