Theatre in Education is simply the use of theatre and drama that aids academic learning. Theatre has a way to unlock the creativity and imagination of the children and when harnessed, is a powerful tool to build innovative and out of the box thinking in children.
Theatre is inspirational, it is exciting and the students come in touch with real life scenarios and understand the behaviour and possible responses to the challenges thrown at them by life. It also inspires the onlookers and gives them a character to relate to and from there, driving the right message into the impressionable minds of children is possible. The value of creativity, the accolades and achievements serves as a confidence booster, improves the self- esteem and gives them a sense of accomplishment. The addition of multimedia to theatre can also be a sensory stimulus to allow better learning and the message to shine through.
In schools, the use of interactive tools can increase the involvement of each and every child. The aspect of movement and emotions brings about an awareness about their face and body and develops better memory and multitasking ability. Expressing creativity through writing is an important tool to improve conversational and written language. Onlookers also will improve their language capabilities by listening to live conversations rather than activities like loud reading. Standing in front of their peers and delivering whatever they have prepared enhances their confidence, oratory abilities and aids them in their entire career.
Dramatic theatre and theatre in education are differently designed and serve completely different purposes, although they might have a few common benefits. We as parents have to understand that theatre in education isn’t designed to bring out the actor in your child, but to enhance the scientist, the painter, the teacher, the athlete or the coding genius in them. You can explore possibilities of enhanced holistic education at Envision High.