Development through dramatic arts

Education is very much in the spotlight and, at the start of a new scholastic year, it may be prudent to consider the benefits of the arts not just as important and necessary educational tools but also as therapeutic benefits in promoting a healthier lifestyle and a sense of well-being among children.

Drama in education is an important means of stimulating creativity. It challenges students’ perceptions about their world and about themselves. In an age where the word “interactivity” seems to have found its home within the technological world of computer games, self-exploration through drama provides students with an outlet for emotions, thoughts and dreams that they might not otherwise have means to express.

Students may, in the course of a drama lesson, become someone else, explore a new role, try out and experiment with various personal choices and solutions vis-à-vis very real problems – even problems from their own life. The world of make-believe goes a long way in eradicating the destructive fear of making a mistake, so prevalent with schoolchildren today.

Take eight-year-old Becky*, for instance. She suffers from a slight twitch in her eye, which was hardly noticeable at all, though it was spotted by the school bully who would tease her incessantly. Becky, reserved and reticent, would often come home in tears and hated waking up for school... until the day she stood up to her bully. “If you don’t leave me alone, I’ll teach you a lesson you’ll never forget”, she yelled at him.

Becky attends the Helen O’Grady Academy Development Programme and, one week before, the class covered a short drama piece that tackled the problem of bullying. The play ended with the very words Becky used to reprimand her tormentor.

Becky’s outburst probably didn’t stop the bullying but it did wonders to her sense of self-worth. Her parents tell me they have noticed a tremendous difference in her self-esteem and she is no longer as shy.

Ten-year-old, David* was a painfully reserved child who didn’t take to football like the other children in his class and felt a bit of an outcast. Consequently, he found it extremely difficult to make friends. His drama classes have changed all this. David’s social abilities have improved tremendously and his latent leadership skills and sense of fun have surfaced beautifully.

Participation in drama sessions requires self-control and discipline that will serve the student well in all aspects of life. This will result in a more positive, confident self-image. Students learn how to work together, to cooperate, to contribute and to listen to and accept the viewpoints and contributions of others. No art form is more truly collaborative. Drama is an important tool for preparing students to live and work in a world that is increasingly team-oriented.

Drama students are also less likely to have difficulty in speaking in public when the need arises and will be more persuasive in their communications, both written and oral, as they will be better able to put themselves into the shoes of others and relate to them.

The good news just gets better. Studies carried out by Matt Buchanan of Harvard University show that drama may even reinforce the rest of the school curriculum. Since communication and empathy are central to drama, a student will be better able to understand and discuss problems. The link between the dramatic arts and subjects such as English, history, social studies and related areas is obvious. The study of literature would be impossible without drama.

One other marked area of improvement was in written and spoken English. After all, a lesson learned through fun is never forgotten. And, because drama is so practical, one can adopt Aristotle’s wisdom: “Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I will remember. Involve me and I will understand.” Students grasp the language because they work the language and bring it to life.

The Helen O’Grady Academy is the only school of its kind to follow a prepared curriculum that was developed over the years by teachers, parents and child psychologists to ensure the healthy development of children in an energetic and fun-filled environment without the pressure of looming examination.

There are no end-of-term examinations because we believe that children have enough academic pressure as it is. Since there are no exams, there can be no failures – only an uplifting sense of achievement because students would have started and finished something wholesome each week.

Classes cover speech, movement, creative drama, language development and studio productions. Above all, lessons are great fun and the children love and look forward to their weekly lessons. Classes are held in different locations around the island.

*The names of the children have been changed.