Category: Drama

Introduction

Life of Pi is a 2012 adventure drama film based on Yann Martel’s 2001 novel of the same name. The storyline revolves around an Indian man named ‘Pi’ Patel, who is narrating to a novelist about his life story. He tells that how at the age of 16 he became a victim of a shipwreck and was able to survive all hardships. The fact that he was in the company of a Bengal tiger for whole 227 days on a single lifeboat and how he had to survive while being in danger at all times.

This report will identify and examine the film theories about this movie ‘life of Pi’ and all the methods used in the production of it.

Film theories

Aesthetics of the film

Firstly, we will talk about the cinematography and the aesthetics of the film. Meaning that all the picturesque scenes, vivid colors and the artistic blend of fiction and reality used to create the movie. Most of the film scenes are of Pi at floating on Pacific Ocean, so there are not many aesthetic scenes, but the few that were includes in it are very beautiful. They create a completely different feeling of wonder and the outlandishly beautiful details build a different environment. The graphics used to create the magical images filled with majestic whales and the reflection of a tapestry of stars over a calm and peaceful sea takes the level of visual poetry to another level. It shows what the medium can do if you just let your imagination run free.

Cognitive theory

This theory is an assumption of what the determinants are that makes the mind react in a certain way. it is the understanding of human behavior and their intellectual power on how quickly they are able to adapt themselves to the changing environment. In this movie, it is shown in the start that Pi is a vegetarian and he cannot stand even the thought of killing an animal. But when he is stranded all alone, he is forced to eat sea food to survive. He is shown killing fish to feed himself and the Bengali tiger.

The look of disgust clearly shows his unwillingness to kill the fish, but desperate times calls for desperate measures. In order to save himself from being eaten by the tiger, he took the necessary steps to keep it well-fed and survive (Ashdown, 2013).

Film genre

This movie is purely fiction and drama. It is not based on a true story, however the way it is told invokes true feelings. Everything, from the actors to the sets and locations, the background music have all succeeded in portraying true classicalness of the movie and kept the audience engrossed in the story till the end.

Emotions through cinematography

There are many scenes that give away different kinds of emotions.

This scene was shown when Pi was on his way to Canada with his family on the ship. His expressions show that he was deep in thought, probably thinking about his new life which would start soon, or maybe he was reminiscing about his previous life and all the people he left behind with only memories to cherish now (Duncan, 2008).

These scenes show the loneliness Pi was feeling. That feeling is portrayed by showing Pi alone, sitting on a hand made raft made by himself to maintain distance from the tiger. The blank look on his face while he stares out at nothing on the sea. The scene where he witnesses a truly magical night but no one to share it with except the tiger. There are moments when Pi would find himself sharing his thought with the tiger without realizing it.

This scene shows Pi’s disgust while killing a fish but he was forced to do it to feed the tiger and because he had to feed himself as well to stay alive. It creates a feeling of pity for Pi because he had never ever harmed any living creature before but being forced to do it to protect himself.

The tiredness and fatigue portrayed is very realistic and when the tiger walks away from Pi when the have finally reached the island makes the viewres heart go out for Pi, because he did so much for the tiger yet he was left alone as soon as they reached safety. The tiger showed no loyalty which brought viewers back to the scene at the start of the film where Pi’s father had warned him that the tiger was just a wild animal and not his friend.

Mise En scene

This means the arrangement of sceneries, props, etc., on the set of the film. It is used to analyze the visual presentation of the film. It creates the nature of the character, the emotions they portray and the mood they set for their audience. The way each scene is linked to create an impact on the viewer without them even realizing it.

Methods used in filmmaking

Ariel shots

Most of the scenes were shot from above with the help of cranes. Most of the time it was used to show Pi standing on his raft and the comparison of his existence on the sea was very significant.

Handheld

It was used when Pi was climbing down the ship stairs when the ship was sinking and he was searching for his parents. The camera moved with him and gave the feeling of sinking along with the ship. (Ebert, 2020)

Camera tricks, advanced technology and photoshopping was used throughout the film and out of 142 tiger scenes, only 27 scenes were shot with a real tiger.

Conclusion

The film, Life of Pi has taken maximum advantage of all available technology with respect to cinematography, graphics and colors and has succeeded in creating a truly wonderous movie making it a memorable and unique movie.

In the final analysis, just as pi is a mathematical construct that can never be fully comprehended, the Life of Pi is essentially unfathomable; as is the battle between religion, science, and spirituality. However, just as Pi finds peace within – “Solitude began. I turned to god. I survived”-perhaps the final message of the film is one that simply urges us to find peace within as well. (Meaning, Faith and The Life of Pi; Psychology today)

References

1. Ebert, R. (2020). Life of Pi movie review & film summary (2012) | Roger Ebert. Retrieved 18 February 2020, from https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/life-of-pi-2012
2. Ashdown, B. K. (2013). “Faith Is a House With Many Rooms”: Religion and Spirituality in Life of Pi. Psyccritiques, 58(22).
3. Duncan, R. (2008). ‘ Life of Pi’ as Postmodern Survivor Narrative. Mosaic: a journal for the interdisciplinary study of literature, 167-183.

In the novel “Life of Pi.” Pi faces many challenges. The story begins when the ship skins due to a chaotic storm. After the incident, only Pi and a tiger named Richard Parker survive. At life the end of the story, Pi comes out of the ordeal alive and moves to Canada. Richard Parker then abandons Pi. Pi survives his time in the Pacific because of the absolute Primacy of Survival. The Primacy of Survival in Life of Pi, is Pi’s urgency and craving to survive at all costs. Survival is essential for every living being. There is no shortage of lengths that beings will go to survive, because of the absolute necessity for survival, Pi, during his time in the pacific, ends up facing external and internal conflict that he copes with by using personification.

Elements such as the sun and storms act as huge opponents to Pi, but perhaps a more obvious one would be Richard Parker, the tiger. Near the beginning of the story Pi is on a cargo ship headed for Canada that is transporting numerous wild animals, but when a storm hits Pi is forced into a stressful situation that is dire: “The weather wasn’t entertaining anymore. I was very afraid. Now it was plain and obvious: the ship was listing badly… I looked overboard… It was as unbelievable as the moon catching fire.” Pi’s sense of fear in this quote is quite clear. Pi equates the weather to be as shocking and “unbelievable as the moon catching fire”. Comparing the weather to something unnatural like “the moon catching fire” gives us an understanding of how terrible the situation must have been. The storm eventually sinks the cargo ship and Pi is left in the middle of the ocean, alone on a life raft with only a select few animals. The Primacy of Survival then takes hold of Pi as he starts planning his survival: “I began to wait. My thoughts swung wildly. I was either fixed on practical details of immediate survival or transfixed by pain, weeping silently, my mouth open and my hands at my head.” Pi doesn’t mourn when he’s working out the immediate details of survival, after this Pi begins to go into denial about the accident, thinking that people will come to save him and that his family is on a different life raft. This connects back to main conflict on the novel which is “Pi’s fight for survival”. When days pass, and as Pi becomes more detached from reality becomes anxious and nearly causes his death: “My legs drummed upon the tarpaulin. A more obvious rapping on Richard Parker’s door couldn’t be imagined. The trembling spread to my arms and it was all I could do to hold on.” Pi tries to be comedic and playful so far during his time at sea, this helps him to keep calm and have some sense of sanity. But an uncontrollable fear takes hold of Pi, as if he starts to realize the severity of his situation. He’s unable to calm his body and his trembling is so bad he almost incites Richard Parker to attack him.

