Fine Arts > Theater Videos

Children today see time differently. They are used to constant change because there are just too many options to choose from. There is little room for original work or fresh ideas that aren’t embedded with social media’s negative influences. There’s a growing observation that children don’t listen as well as they used to because they are fed with so much information.

Theater plays not only jumpstart new imagination but also enhance attention span. Longitudinal data of 25,000 students involved in the arts at UCLA’s Graduate School of Education by Dr. James Catterall, published in Oxford Academia, show that students involved in theater plays greatly improved in their academic performance. In addition, students who make time for art are also those involved in improving their community through social impact activities, and thereby are unlikely to drop out of school. This is true for kids coming from various socio-economic backgrounds.

What makes theater special is its physical, emotional, social benefits that aid an appreciation of culture and the arts. One obvious take away from theater play involvement is the improvement of verbal and nonverbal communication. Communication skills are very essential to succeed in life, and this can be developed from vocal projection, articulation, tone of speech and expression. Of course, these new set of skills impacts children to become good listeners and observers.

Another aspect of performing arts called improvisation actually helps the young to think outside the box, and react to specific unique or unfamiliar situations. They tend to learn to trust their abilities and gain confidence in the process.

Because of these benefits discussed, there is a clear need to incorporate theater in schools. Acting and drama allow kids to express their emotions and to understand themselves through similar experiences. And that might bring them to find novel discoveries about their own capacities, and what that can do to the world.