Article Written by Breanna Smith.
Kids love to be creative and love to share what they have, whether this is a physical item like a bag of chocolate frogs or a talent kids love to share with as many people possible. It helps that they are being supported by a small group of people and then as a group share something new that they are proud of. It lets them share something with others who they haven't met before and continue to share with that same enthusiasm. We see what they want to aim towards and they're able to share the knowledge in that goal with people’s encouragement and support in that role.
After talking with some theatre kids it seems there are many reasons. Performing in a play allows them to be anything. They go into that scene and they are able to be whoever they want. As the character they can’t make a mistake as themselves. As a character a child is able to make mistakes and try new things. It allows them to take a break from pressure no matter how small and explore a new world. It lets children be silly. When looking at a child face to face they can often be unsure and wish to hide, being timid and unsure but once they put on a costume they able to become whoever they want to be in character. They can be silly and full of energy and ask silly questions and not be spoken down to. In a way they can be taken serious when suggesting ideas without having to be 100% serious.
Kids are able to share experience with new people as they meet new people in the cast. And they are able to learn. When a child is involved with theatre, especially community theatre which often has lower budgets, they are able to learn many skills in many topics not taught usually till an older age. They are able to learn skills about any topic from those older than them. They are able to learn how to make props for sets, learn to sow and design clothes for costumes, they are able to learn choreography for dance scenes and technique to work light and sound. By learning these out of curiosity and to occupy their time when not practicing in rehearsals they unknowingly gain skills not known by others their own age. Skills like this are taught in school. As elective subjects such as Woodworking, Home Economics, Dance in Practice and Technical Production which are all Years 11–12 subjects and most are OP subjects. While some are taught in slightly lower grades these things are still taught only in high school. By learning things such as these alongside the shows they are learning other skills that will help them in other activities and pastimes even if that is not the intention. Kids don’t just learn the script. They learn the craft that goes with it, they learn to plan in advance for backstage and how to memorise things, they learn to react to those around you and be useful in any way to keep the show going. Kids learn skills that stay with them and add to their skills and talents most times without even thinking about it.
Children are also able to perform and work with those who they look up to. An example of this can be seen with one of the kids I talked to when speaking to her she asked if I performed in KSP Production of Good Wives. I told her I had, and she excitedly told me she had seen it and Jo who I had played was her favourite character and that was why she was talking part in this play. To be brave like Jo in some ways. Here she is was able to work alongside that who she looked up to and learn from and work with. Youngsters learn from those they look up to and see how goals can be made and be achieved.
When kids perform it allows them to share what they love in this world and see different things and express different views from those around them. Because there are so many people of different ages there are many conversations and topics being spoken of leading to learning outside of skills and ideas. And depending on the play when developing characters they are able to bring in thoughts and ideas, new and old. With a fake person in a fake world they are able to test ideas and explore them seeing where they are lead to. Compared to just reading it you are able to embrace anything you want and focus on that and dream. When you explore a book you look inside and you embrace it but when you play a person in it you are able to take over and continue it in your mind after then, a script is a read and the show was performance even if it was for a short time. The kids like the freedom of proudly being someone else.
Another point is a child is able to be what they want and see themselves. An example of this is one of the children performing in the latest Pantomime show actually watched a previous performance of Little Women she took so much joy that she actually went in and joined the Pantomime to perform in this play here, you can see a very quick cause and effect. You see something you look up to and want to become and then you become it yourself though at a slightly lower level because it's an introductory row in a Pantomime but you can see how it's able to be worked up and you also working alongside those who performed before you in local theatre so the one you looked up to becomes of the one that is teaching, which is the inspiration for you which is what you made become it. If you work hard enough it's a wonderful example of how working hard can achieve your goals because you're already on the first step to your end goal.
Children want to be creative. We see this when they are allowed to act and be creative in day to day life, when playing or creating, drawing or writing in school. Theatre allows them to be creative in other ways and express themselves and express who they want to be through characters.
Theatre allows kids to explore, new skills, new talents, new people. It allows them to see new things and try and learn new ideas. When kids do theatre do they simply do it because they enjoy it and it brings them pride, and if it’s fun along the way? Well then what better reason do you need?
Thank you to KSP Theatre their latest pantomime will be performed from 11 of May more detail available at https://www.ksptheatreinc.net/elves
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