Pi faces many mental challenges while at sea, with the death of his family playing on his mind and anxiety acting up, Pi questions his faith in a higher power, but ultimately ends up using his faith to help him keep his sanity at sea. Before Pi sets out on the cargo ship to Canada-which would later sink-Pi is shown to be a very religious person, but he also seems to have questions about his beliefs: “But once a dead God, always a dead God, even resurrected. The Son must have the taste of death forever in his mouth. The Trinity must be tainted by it; there must be a certain stench at the right hand of God the Father. The horror must be real. Why would God wish that upon Himself?” Pi struggles with the beliefs of the Christian faith. How could a God die? Don’t humans suffer and die while hoping to be accepted into heaven. Pi’s acceptance of Christianity and hoping to get into heaven, in some ways, prepares him for his own suffering and near-death experience in the Pacific. With the recent deaths of his family, Pi begins to question his faith, but as the sole human survivor of the shipwreck Pi has nobody else to console him in his loss. This causes him to seek out comfort in some other way, which ends up being talking to Richard Parker as if he was a counsellor: “They too have drowned. Every single thing I value in life has been destroyed. And I am allowed no explanation? I am to suffer hell without any account from heaven?” In this quote Pi is explaining how he feels after the wreck to Richard Parker, which is a tiger. Pi thoughts are muddled and he isn’t thinking straight. Pi craves human connection and since his family drowned, the closest thing his has to companion is a tiger. Anxiety plays on Pi’s mind a lot while he is at sea. This causes many issues for Pi, a notable example is the time he nearly got himself killed by Richard Parker for drumming his legs. Pi’s first night on the life raft has him worrying about numerous things “my anxiety grew. Everything about the end of the day scared me. At night a ship would have difficulty seeing me. At night the hyena might become active again” Pi becomes scared as night approaches. Night obscures vision, so Pi would not be able to see if a boat came or his rescue, or might not see the hyena attack. This also relates back to the central conflict in the book, which is “Pi’s fight for survival”.

During his time at sea Pi uses personification to help him cope with the extreme situation he has been cast into which has left him the sole human survivor of a ship wreck.

“The poor dear looked so humanly sick! It is a particularly funny thing to read human traits in animals” Pi is describing “Orange Juice” who is an orangutan who floats up to the lifeboat on a raft of bananas after the wreck. After Pi’s loses his family he is desperate for human contact and as such projects human traits onto Orange Juice to help him be at ease.

Primacy of Survival is the central theme in “Life of Pi,” it is mainly represented through the journey of Pi as he becomes more and more desperate to survive. When Pi becomes more detached from reality he chooses to deal with his situation by using personification until he is eventually washed ashore in Mexico. The author, Yann Martel, created a gripped narrative that has an interesting message. The message that Yann Martel delivers is that the Primacy of Survival is so strong that individuals will go to extreme lengths in order to survive, this is displayed perfectly with Pi on his journey through life in the pacific with a tiger named Richard Parker

Elizabethan drama developed upon the medieval Miracle plays, Morality, Interlude, Masques, and Pantomime that largely dealt with biblical and mythological themes. The Tudor dynasty introduced secular themes in drama; exercising his monarchical powers, “…Henry VIII was inadvertently legitimizing great national issues as subjects for plays.” (Saquet, 1968, pp .105.). Queen Elizabeth I, on her part, built three prominent outdoor theatres: The Rose, The Swan, and The Globe.

The European Renaissance made a deep impact on English Drama; Richard Green (1974) in his History of the English People remarked, “Few events in our literary history are so startling as this sudden rise of the Elizabethan drama.” Latin plays gained popularity after the successful performance of Nicholas Udall’s Ralph Royster Royster (1552), an adaptation of Miles Gloriosus of Plautus, an old Latin comedy. The University Wits preserved the purity of the classics, but it was subverted in the hands of the nativists.

Like in prose and poetry, the radical shift in the Elizabethan drama occurred at the big “psychological moment”, encapsulating the new patriotic fervor unleashed by the British victory at the Battle of Armada. Lyle, Nash, and Marlow upturned the crass theatre into refined dramatics while inspiring national pride. Marlowe’s Tamburlaine, written in 1587, in its prologue, underlining this spirit stated: “…We’ll lead you to the stately tent of war, Where you shall hear the Scythian Tamburlaine Threatening the world with high-astounding terms…”

Ben Jonson (1573-1637) was an accomplished Elizabethan dramatist. Most of his plays like Volpore, using satire, served as critical insights into the urban English society’s superficial values and deceit, especially that of London during the era. His other important dramas were The Alchemist, Bartholomew Fair, and Epicoene.

However, the most astounding literary luminary of the Elizabethan age was William Shakespeare. Speaking of Shakespeare’s genius, Goethe (1749-1832) remarked, “I do not believe that any book or person or event in my life ever made such a great impression on me as the plays of Shakespeare. They appear to be the work of some heavenly genius.” The bright optimism generated by Shakespearean drama can be aptly described by one of his lines in Romeo and Juliet: “Night’s candles are burnt out, and jocund day stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops.”

Shakespeare’s comedies and tragic plays have transfixed readers and scholars generation after generation; “The plays have held the stage, the poetry is in our minds, the characters have become archetypes” (Bate, 1998). His comedies, full of wit, vivid imagination, and playful characters included Comedy of Errors, Love’s Labours Lost, The Tempest, and As You Like It. His tragedies, along with their intense dramatic power, on the other hand, reflect pessimism with humanity. Hamlet, for instance, perceives the fragility of human strength as a human clock – the touch on one wheel tends to destabilize the working of the rest.

It was during Shakespeare’s lifetime that the Elizabethan drama witnessed its downfall; chiefly because of vulgarity and sensationalism creeping into it. Thanks to the unpleasant handiwork of the popular dramatists and its fierce rejection by the Puritan zeal, Elizabethan theatre gradually receded into its sunset days. The British Parliament eventually closed down theatres for being hubs of evil degeneration (Young, 2006).   

What is Drama?

There is a few definition of drama but the most common is that drama is to revive a word, a concept, an experience, an event by developing games or games. It is a kind of literature which is written in poetic, narrative or dialogues and consists of the writing of the genealogical text. It should be considered as a term which shows common feature of all kinds of theater products, not only the common feature of the self-proclaimed works in theater writing, It is the use of Greek word “dromenon’’ as the action. In the Greeks, drama was directly used to mean “living’’. In the Oxford dictionary, the word drama refers to ‘’a stage play and dramatic art’’. Another meaning in Greek is to ‘’play’’. Since the development of the ancient theater, this word is not ”anybody doing anything’’ but that ‘’a certain person doing something that is meaningful to the participants’’. It’s a way for people to turn their designs into action. Drama is a set of situations that exist in every action and acquisition of man.

