How Theater Arts Cultivates Leadership in Students
Most individuals view drama or theater arts in school as an extracurricular activity that is separate from the child’s academic and intellectual development. However, according to both the American Alliance for Theatre & Education and the Creative Advocacy Network, involvement in theater arts is linked to better academic performance and attendance among students. In fact, theater arts can be a powerful means to cultivate leadership.
Communication Skills
A good leader is a good communicator who possesses the ability to engage, motivate, and inspire their team as well as understanding their needs. Theater arts trains performers to utilize their body language, vocal projection, articulation, and expression to convey messages as effectively as possible. Moreover, since actors perform with other cast members, it also develops their active listening and observational skills.
Confidence
For most of us, speaking publicly in a room full of people is a nerve-wrecking experience. However, this is a breeze for actors who perform up on stage in front of hundreds, if not thousands, of people. By providing a platform for students to practice expressing themselves, theater arts helps to cultivate their self-confidence, giving them the ability to boldly face new and daunting situations with ease.
Creativity
Theater arts requires students to fully utilize their imagination. They need to imagine the set, the costumes, and the performance and bring them to fruition. It is an excellent opportunity for students to express themselves creatively and explore new ideas. Hence, it fosters innovative out-of-the-box trailblazers who dictate trends rather than follow them.
Adaptability
Things will not always run smoothly in a performance; there might be a forgotten line, a missing cast member, or a technical error. However, “the show must go on”. From theater arts, students will acquire the ability to improvise and adapt quickly to unforeseen challenges. This flexibility and critical thinking will be vital assets in enhancing a leader’s problem-solving skills.
Teamwork
Theater is in essence a highly collaborative activity. There is no true one-man show. Everyone, from the actors, prop department, and sound and lighting operators to the director, needs to work cohesively to ensure a show’s success. Similarly, working together well with a diverse group of individuals is essential in leadership positions.
Empathy
Good leaders need to be able to empathize with and understand their team. These traits can be nurtured via theater arts. Acting requires the student to put themselves in another person’s shoes. To fully immerse in a character, they need to learn to see things in a different perspective and imagine how another individual’s history, background, and culture will inform their future decisions.
Discipline
Theater arts may be enjoyable, but it is also a highly challenging process. A successful performance is built upon hours and hours of hard work. Memorizing lines, attending rehearsals, practicing choreography, and coordinating sets and costumes – these can become very overwhelming. However, throughout this process, students will develop the discipline and organizational skills needed to succeed both on stage and in daily life. A combination of a strong work ethic and management skills will bring forth the leader in them.
An Opportunity to Experience The Magic of Theatre Arts
At Shattuck-St. Mary’s Forest City International School, we provide the ideal creative outlet for our students to hone their performing and presentation skills. Among others, we have dance studios and a full-fledged theater with a seating capacity for over 800 people.
In addition, in conjunction with renowned international drama education institutions, Future Envision and TheArt Drama centre, Shattuck-St.Mary’s Forest City International School will be hosting English Shakespeare Boot Camp and The Art Drama 2019 Summer Camp in July. Led by professional drama education practitioners and directors, students will grow into more confident, expressive, expressive and creative individuals as they work with other students to assemble a fantastic live theatre performance. The camps will expose students to multiple aspects of theatre arts from prop creation, costume design, script-writing, story analysis to acting. Students will get the opportunity to shine on stage and unleash the leader within them. Go to https://www.ssm-fc.org/summer-camps/english-shakespeare-boot-camp/ and https://www.ssm-fc.org/summer-camps/the-art-drama-2019-summer-camp/ for more details about the summer camps.
Shattuck-St. Mary’s Forest City International School aims to develop rounded students who are skilled in multiple areas by offering opportunities to enhance their artistic abilities alongside the provision of rigorous academics. Let us shape your children into innovative leaders of tomorrow. Here, your child will shine both on and off stage. For more information on the school and our curriculum, visit https://www.ssm-fc.org/
