Over recent years, there has been an increased onus on the ‘value’ of certain subjects taught at school. Value is an incredibly vague term that could be used to refer to any number of things, but in an educational context, ‘value’ usually relates to ‘how will this get my child a job in later life?’
Unfortunately, a parent’s (or even a teacher’s) answer to this question often only considers the ‘direct’ careers that come from studying a subject; maths, for instance, opens up many pathways, while someone studying biology can work within biology. Learning web skills in ICT can lead to a career in the digital industry.
This often leaves drama and theatre studies as being referred to as a bit of a ‘Mickey Mouse’ course for the small minority of pupils who want to pursue a career as an actor or a director.
Why Promote Theatre As A Choice For Students
As a result, the funding and levels of investment in equipment such as stage sound systems for drama and theatre studies is often limited. However, investing in a proper performance space for your students could well be the wisest decision your school, college or even university has ever made.
Performance plays a vital part in the development of many crucial life skills for young people, skills that are often not given the chance to thrive in other areas of study. Here are just a few:
Confidence
Performance is an excellent confidence builder, and many pupils who were previously quite reserved often find that performance helps them get over their shyness in front of other people. Through exploring characters, pupils can learn about different personalities and learn how to deal with certain scenarios.
This confidence is vital in the future, when a pupil will be looking for work or will have to face a daunting task (a common theme no matter what sector you happen to work in). Drama is the one subject that really addresses confidence issues, setting up young people for success no matter what occupation they choose to take up in later life.
Creativity
The value of creativity is regularly overlooked, but creativity can serve you well no matter what you do. It could be that you employ your creativity to find a way to complete a seemingly impossible task, or to inspire fellow colleagues. And, of course, creativity can also be used to write great works, make great films and perform great plays.
Drama, again, is a topic that can foster creativity and encourage a pupil to explore it fully. This exploration doesn’t even necessarily have to come through acting; with stage lighting, a child can learn to express themselves and pick up technical skills along the way.
Teamwork
At the core of any drama curriculum is teamwork. Pupils are regularly encouraged to collaborate on productions, working together to create the best possible performance they can.
This teaches all kinds of vital life skills. A pupil can learn to compromise and recognise that their idea may not always be the best. Conversely, a pupil can learn to be more assertive, standing up for that they genuinely believe to be the best solution. Studying dramatic texts also helps a pupil to understand the emotions of others and to better understand societal issues that they may not yet have experienced.
If you’re interested in establishing a performance space for your pupils, get in touch with PG Stage on 0161 830 0303 or contact us online.