The History of Drama

Named In the USA as “Creative Drama’’, in the UK as ‘‘Drama in Education’’, in the Federal Republic of Germany as ‘‘School Game’’ and ‘‘Game and Interaction’’, In the field of ‘‘Creative Drama in Education’’, it is quite likely to see the first practices of drama lesson in the classroom was performed by Harriet – Finloy Johnson, a village teacher. This practice as the first drama lesson is a kind of ‘‘make believe play’’. In 1921, John Dewey’s child-centered understanding of education and behavior development by playing, saving the individual from passivity cause an active playground that allowed the individual to express himself. In this approach, which has been given more importance to process rather than the product or the result, it was started from child’s games. In the 1970s, Dorothy Heathcote reconstructed and described drama. He did not immediately give the children and young people the opportunity and freedom to express themselves, unlike the others. Heathcote may seem authoritarian with these thoughts, but the aim was to teach the students how to use their powers gradually.

The Importance of Drama

In drama, there is an interaction between the real world and the fictional world. Drama by the participant, it feels like it is real and real feelings are experienced. From this point of view, fiction is intertwined with reality. Individuals who participate in drama studies learn situations, events and relationships in drama process. Participants use their knowledge and experience in the real world to create an imaginary world in drama and learn to study events and relationships in defining situations and roles they design in drama. Drama is a learning tool that has emerged in children’s spontaneous plays, enhancing participants’ artistic sensitivity, awareness of people and the world, and developing their imagination. Drama is an area used in education to power the game. The playful feature of drama is noteworthy that it is suitable for creative actions and creativity processes. Because of these characteristics, it is possible to use drama in education.

The Benefits of Drama

The benefits of drama enable the individual to recognize the limits of the body and to develop the body in a multi-faceted way. it allows the emotions to be noticed and expressed. It develops the four basic language skills (speaking, listening, reading, writing) and improves the quality and use of language. It enables the development and creativity of creativity. It increase decision-making power and ability to communicate positively with individuals. Drama brings experience with different events and situations. It develops the ability to express feelings and thoughts verbally and physically. Since drama is done by playing games, it helps to understand and concretize abstract and theoretical events and concepts.

Drama for Languge Teaching

Through creative drama activities, individuals gain the skills of thinking, speaking, listening and understanding. Drama enriches the repertoire of his communication and linguistic behavior, which is similar to the play, in which the individual in the real life, plays a particular role, and acts verbally and non-verbally against the role. It is argued that drama develops not only verbal but also non-verbal communication skills. It is seen that individuals use verbal and non-verbal language very effectively in drama studies. Individuals acquire the skills of thinking, speaking, listening, telling and communicating with each other while taking part in these activities. In language development; developing self-confidence while speaking, increasing the vocabulary, expressing ideas, gaining the ability to interact with people, using different languages in different situations, defining, discussing and evaluating skills.

Benefits of Using Drama

In this article, it is stated that the use of drama benefits from EFL / ESL class. The benefits were collected as follows; Gaining meaningful, fluent interaction in the target language, a whole contextualized and interactive approach, assimilating all pronunciations and a series of prosodics, a student who learns the target language in the context of a completely new concept and structure. This also suggests that the teacher will be a supporter of the learning process and will allow the student to explore the language activities.

Using Drama in Teaching Language

In this essat it was claimed that using drama in teaching language raises the student’s awareness towards the target language and culture. The advices about using drama for learners are that; gaining life experience, making their extra linguistic world meaningful in an effective way. The benefits of using drama is sorted as following; stimulates the imagination and promotes creative thinking, develops critical thinking skills, promotes language development, heightens effective listening skills, strengthens comprehension and By including senses as an integral part of the learning process, the learning attitude increases the empathy and awareness of others, encourages peer respect and group cooperation, strengthens the concept of positive self, and gives teachers a fresh perspective on teaching.

Dramatic Performance in Teaching Drama in EFL Contexts

This work argues that with dramatic performance in English theater, the teacher can improve the drama knowledge of English literature students. The research was conducted during an academic semester for 60 semesters. Students enrolled in English drama II courses. There were two groups as experimental and control groups. The researchers taught the experimental group how to accomplish the games with their role-playing strategy. Participants in the control group normally examined the contents of the same games without any performance. A final success test was applied to both groups and the results showed a significant difference between the two groups in favor of the experimental group. As a result, it was claimed that literature students did not only perform traditional comprehension activities, but also analyze the characters and the story as well as play games.

Facilitating English Language Teaching (ELT) through Drama

In this research, it was shown that students in their oral communication studies had the potential to engage students kinesthetically, emotionally, and cognitively – activities that could facilitate them when interacting in English. Drama activities helps learners to transform a number of unpleasant feelings and sensations like tension, resistance, embarrassment, and shyness into positive ones such as ease and confidence. Through the repetition and pacing of drama activities, students learns how to gauge their comfort level as they became more acquainted with the extroverted side of language learning.

Using Local Drama in Writing and Speaking: EFL Learners’ Creative Expresssion

This study which is aimed at describing the students activities in writing script of local drama and act out the drama were done through observation. It applies qualitative approach. It is intended to figure out the the students’ activities in conducting the steps of writing the script and conducting local drama. The findings of this study show on how to teach writing script in English by encouraging the students’ employment of genre and steps of writing and perform their creative expression by conducting drama.

Nine drama activities for foreign language classrooms: Benefits and challenges

This article aims to illustrate nine types of drama activities that can be used in foreign language classes. Drama can be effectively integrated into all foreign language classes in order to achieve communicative goals by integrating four basic language skills, lexis and grammar structures. In this presentation, English teachers presented nine types of drama activities compiled from various sources, while the benefits of implementing drama activities were emphasized. With regard to the criteria to be used in the implementation of drama activities, the difficulties of applying drama activities in foreign language courses will be shared.

Drama in the Mixed-Ability EFL Classroom

This study is the result of trying to use drama skills to teach English as a foreign language with special caution in a mixed class classroom environment. It starts with a comprehensive examination of research on the use of drama for teaching English as a foreign language. She then examines my experience in the classroom through personal observation and unstructured interviews. The discussion focuses on the main benefits of the use of drama in the EFL class, including increasing the students’ motivation and self-confidence, as well as achieving the aims of communicative language teaching.

The Effectiveness of Drama Techniques on Foreing Language Classroom

The study aimed to explore the types of Foreing Language Classroom Anxiety that Thai FLA students have, to study the effect of drama techniques on the levels of FLCA of Thai EFL students, to examine drama activities that effect English language learnerning of Thia EFL students with FLCA, and improve drama techniques for reducing FLCA. Participants are 44 non-English university students selected by non-random sampling method.The research instruments were eight drama techniques-based lesson plans, FLCA questionnarie and guided questions for focus group discussion. The quantitive data were analyzed by mean, standart deviation, and t-test while thequalitative data were analyzed by content analysis technique.

Drama and CLIL: The Power of Connection

This article deals with both Drama and CLIL as English motivating forces and analyzes the relationship between the two approaches. The five dimensions of CLIL are analyzed not only by the subject of content but also by Drama as an appropriate CLIL technique. It has been shown that the practical activities required for drama fit a number of dimensions of CLIL and are actually embedded in the drama experience, which leads to a more effective language acquisition. Not only do both approaches motivate students through participation and connection, but both approaches are connected to the learning experience by integrating the whole learner into the learning experience.

