Performing Arts in Education
Sound and Light company Lifelike Atmospheres asked teachers and students why putting on a show is such a valuable experience for schools.
The only thing that is constant in our modern world is change. Developing the capacity in students to engage with and thrive in this environment is the challenge for modern education. One of the key skills required for success is creativity.
The Arts in schools is more than just producing a show, performance or backdrop. The final production is not the only real benefit for the school, teachers or students. More important is the journey - the process of bringing students, teachers and the general community to create, develop and explore together. It’s about the complete experience, from the setup, to producing the show, the sensations the audience receive and most importantly the learning the student gains from being a part of the show.
Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) works to engage, inspire and enrich student learning through stimulating the imagination and encouraging every student to explore their creative mind. It is through the study of Visual Arts, Photography, Music and Drama that students can learn to express themselves in this ever-changing world. Not only do The Arts foster creativity and imagination, they also develop key skills in critical thinking, ethics, Information and Communication Technology, intercultural understanding, and literacy.
Click here to read Stage Whispers May / June 2020 Edition FREE
Being a part of a show or production, no matter the type of role you play or tasks you do, engages the whole being and provides experiences working collaboratively with others. Lasting relationships and strong bonds with others are created that may never have blossomed prior to this journey.
Students explore their own unique art of self-expression and emotions, setting a firm foundation for life as they move into adulthood. Keeping this passion alive beyond school is just as important to one’s continuous growth in self-expression as it is now as students.
Shayna and Sunny, former students at Rose Bay Secondary College, offer their own insights.
“For most of you … this musical is nothing more than a production put on by a couple of school kids and their teachers. But for us, (this) musical meant that we could all get together and make friends we’d never normally make, sing things we’d never normally sing, and wear things we’d never normally wear. This musical has bought together a bunch of incredibly talented, supportive and fun people into a close family, where we’ve built incredible friendships and unforgettable memories. To our teachers, you guys gave us the opportunity to make school so much more than just homework and assignments, and for that, we’re all eternally grateful.”
Lifelike Atmospheres thanks Alysha McCann and Megan Marshall, teachers at Francis Greenway High School, for their contribution to this article.