VIII-INTERNATIONAL EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON INTERDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, Rome, İtalya, 13 - 15 Temmuz 2023, ss.1-2, (Tam Metin Bildiri)
Age discrimination is defined as “discrimination based on the age of the person” and is the last
accepted form of discrimination among discrimination types. According to WHO's Global
Report on Ageism, Age is one of the first things we notice about other people. Age
discrimination is seen in different societies and cultures, from social relations to occupational
fields. Age discrimination is seen in theater, where body and performance are at the forefront,
noticed in both play texts and theater practices. The purpose of this paper is to research whether
those working in the field of theater in Turkey are exposed to this type of discrimination. This
study was designed with a mixed method aiming to collect qualitative and quantitative data as
descriptive research. 126 theater artists (actors, playwrights, directors, dramaturgs, designers)
participated in the research online with the snowball technique. The data were collected in
approximately 24 hours with a form consisting of three demographic, three qualitative and two
quantitative questions. The findings of the research show that 35% (f=44) of the theater artists
are exposed to discrimination because of their age. The fact that 61% (f=27) of these people are
women suggests that women are more exposed to age discrimination. Participants also stated
reasons such as the lack of role scales for different ages, being ignored due to their age, and
decreased physical competence as a form of prejudice and discrimination. This first research
conducted in Turkey also shows that age discrimination is an issue that needs to be emphasized
and studied with its various dimensions.