Effects of Teaching of Modern Drama As a Method for Speaking Fluency

The use of modern dramas (Vendor’s Death by Arthur Miller) in ELT classes can enable students to participate actively in conversation and improve speech fluency and speech accuracy. This study was designed in the form of experimental research and the data of this study was collected in 25 languages by English and Jumbo Department of Payam Noor University, I.R.Iran literature students. There are some aspects of fluent speech for this research. Vocabulary and expression, structures, smooth conversation, interaction and intonation. The data are analyzed speech texts to see progress after being treated four times. The result shows that students are encouraged in some areas indicated by excellence in speaking skills, vocabulary and clarity.

Introduction

Pre-school play and creative dramatics in today’s educational system remains the primary steps to pre-school education. This educational steps are important ways of articulating the persons feeling in a healthy manner; to improve the child’s imagination, to enable child to reflect and act independent, to improve the child’s group cognizance and supportive consciousness. Drama

provides the child both as personal and as an individual in the community to maximize his potential which is the target of all educational programs (Ömeroglu, 2006c). Drama is pedagogy that is founded on the notion of experiential learning (Glenn Pearce, 2006).

Definition

Drama is a process where participants are encouraged to explore, create, experiment, and discover. It is a process in which they may be using or developing the skills of a performer (Kelin 2009).

Drama remains as an action which can be measured essentially in the learning process. It helps children and teacher in many methods and have several mental benefits. Drama is a field that makes the individual active, and affects the cognitive, affective, dynamic, and social aspects of a person. (Aysem Tombak, 2014).

Types of Drama

Drama imitates human conduct in the usage of a story through acting and dance. Drama can be generally classified into three diverse forms. It would opera, pantomime, and creative drama.

• Opera: A form was accepted cordially during the Revival period due to its flexibility.
• Pantomimes: These were poised with protecting the subject of folk stories as the major component and representation occupying a noticeable spot.
• Creative drama: It is the contemporary sort of theatre, which was disseminated typically by youths, possessing inborn drama abilities. Platform appearances and dramas were structured in institutes and schools, which provided a stage for students to show their ability.

There are 4 diverse types of theatre that can be used in preschool. It makes learning more impressive because students get the idea that dramatic events are fun and so they are unperturbed and produce more

Comedy

A humor play makes us laugh when the play is well- produced with the hilarious features. The story is typically based on actual characters, funny practices in natural life, or any type of fun-filled circumstances. A amusing drama can also be cynical and coarse. The tone of the drama is soft and has pleased completions most of the time. Putting together a funny drama entails a great level of understanding and sensitive capabilities, because inciting laughter is not easy and takes a lot of preparation.

Tragedy

It is one of the first-born methods of drama. It depicts the difficulty and misery of humans to the viewers. The seamless sample of a sad drama is Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The subject of a tragedy usually rotates about the wrecks of a reign, collapse of man, expressive infidelities, ethical delay, individual loss, demise, and rejections. A calamity when poised and indorsed well can have an impact on you intensely. These seldom have pleased finales.

Melodrama

Stage show is amplification of feelings. It’s noticeable by outpouring of reactions, which is a method to make the personality and the plan more interesting to the watchers who are watching the drama. People may not get a round of applause in a melodrama as it can occasionally flop. This is due too much display of feelings and it turns out to be dull. On the contrary, a splendidly performed stage show plan, can captivate you complete self in it. These are frequently portrayed by the decent and wicked phases of the appeals elaborated.

Musical

Dance, melody and song, plays a momentous role in a melodic drama. The musical will tell a story which is taken through melody and dance laterally with conversations and drama. The composition should be in tandem with the movements, and the actor regularly uses dance as a resource of self -expressiveness. There may be an ensemble group who is well practiced with the plan and the usage of melody. Melodic drama turn out to be extensive as opera, which is still reflected to be passionately affective.

A drama can be classified into the types as expressed above, yet people like to tryout their expertise to yield several new varieties. The drama can be sustained in a solo plan with a combination of all these key arrangements to provide a flavor to the viewers. The theatre gets carved into the thoughts of the watchers when the implementation of the script is translated into the platform presentation, and the harmonization between group members are completely flawless. It creates a deep impression.

Importance of Drama in child education

There are a lot of recognized study carried out on the affirmative impacts from drama, especially on young children. The benefits are bodily, passionate, social, and they help to cultivate a healthy appreciation of values and talents. Every day my teachers witness first-hand the welfares of drama for young children.

Drama builds confidence

Aspects of performing arts, especially improvisation, helps children to understand how to appraise situations and be more confident going into unfamiliar situations. Students learn to trust their ideas and abilities. Confidence gained from learning performing arts skills applies to school, career, and life. Even shy of children in our preschool take just a few weeks to gently build up their self-confidence and slowly becomes confident to take a full and active part in drama sessions. A constant positive coaching is required.

Drama helps concentration

In every drama sessions our children are encouraged to listen to each other’s thoughts and views and to take turns. These activities allow children to identify the value of concentration; a skill that is crucial in the outer surroundings of their home. Playing, practicing, and performing will improve the capability and talents to be able to focus the mind, the body, and the voice.

Drama helps develop language and communication skills

Learning new songs, playing new games and joining in fictitious play, all contribute to a child’s developing verbal and nonverbal communication vocabulary. They are encouraged to express themselves both verbally and through facial expression and body language. This is the vital in making them better communicators. This benefits young children through their life. It improves vocal projection, articulation, tone of speech and expression including listening and observation skills.

Drama encourages children to cooperate

Cooperation is required in every aspect of drama, games including singing together. Children quickly realizes that to get the best out of drama or play sessions, cooperation is a much-needed skill. Merging the creative ideas and the abilities of all children is required for the finest effects in a drama. This requires all those taking part to engage in rehearsing the script well to ensure the performance becomes flawlessly with the help of teachers feedback.

Drama supports numeracy skills

Drama can also help children in their numeracy skills. Counting the number of beats in a preschool song can help them in counting. In our daily sessions the numbers are introduced by using their fingers that includes flash cards for recognition. The use of percussion in a drama can help to develop essential numeracy skills.

Drama supports children to appreciate the world around them

My teachers frequently search for a range of different subjects and introduce their children to a diversity of real and make-believe situations each week. This helps in sparking the children interest in the world in which they live and making them more inquisitive little people. Being imaginative and learning to make resourceful choices helps children to be better at thinking of new ideas. Einstein indicated that imagination is more essential than understanding.

Drama develops empathy

Children are constantly encouraged to act out a range of emotions in the safe and supportive environment of a drama class. Understanding characters and roles of a drama, allows children to relate better to different situations, experiences, and beliefs. It inspires them to show empathy and acceptance for others. This enables each child to understand the feelings of the other.

Drama assists physical fitness

In a drama we teach children to play simple percussion instruments. There will be two groups. One playing the instruments and the other the drama. We create simple movement sequences such as stamping the leg and play drama games. All this can be a part of designed to help children gain mastery over their growing bodies. These movements sequences performed in a drama can help improve flexibility, coordination, balance, and control.

