Most people these days view theatre as nothing more than an entertainment medium. In fact, you’ll mostly see theatre activities restricted to only annual school functions or Shakespeare plays in most educational institutions. However, the fact is that theatre is far beyond these limitations. At Delhi Public School Sushant Lok, ranked among the top schools in Gurgaon, we firmly believe that theatre is a wonderful educational tool that helps shape young minds in ways traditional classrooms cannot.
We believe theatre in education is crucial for students’ well-rounded personality development. It lets students learn, live, and experience communication and creativity instead of plainly learning it from textbooks. Our school uses theatre to foster various 21st-century skills in our pupils that can help them thrive in the modern world. From helping introvert students find their voice to teaching teenagers the nuances of emotional expression, theatre does a lot for students’ holistic growth and development.
Currently, we have two theatres in our school premises – The Mask (English theatre) and Rangshaala (Hindi theatre) – to foster essential skills through a wide range of theatre activities/exercises. If you’re wondering why we attach such importance to theatre in our school and how exactly it is helping our students, the following points will solve all your doubts. So, read on.
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Communication Development
We at Delhi Public School Sushant Lok very firmly believe that theatre can ease the transformation of children from hesitant speakers to confident communicators. When they frequently practice for different characters for various plays, they undergo voice modulation exercises to grasp the character-specific pitch, tone, and volume. If you watch any top celebrity, business tycoon, politician, or other impactful personalities delivering a remarkable speech, you’ll notice how they effortlessly switch their pitch, tone, and volume for maximum influence. Since theatre requires students to perform impromptu dialogues, character monologues, etc., they also learn to articulate their thoughts clearly. Your kids can do the same through regular theatre practice.
It won’t only help them deliver powerful presentations and speeches, but also strengthen their voice. For example, a student who is fearful of public speaking can become a confident anchor and host annual school functions after a few months of theatre participation.
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Creative Expression
Academic prowess is non-negotiable in the current times, but so is creative expression. This is the reason why we at Delhi Public School Sushant Lok not only work on sharpening the academic skills of our students but also encourage them to participate in theatre plays. It ignites their imagination and nurtures creative thinking in unique ways.
Today, we feel immensely proud to share that when our students receive scripts for their plays, they don’t just read the words written in the script, but they breathe life into characters through their performances. Portraying different characters enables them to think creatively about personality, motivation, and human behavior. The improvisation challenges also facilitate students’ growth by making them think on their feet.
We firmly believe that theatre participation can expand a student’s awareness by allowing them to experience different perspectives and unique interpretations. It can help students to think out of the box and find innovative solutions to already existing and emerging problems in their lives and surroundings.
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Emotional Intelligence
Whether a child wants to become a doctor, a pilot, an engineer, a musician, or something else, they will always need high emotional intelligence to succeed. At Delhi Public School Sushant Lok, our teachers thoughtfully pick plays so that when students step into the character’s shoes, they experience a range of emotions and perspectives they might never have experienced before.
We have noticed that when children who often play characters facing moral dilemmas learn to understand and portray complex emotions more effectively, developing deep emotional awareness. The continued scene practice makes students learn to recognize subtle emotional cues in other’s expressions and body language.
The best part is that this awareness stays with students, even outside the stage, and they learn to become more attuned to their peer’s feelings and better manage their own emotions. This skill can benefit students in both personal and professional life.
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Physical and Spatial Awareness
Theatre performances are not only about emotions, expressions, and dialogue delivery. They are also about developing a child’s physical presence and spatial understanding. When children practice movement exercises and stage positioning before their performance, they become more aware of their body language and its impact on their overall communication.
They eventually learn to command space confidently. So, whether it’s about maintaining appropriate distances during dialogue exchanges or utilizing the entire stage for a dramatic scene, they become masters of this skill. Children learn when to make subtle physical changes, like tilting their heads, shifting stance, measuring steps, etc., to convey different messages through their bodies. This awareness not only improves their performance but also instills confidence in them by improving their daily interactions.
Conclusion
Many people have a misconception that theatre is only for creating actors. However, we at Delhi Public School Sushant Lok, positioned among the best schools in Gurgaon, have a different take on this topic. We believe that theatres are the perfect tool for developing well-rounded individuals equipped with life skills that no textbook alone can teach. Whether it is the confidence gathered from overcoming stage fright or the empathy developed from playing a noteworthy character, the impact is far-reaching.
Children who actively participate in theatres tend to develop stronger communication, creative thinking, emotional awareness, etc., helping them grow rapidly in their lives. Hence, by means of this blog post today, we urge you all to encourage your kids and those around you to participate in theatres.