The benefits of participating in theatre-related activities for kids go far, far beyond what may be most apparent—that is, providing an avenue for your extroverted young person to get involved in “show business” by joining the cast of a play or musical and getting a chance to be seen by adoring audience members. In fact, while this may be an important driving factor in a child’s desire to take a theatre class or register for a camp, their participation directly results in positive developmental growth across myriad areas regardless of the age at which they begin their theatrical journey.
Some of these benefits are profound, yet not always obvious, and include:
- Community building: Each theatre class or production involves the subtle, yet crucial establishment and sustenance of a specific “ad hoc” community in which kids learn to contribute to a set of goals beyond their own, respect the needs of others, and work within a diverse group of individuals to achieve something extraordinary.
- Brain development: Research has demonstrated clearly that the performing arts contribute to important cognitive growth in young people. Their involvement in memorization, physical and spatial awareness, interpersonal communication, and other critical areas through the theatrical process give them a tremendous “leg up” in these areas, all of which are important in virtually every other aspect of their lives.
- Artistic and cultural appreciation: Each class, camp, or production becomes its own unique world for kids who participate in theatre activities, and in this way they are exposed to some of the most important literary, musical, and artistic works in our canon. And increasingly, theatre for young people is more and more aware of the need to create inclusive environments for historically underrepresented groups, whether from a racial, economic, cultural, or identity perspective. In short, kids in theatre grow up to be adults with empathy and perspective.
At Wolf Theatre Academy, we’re building back our renowned programs to shine brighter than ever before, and our developmental approach guarantees that our professional staff takes an interest in the personal and artistic growth of each of our young actors, singers, dancers, designers, and technicians. This summer’s productions of Roald Dahl’s “Matilda: The Musical” from June 6-26 and William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” from July 11-13 for high school-aged kids, and our Wolf Theatre Academy Jr. productions of “Schoolhouse Rock Jr.” from June 6-17, “The Phantom Tollbooth” from June 20-July 1 and “High School Musical Jr.” from July 11-22 promise to help young kids and blossoming artists grow—and most importantly, have the time of their lives!
For more information and to register, visit https://www.jccdenver.org/camps/wta/
-Rich Cowden, General Manager of the JCC Mizel Arts and Culture Center
In partnership with Mile High Mamas
Author: Mile High Mamas