Drama develops creativity

Our children in preschool are taught through thematic approach. This approach helps in the improvisation and imaginary play that encourages the development of creativity as our children can lead the direction of the drama themselves. They too can come up with answers to complications in role and respond creatively to a range of pretend situations. Creative children can view things in new ways and from different viewpoints. They can think sensibly and generate new ideas.

Drama nurtures friendships

Our teachers have noticed that drama can create strong bonds between children as they laugh, learn and grow together every week. Drama brings elements of play, humor, and laughter to those children taking part. It improves their enthusiasm and reduces anxiety and tension.

The progress of drama and role at first, may not meet the objectives but improvisation can be done progressively. The word “help” in the drama gives children the idea to understand others in a situation of compassion. The communication language used indicates that something has gone wrong and needs immediate attention. The verbal expression and physical action of friends to aid a friend who is “trapped” in the forest is seen and understood. The role played by the children in the drama in repetition would overcome the fear of acting. Finally when the “trapped” friend is freed, the teachers would anticipate that every child in the drama would have gain self-confidence.

Conclusion

Drama helps children to discover that it is necessary to live with other people in a harmony and cooperation with them (Önder, 2007). Drama is a key component of children education where they start to understand how to concentrate and build individual confidence. It helps in the language of communication verbally and physically through their actions. The language literacy is enhanced.

It leads children to use their minds to creatively wonder, hands to experiment and words to share ideas. It nurtures friendship and empathy and help children overcome fear.

INTRODUCTION

Drama involves performance and it has been used as a tool in the line of education, it involves self-expression and way of learning. This aspect of drama involves the students socially, emotionally and physically to relate well with others and the issues that affect them in their day to day lives.

The activities involved in the drama such as improvisation, enactment or even pantomime engages the participant’s creativity and improves their critical thinking skills.

Drama is a very powerful tool when it comes to education. It enables the student to have the skill of problem- solving, thus, the student develops some sense in their thinking, emotions and even their set of goals in life. During the performance, a student may find himself relating to the activities taking place around him and relate them to what’s actually happening in his daily life and the problems he faces in life, it will provide some solutions to these problems hence, the student’s creativity to solve such problems will be developed, Snowman, Jack (1997).

Consequently, drama enhances communication skills within the students, during the performance, each and every student is expected to participate, this enables those to express themselves and communicate to each other as the performances are not preplanned, and they depend on the creativity of the individual at a specific time depending on the topic.

Dramatization enables the students to interpret their emotional feelings as well as that of the others. Peoples reaction towards some topics can be easily identified only if there is an expression of emotions, for example, when there is a play connected with the death of parents and children remaining orphans, there is a way others will react to such a topic not only those that are affected but even the other students can be able to express their attitude and remorsefulness to the idea. Which is actually good, it enables students to share other people’s pain and suffering or even happiness.

Therefore, a drama is a tool that allows participation, demonstration, observation and is open in a non-threatening environment. This tool enhances creativity and promotes confidence among the students as they feel free to express their ideas effectively.

It also provides a platform where students develop self-discipline, accepting whom they really are, ability to defend themselves positively when they are being criticized and even the ability to corporate well with others and accepts them always despite their differences in social, economic and physical appearance, Farrell, P. (2010).

Psychology of classroom performance

Performances in class enable the student to develop some skills which in turn helps him in class activities such as reading. These skills include:

Cognitive

Children who engage in performances improve their verbal skills, they develop a sense of understanding of texts. These skills include reading, understanding of the story or even the subject, their vocabulary becomes rich. This, in turn, has improved academic progress among these students, Huitt, W; Hummel, J (2003).

Emotional

Children learn how to deal with their emotions and get to understand the emotions of others as well as their own. This is made easy if they participate in a drama which actually deals with a set of different emotions. They learn to express and suppress them accordingly. They develop a self-concept which connects to emotional knowledge, this is extended in academics.

Social

After engaging in drama, children become closer to each other, this enhances the ability to create friendship amongst them and this culminates to social communication, imitation and even social creativity. This in return leads to performance in academics as the children will always feel free to discuss with their fellows or even ask questions freely in class.

Principles of Educational psychology

Growth mindset

Students who focus on this principle are able to excel in academics, they are able to discuss what affects them and what they are unable to understand in class, this is rectified in drama because the student who participates well in these performances will have a different turn in the mind. Her mindset malleability is accurate.

Prior knowledge

Student’s prior knowledge affects both his conceptual growth and change, the students are able to add something new to what they already have and remove the errors or mistakes they always have about certain knowledge. This is manifested in drama during performances, they will learn to omit the errors they always make and add to the knowledge of what they already have a clue of.

Limit of stage theories

It is noticed that cognitive development and education are not limited by stages of development. It is notable that these changes do not affect learning at all cost, in fact, the students with such changes will always approach older people with different abilities for instructions. This is also manifested in drama as it enhances social communication which in the long run enable students to connect with other students irrespective of their social status.

Facilitating context

Helping students understand the topic is made easier when they are taken by the teacher from context to the other. The easiest way is to have students use their knowledge about a particular unit which will give a solution to problems happening in the real work, this is directly connected to drama in education. They will relate well to the problems outlined in the drama and find solutions to the problems.

Practice

Students who practice what they have learnt in class are able to adjust well in academics, this will increase their knowledge, skills and even confidence with others. Just like during performance, they talk to each other, express their emotions, with constant practice it is made possible. This applies in their day to day lives.

Feedback

Giving the students immediate feedback and responses increase learning and even motivation to engage in academic activities. This is very important in the learning process. This is manifested in drama, there is a problem created and a possible solution given at the same time during the performance. There is immediate feedback at hand.

Self-regulation

Students are supposed to learn to have self-control, organization, planning, and memory strategies and improve their learning skills. These skills give them the ability to highlight some concepts that they need to do a lot of practice.

Proponents

Plato and Aristotle

These researchers came up with the differences in education, body training, and the formation of good character, the possibilities and limits in education. They even came up with the effects of music and poetry in education, the growth of an individual and the role of a teacher to students. Knowledge has the ability to evolve gradually through experience and understanding of the individual. Plato even came up with the principle of association which includes, contrast, similarity, succession and contiguity, Toomas (2011).

John Locke

John suggested that learning was only achievable through experience only and most people are born without knowledge, they acquire it. His argument suggested that understanding knowledge is only built on knowledge and experience. He further explains that learning can only be done through experiences of the external force Lucas, Blazek, & Riley, (2005).

Juan Vives

Juan believed in direct observation and investigation of the study of nature. He emphasized that the location of the school really mattered to the learning process, the environment really matters, the air quality should be good and there should be enough food for the students and teachers. He, therefore, suggested that practice is the tool to education.

Johann Herbart (1776-1841)

This is the father of educational psychology, he believed that learning was affected by interest in the subject and the teacher, therefore, teachers should review the materials that have been learnt by the students for easy understanding.

Conclusion

Drama in education is very vital for the students learning. It enables the students to acquire some important skills such as problem- solving, creativity, literacy skills and the aspect of social interaction amongst them.

