Stagecoach Blog

Why 'Creative Courage For Life' Is So Important

Every child has potential but the potential is nothing unless it is realised. It is important to teach children to unleash their potential and find their way on the stage of life.

Parents want their child to grow up being a confident, well-rounded individual so that they can go on to accomplish their dreams. Parents also need help in teaching their children the essential life skills needed to succeed in life.  This is something that most feel is lacking from today's education as schools divest from the arts.  The key attributes that make up those essential life skills are behaviours like: 

Helping children with their bravery

Parents want their children to be confident but actually what they mean is that they want their children to take risks and be able to pick themselves up if they meet failure.  Safe risk-taking through different scenarios in the disciplines of Drama, Dance and Singing allow students to explore their creative self. Rehearsals and performance bring out a willingness to take on new challenges which are often in front of their peers and loved ones. Students develop their ability to overcome anxiety in these situations and build the bravery their parents want them to have.

Allow children to express themselves

Working with a script, learning a song or choreographing a new dance routine is not just performing arts skills. By learning how to do these, children develop the ability to truly express themselves in different future life situations.  For example, they may never have spoken up about an idea within their friendship group because of dominant characters paving the way but we teach them that their ideas are worth listening to. Students need to learn how to articulate their ideas and take people along with them on their journey. They need to learn how to express themselves.

Becoming more adaptable

Starting a new class, meeting new people and adjusting in a new environment or getting into a new routine can be challenging for anyone. Developing stronger coping mechanisms early on in life gives students the opportunity to deal with change and unpredictable situations that will occur throughout life.  Changing educational programmes, the three different disciplines of the performing arts - singing, dancing and acting, different classroom environments and performance opportunities all contribute to teaching children how to be adaptable.  Change is inevitable.  It’s important for students to become so familiar with changing situations that they are more relaxed about changing dynamics in all other areas of their lives.

Nurture a child's imagination

Not every child is naturally imaginative. Some children need to learn that skill and just like a muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it gets.  Equally, others are brilliant at using their imagination from an early age.  It’s important that all students interpret and improve their imagination in their own way and learn to be confident with their ideas.  Students need to channel their imagination in creative situations as this teaches them creative problem-solving skills that come in handy later in life.

Improving a child's social skills is essential

In a diverse society, the wellbeing of children is often nurtured by making them feel like they belong to something special. Improving a child's social skills is essential to help them fit in. Navigating the journey through the performing arts can lead to students developing lifelong friendships as they enjoy activities with like-minded people. It’s a fun environment where students have a great time discovering who they are and how to work with different personalities.  Diverse educational programmes teach students team-work, empathy and most importantly how to develop strong friendships to ensure that they get the best out of their performances. These are the social skills needed throughout life!

Keeping your child active

The triple threat - singing, dancing and acting are all physically challenging at times and in different ways. Parents love the fact that students who study the performing arts are dedicating an hour each week to dance and often spend most of their drama lessons moving too.  This contributes to a healthier child in an age where screen time dominates meaning that a lot of the time they are sedentary.  Students don’t even realise that they’re doing so much exercise because they enjoy the activities so much - it’s a win, win situation! It’s an easy solution to getting kids more active.

Help them build their resilience

The very nature of the performing arts means that children build resilience. Students learn from an early age how to handle their mistakes. Whether it be a missing a note, forgetting their lines or stepping the wrong way in a dance routine, they learn that it’s okay to make mistakes. Students need to learn to own their errors and rather than crumble, learn that there is no shame but instead only respect when they get back up and have another go. 

Don't underestimate the importance of practice

Humans underestimate the importance of practice. Practice is what makes athletes appear super-human yet often we put it down to a God-given talent. Practice makes perfect and so it’s important to learn this life skill from a very young age to ensure that they take their performing arts craft seriously.  Students learn that they feel better when they have committed to being the best they can be.

Stagecoach believe that the performing arts should be afforded to everyone so that they learn, grow and thrive in creative situations after all our future is in our student's hands! At Stagecoach Performing Arts we teach those life skills through the powerful medium of the performing arts.  We call this brilliant education Creative Courage For LIfe.