Theatre is a creative outlet that invites self-expression and inspires resilience. Its dynamic nature means that it can be shaped to deliver your material in an explorative way that is enriching, never boring, and embodied.
The benefits that theatre have are many, some of which are individual, interpersonal, and social. Applied theatre, the use of theatre in non-conventional settings, draws upon drama as a way to illicit this social change. This statement from Lai-Shan Ho and Barbara Ridley in their article Evaluating Drama in Education Through the Capability Approach brilliantly summarizes its unique benefits:
“Drama pedagogy can encourage active learning, develop higher-order thinking skills and improve imagination (e.g. Howard-Jones, Winfield and Crimmin, 2009). It involves group work, negotiation and discussion, enhancing social skills (Bolton 1985). Dorothy Heathcote defines process drama as particularly suitable to explore feelings, motivations and perspectives, and to provide the conditions where students can try out someone else’s shoes (Heathcote and Bolton 1995). This is part of the experience of empathy, and engaging in dramatic roles and situations helps to develop a perspective on the world, to understand or at least struggle with the perspectives of others to move towards a sense of social justice and equity.” – Ho & Ridley, 2015, p. 137
The exercises, games and activities that my workshops deliver are designed to intersect fun and experiential learning. They target specific outcomes and are always accessible, inclusive, and achieve the outcomes in the best way possible: with fun!
Elana Shyong 