Consequently, with the principles of education when put into place enables the students to cope well in their learning environment, just like Juan Vives said, an environment in which the students learn on is much important as it affects their thinking, it should be eco-friendly and flexible depending on the nature of learning.

Reference

1. Berliner, David. ‘The 100-Year Journey Of Educational Psychology’ (PDF).
2. Weiner, B. (2000). Interpersonal and intrapersonal theories of motivation from an attributional perspective. Educational Psychology Review, 12, 1–14.
3. Demetriou, A. & Valanides, N. (1998). A three level of theory of the developing mind: Basic principles and implications for instruction and assessment. In R.J. Sternberg & W.M. Williams (Eds.), Intelligence, instruction, and assessment (pp. 149–99). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
4. Farrell, P. (2010). School psychology: Learning lessons from history and moving forward. School Psychology International, 31(6), 581-598. ^ Lucas, J.L.; Blazek, M.A. & Riley, A.B. (2005). The lack of representation of educational psychology and school psychology in introductory psychology textbooks. Educational Psychology, 25, 347–51.
5. Furth, H.G. & Wachs, H. (1975). Thinking goes to school: Piaget’s theory in practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press
6. Huitt, W; Hummel, J (2003). ‘Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development’. Educational Psychology Interactive. ^4. 8. Toomas Lott (2011). ‘Plato on the Rationality of Belief, Trames’, 15, 339-364
7. ‘The History of Educational Psychology’. Cortland.edu. Retrieved May 5, Snowman, Jack (1997). Educational Psychology: What Do We Teach, What Should We Teach?. ‘Educational Psychology’, 9, 151-169 ^
8. Zimmerman, B.J. & Schunk, D.H. (Eds.) (2003). Educational psychology: A century of contributions. Mahwah, NJ, US: Erlbaum.

Introduction:

In this essay, I am writing about how drama therapy can help people suffering from the mental health of different conditions and their severity. I was inspired to write this due to personal struggles with mental health, I found it an interesting topic to research about how this different form of therapy could be used to help all ages and mental health disabilities. This topic also interested me due to there is an increasing rise in mental health cases as the world becomes more educated and more socially accepted. The stigma behind having mental health is slowly fading as everyone speaks up more about their mental health. As there is an increase in mental health the government has helped fund support and campaigns. It is believed that only 10% of the population suffers from a mental health condition of sorts if that is only one or more. Mental health is an ever-growing topic and there are becoming increased ways to cope with it from medication to a creative arts approach of drama in therapy form.

The History of Mental Health:

As previously stated, the stigma of having mental health issues is slowly fading away as people become increasingly educated. However, this was not always the case it used to be believed that mental health conditions and illnesses were due to the product of supernatural forces and demonic possession, and this often led to primitive treatment practices. Up to the early 20th century, it was believed that mental health was caused by the supernatural. Only in the last hundred years have the views drastically started to change with the fact there is a better understanding that mental health is a ‘unique disease.’ In the past, those who were believed to have mental health conditions were usually punished by physical restraint and solitary confinement in the asylums of the time. As knowledge emerged in the early nineteen hundreds American psychologist John B. Watson and neurologist Sigmund Freud believed there were two ways mental health came about, through psychodynamics and behaviorism. They discovered that treatments should involve methods of adaptive reconditioning. As time progressed and a better understanding was created things such as antipsychotic drugs and different forms of therapy came about such as Drama Therapy.

Drama Therapy:

Drama therapy is the intentional use of drama and theatrical ways to achieve therapeutic goals. Drama therapy is an active practice, and experiential used for all age groups. This approach can provide the context for participants to tell their stories, set goals, solve problems, and express feelings. The term Drama Therapy first came to in the early 1900s by an author, who had been interested in children’s play and had written about it in a paper that was given to Medical Association. However, it also dates back to the early 18th century when it was used in Europe in a more ritual-type form in mental health hospitals. Drama therapy is used in multiple ways and a variety of settings, including hospitals, schools, mental health centers, prisons, and businesses.

Pete Slade is a forerunner in the sphere of dramatic play with an interest in special needs and sets out to describe his personal experience gathered over 60 years in this field. He wrote his book Child Play, the books give a fascinating insight into the highly creative and sensitive minds of children, and how to use their playful techniques to help others. The book includes a range of topics with it is Contexts are various and play in and out of school, drama therapy, adult training, personality development, and dance are all considered. The effects and implications of recent legislation and developments are also discussed.

To become a dramatherapist you must meet the statutory regulator of drama therapists the HCPC and the professional body is the Association of Dramatherapists (BAD). There are currently four post-graduate training courses in Dramatherapy that lead to a qualification approved by the Health Professions Council, accredited by the Association of Dramatherapists, and recognized by the Department of Health. These courses are offered at Roehampton University, University of Derby, Central School of Speech and Drama, and Anglia Ruskin University.

Drama Therapy in a University:

Drama Therapy is a compulsory session for some students at Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama specifically for those studying a variation of screen design and production. I interviewed a student studying BA Hons in Stage management and technical theatre. They have one compulsory session for every production show they produce, due to some of the hard and sensitive topics and themes that are within the show. This has been implemented by the university as they have an understanding the students working on the shows do not take in the themes of the production as they are too focused on their tasks ahead, it is only until after the shows the themes have time to sink in. One example of them having drama therapy was after producing the show ‘London Road’ which is about the Ipswich murders, which contains sensitive topics. The drama therapists exposed these themes to the students after the show period was completed. This left the students feeling uncomfortable due to being forced to talk about topics they do not necessarily want to talk about within a group for an hour with people they are necessarily friends or acquaintances with. The students have informed me that they complained about the way the university uses drama therapy and that the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama rebranded the sessions from ‘Drama Therapy’ to ‘Drama Process,’ however, it is still the same concept leaving students crying. The Student I interviewed stated ‘No one enjoys it. It is a great option to have to book a one-to-one if we are struggling It is a great thing to have. However, a mandatory group session is horrible for some people as it is not a nice environment.’ They then went on to say ‘It is high pressure and horrible. I am quite sure all of us have complained.’ In this instance, the university has not used drama therapy to help their students to the best of their abilities.

They explained one of the sessions they had with the drama therapist after a show, someone opened up about issues and thoughts that pressured the other students into feeling as if they have to open up just as much when they do not want to in front of course mates. They do exercises sitting in a circle in a room, going around saying how they feel out of ten, the student felt as if they had to lower their number to match how others were feeling to not bring them down as they felt like a nine whilst others stated, they felt like a two or a three. This puts students in an uncomfortable situation. Sometimes the drama therapist brings out toys she gets the students to pick one that represents a theme of the show, they had to ‘explain why they picked it and place it in the middle of the circle and explain the positioning’ to help them express their feelings about the themes.

Drama Therapy in a Hospital:

However, hospitals help their patients express how they are feeling whilst going through treatments, mental health battles, and many other medical conditions. One hospital that I was in contact with was Nightingale Hospital which has been using drama therapy for many years from helping children to the elderly, all with different conditions and reasoning as to why the hospital has chosen to go ahead with drama therapy. At Nightingale Hospital they have specialists in drama therapy. A drama Therapist will guide individuals through a variety of purposeful activities chosen accordingly and specifically for the patient. These activities can include storytelling, role-playing, puppetry, games, improvisation, and script use. To help the individual act out desired behaviors, roles, and relationships, allowing them to perform in a way in which they wish to see in their own lives. Drama therapy was borne out of the notion that some painful life experiences are too difficult to express through normal verbal dialogue. Drama therapists support individuals to engage in drama activities such as stories, play texts, and improvisation to explore and address difficult and painful life experiences or make troubling issues more bearable through an indirect approach.

Drama Therapy in Classrooms:

‘One of the great gifts of life is to know how to play’ Drama therapy only works through play, kids do it best and without realisation. In the classroom, kids are constantly drawing sculpting, and playing with toys to tell stories, without realizing they could be telling a story about their own lives. In this instance drama therapy is not being used as treatment, it is just naturally happening as it Is what children know best, however, encouraging this play could lead to fewer mental health illnesses and conditions down the line and or help the children when they grow up, to be better at expressing feelings and thoughts. It can be challenging for young children and even teenagers to be able to talk about things behind closed doors and what goes on outside of school time. Implementation of ‘Golden Time’ and hour at the end of a Friday to just play can help the teachers and adults have a better understanding of what is going on in the children’s lives and could be able to offer help if they are concerned.

How Does Drama Therapy Work?

Drama therapy works due to the fact people subconsciously tell stories and create situations about their feelings and life without meaning to, therefore the specialists can look at that behavior and have a better understanding of how the patient is thinking and feeling during these struggling times. Drama therapy uses play, embodiment, projection, role, story, metaphor, empathy, distancing, witnessing, performance, and improvisation to help people make meaningful change.

A drama therapist first assesses a client’s needs and then considers approaches that might best meet those needs. Drama therapy can take many forms depending on individual and group needs, skill and ability levels, interests, and therapeutic goals. Processes and techniques may include improvisations, theatre games, storytelling, and enactment. Many drama therapists make use of text, performance, or ritual to enrich the therapeutic and creative process. The theoretical foundation of drama therapy lies in drama, theatre, psychology, psychotherapy, anthropology, play, and interactive and creative processes.

Drama therapy is beneficial for individuals, families, and communities struggling with transition, loss, social stigmatization, isolation, and conflict. It is an effective option for the treatment and prevention of anxiety, depression, and addiction, among other conditions. Drama therapy can promote positive changes in mood, insight, and empathy, and it can facilitate healthy relationships.

My Experiences:

In this section, I will be talking about my first-hand experiences with therapy. As stated, I chose this topic due to personal struggles, I have suffered from two mental health conditions since 2018 being diagnosed at a ‘severe’ level. Due to my age at the time medication was not an option for me, the doctors helped me with finding therapists to see if this would help. I had two years until the thought of medication would help so I tried standard therapy and counseling, however, I never once got on with the therapists due to the nature of struggling to explain my thoughts and feelings, also struggled with Dyslexia which made it even harder for me. After studying drama therapy, I am confused as to why this form of therapy was never offered to me, one of the first things therapists would ask me is what courses I was studying at the General Certificate of Secondary Education Level, I had always been honest and excited to tell them how I was studying two creative art subjects and my passion for them. Yet drama therapy was never an option for me. I feel that if drama therapy had been offered to me, I would have had a better outcome and been able to find a way to deal with my mental health sooner rather than having to resort to medication. After struggling to get on with traditional counseling and therapy I am scared to try again with any form of therapy. I strongly believe I would have had a different outcome with drama therapy.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, drama therapy can be extremely useful if it is done correctly and in a way that is beneficial for the patients. However, if it is not done correctly, it can cause people to feel extremely uncomfortable and not be willing to give it ago in the future. On the other hand, though I believe drama therapy should be offered more to everyone at any age and with whatever mental health condition and illnesses to reconnect with their childhood of not really thinking and just expressing their feelings. There are clear examples of where drama therapy does and does not work, as the world continues to grow its understanding of mental health conditions and illnesses the way drama therapy will improve. In addition to this drama therapy should be used more and more instead of traditional standard counseling and therapy as it is uncomfortable and hard to express emotions due to the nature of the topics and or due to disabilities such as dementia and also learning difficulties such as dyslexia. Drama therapy is more accessible for all ages, gender, and disability. However due to the fact as previously stated, only four universities in the United Kingdom offer a degree in drama therapy, drama therapy is hard to come by in the United Kingdom due to the limited amount of trained people in the industry.

Introduction:

In this essay, I am writing about how drama therapy can help people suffering from the mental health of different conditions and their severity. I was inspired to write this due to personal struggles with mental health, I found it an interesting topic to research about how this different form of therapy could be used to help all ages and mental health disabilities. This topic also interested me due to there is an increasing rise in mental health cases as the world becomes more educated and more socially accepted. The stigma behind having mental health is slowly fading as everyone speaks up more about their mental health. As there is an increase in mental health the government has helped fund support and campaigns. It is believed that only 10% of the population suffers from a mental health condition of sorts if that is only one or more. Mental health is an ever-growing topic and there are becoming increased ways to cope with it from medication to a creative arts approach of drama in therapy form.

The History of Mental Health:

As previously stated, the stigma of having mental health issues is slowly fading away as people become increasingly educated. However, this was not always the case it used to be believed that mental health conditions and illnesses were due to the product of supernatural forces and demonic possession, and this often led to primitive treatment practices. Up to the early 20th century, it was believed that mental health was caused by the supernatural. Only in the last hundred years have the views drastically started to change with the fact there is a better understanding that mental health is a ‘unique disease.’ In the past, those who were believed to have mental health conditions were usually punished by physical restraint and solitary confinement in the asylums of the time. As knowledge emerged in the early nineteen hundreds American psychologist John B. Watson and neurologist Sigmund Freud believed there were two ways mental health came about, through psychodynamics and behaviorism. They discovered that treatments should involve methods of adaptive reconditioning. As time progressed and a better understanding was created things such as antipsychotic drugs and different forms of therapy came about such as Drama Therapy.

Drama Therapy:

Drama therapy is the intentional use of drama and theatrical ways to achieve therapeutic goals. Drama therapy is an active practice, and experiential used for all age groups. This approach can provide the context for participants to tell their stories, set goals, solve problems, and express feelings. The term Drama Therapy first came to in the early 1900s by an author, who had been interested in children’s play and had written about it in a paper that was given to Medical Association. However, it also dates back to the early 18th century when it was used in Europe in a more ritual-type form in mental health hospitals. Drama therapy is used in multiple ways and a variety of settings, including hospitals, schools, mental health centers, prisons, and businesses.

Pete Slade is a forerunner in the sphere of dramatic play with an interest in special needs and sets out to describe his personal experience gathered over 60 years in this field. He wrote his book Child Play, the books give a fascinating insight into the highly creative and sensitive minds of children, and how to use their playful techniques to help others. The book includes a range of topics with it is Contexts are various and play in and out of school, drama therapy, adult training, personality development, and dance are all considered. The effects and implications of recent legislation and developments are also discussed.

To become a dramatherapist you must meet the statutory regulator of drama therapists the HCPC and the professional body is the Association of Dramatherapists (BAD). There are currently four post-graduate training courses in Dramatherapy that lead to a qualification approved by the Health Professions Council, accredited by the Association of Dramatherapists, and recognized by the Department of Health. These courses are offered at Roehampton University, University of Derby, Central School of Speech and Drama, and Anglia Ruskin University.

Drama Therapy in a University:

Drama Therapy is a compulsory session for some students at Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama specifically for those studying a variation of screen design and production. I interviewed a student studying BA Hons in Stage management and technical theatre. They have one compulsory session for every production show they produce, due to some of the hard and sensitive topics and themes that are within the show. This has been implemented by the university as they have an understanding the students working on the shows do not take in the themes of the production as they are too focused on their tasks ahead, it is only until after the shows the themes have time to sink in. One example of them having drama therapy was after producing the show ‘London Road’ which is about the Ipswich murders, which contains sensitive topics. The drama therapists exposed these themes to the students after the show period was completed. This left the students feeling uncomfortable due to being forced to talk about topics they do not necessarily want to talk about within a group for an hour with people they are necessarily friends or acquaintances with. The students have informed me that they complained about the way the university uses drama therapy and that the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama rebranded the sessions from ‘Drama Therapy’ to ‘Drama Process,’ however, it is still the same concept leaving students crying. The Student I interviewed stated ‘No one enjoys it. It is a great option to have to book a one-to-one if we are struggling It is a great thing to have. However, a mandatory group session is horrible for some people as it is not a nice environment.’ They then went on to say ‘It is high pressure and horrible. I am quite sure all of us have complained.’ In this instance, the university has not used drama therapy to help their students to the best of their abilities.

They explained one of the sessions they had with the drama therapist after a show, someone opened up about issues and thoughts that pressured the other students into feeling as if they have to open up just as much when they do not want to in front of course mates. They do exercises sitting in a circle in a room, going around saying how they feel out of ten, the student felt as if they had to lower their number to match how others were feeling to not bring them down as they felt like a nine whilst others stated, they felt like a two or a three. This puts students in an uncomfortable situation. Sometimes the drama therapist brings out toys she gets the students to pick one that represents a theme of the show, they had to ‘explain why they picked it and place it in the middle of the circle and explain the positioning’ to help them express their feelings about the themes.

Drama Therapy in a Hospital:

However, hospitals help their patients express how they are feeling whilst going through treatments, mental health battles, and many other medical conditions. One hospital that I was in contact with was Nightingale Hospital which has been using drama therapy for many years from helping children to the elderly, all with different conditions and reasoning as to why the hospital has chosen to go ahead with drama therapy. At Nightingale Hospital they have specialists in drama therapy. A drama Therapist will guide individuals through a variety of purposeful activities chosen accordingly and specifically for the patient. These activities can include storytelling, role-playing, puppetry, games, improvisation, and script use. To help the individual act out desired behaviors, roles, and relationships, allowing them to perform in a way in which they wish to see in their own lives. Drama therapy was borne out of the notion that some painful life experiences are too difficult to express through normal verbal dialogue. Drama therapists support individuals to engage in drama activities such as stories, play texts, and improvisation to explore and address difficult and painful life experiences or make troubling issues more bearable through an indirect approach.

Drama Therapy in Classrooms:

‘One of the great gifts of life is to know how to play’ Drama therapy only works through play, kids do it best and without realisation. In the classroom, kids are constantly drawing sculpting, and playing with toys to tell stories, without realizing they could be telling a story about their own lives. In this instance drama therapy is not being used as treatment, it is just naturally happening as it Is what children know best, however, encouraging this play could lead to fewer mental health illnesses and conditions down the line and or help the children when they grow up, to be better at expressing feelings and thoughts. It can be challenging for young children and even teenagers to be able to talk about things behind closed doors and what goes on outside of school time. Implementation of ‘Golden Time’ and hour at the end of a Friday to just play can help the teachers and adults have a better understanding of what is going on in the children’s lives and could be able to offer help if they are concerned.

How Does Drama Therapy Work?

Drama therapy works due to the fact people subconsciously tell stories and create situations about their feelings and life without meaning to, therefore the specialists can look at that behavior and have a better understanding of how the patient is thinking and feeling during these struggling times. Drama therapy uses play, embodiment, projection, role, story, metaphor, empathy, distancing, witnessing, performance, and improvisation to help people make meaningful change.

A drama therapist first assesses a client’s needs and then considers approaches that might best meet those needs. Drama therapy can take many forms depending on individual and group needs, skill and ability levels, interests, and therapeutic goals. Processes and techniques may include improvisations, theatre games, storytelling, and enactment. Many drama therapists make use of text, performance, or ritual to enrich the therapeutic and creative process. The theoretical foundation of drama therapy lies in drama, theatre, psychology, psychotherapy, anthropology, play, and interactive and creative processes.

Drama therapy is beneficial for individuals, families, and communities struggling with transition, loss, social stigmatization, isolation, and conflict. It is an effective option for the treatment and prevention of anxiety, depression, and addiction, among other conditions. Drama therapy can promote positive changes in mood, insight, and empathy, and it can facilitate healthy relationships.

My Experiences:

In this section, I will be talking about my first-hand experiences with therapy. As stated, I chose this topic due to personal struggles, I have suffered from two mental health conditions since 2018 being diagnosed at a ‘severe’ level. Due to my age at the time medication was not an option for me, the doctors helped me with finding therapists to see if this would help. I had two years until the thought of medication would help so I tried standard therapy and counseling, however, I never once got on with the therapists due to the nature of struggling to explain my thoughts and feelings, also struggled with Dyslexia which made it even harder for me. After studying drama therapy, I am confused as to why this form of therapy was never offered to me, one of the first things therapists would ask me is what courses I was studying at the General Certificate of Secondary Education Level, I had always been honest and excited to tell them how I was studying two creative art subjects and my passion for them. Yet drama therapy was never an option for me. I feel that if drama therapy had been offered to me, I would have had a better outcome and been able to find a way to deal with my mental health sooner rather than having to resort to medication. After struggling to get on with traditional counseling and therapy I am scared to try again with any form of therapy. I strongly believe I would have had a different outcome with drama therapy.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, drama therapy can be extremely useful if it is done correctly and in a way that is beneficial for the patients. However, if it is not done correctly, it can cause people to feel extremely uncomfortable and not be willing to give it ago in the future. On the other hand, though I believe drama therapy should be offered more to everyone at any age and with whatever mental health condition and illnesses to reconnect with their childhood of not really thinking and just expressing their feelings. There are clear examples of where drama therapy does and does not work, as the world continues to grow its understanding of mental health conditions and illnesses the way drama therapy will improve. In addition to this drama therapy should be used more and more instead of traditional standard counseling and therapy as it is uncomfortable and hard to express emotions due to the nature of the topics and or due to disabilities such as dementia and also learning difficulties such as dyslexia. Drama therapy is more accessible for all ages, gender, and disability. However due to the fact as previously stated, only four universities in the United Kingdom offer a degree in drama therapy, drama therapy is hard to come by in the United Kingdom due to the limited amount of trained people in the industry.