Why Extra-curricular Performing Arts Classes work in Harmony with Daily Schooling
As children all over the country are revising and taking part in exams, most of them will be having mixed feelings of excitement and nervousness. Even the most confident of children will no doubt be apprehensive if they are having to think about further education, going to the next year group, or even a new school without the company of most of their friends.
As a parent or guardian, it must be difficult to see your child deal with social settings if they are incredibly shy or anxious. They don’t have the choice to stay at home and hide away from the classroom. Which is just as well as they, as we all know, are going to have to deal with social settings throughout their lives. And developing their confidence and self-esteem from as young an age as possible is one of the best gifts you can give them.
The Anna Fiorentini Theatre & Film School prides itself on enhancing confidence, self-esteem, life skills, aspirations, public speaking, negotiating skills, punctuality and discipline in its young students. These skills can work in harmony with students’ day-time schooling and can often help improve it. Here are some of the reasons why:
Discipline to Help Revision
Students of performing arts will have to learn discipline to be able to perform in showcases and in front of friends and classmates. Often there is a shared responsibility to work towards a joint achievement and not let others down. This shared responsibility can make it easier to set aside time to practise their skills and to improve. Through hours of practice and dedication in a fun and supportive environment, young people will learn perseverance and self-reflection. This skill can be carried into their daily schooling as they realise it takes time to revise and develop skills.
Although exams, presentations, job interviews or auditions may be daunting, the performing arts teaches young people to never give up and to believe in themselves. At the Anna Fiorentini Theatre and Film School, we have been told on numerous occasions that students that attend have improved greatly in their academic studies as a result.
Outlet to have Fun
Having been a School for over 21 years, we have witnessed the transformative effects performing arts has on developing happiness, confidence and self-esteem. It's really good to have passion and enthusiasm, but also good to know you have a supportive environment to express these with like-minded friends. In certain subjects learnt at school such as maths or science, there are clear right and wrong answers. The pressure of getting these answers right and receiving good grades can be very detrimental to a child’s mental health. Performing arts is subjective and therefore there is no right and wrong. It is a time to have fun and to be yourself, without any stress. Our students develop their ability to overcome anxiety in these situations without the fear of being wrong.
Increased Networking Skills
The training received in extra performing arts classes can help a child develop the skills needed to feel more confident in social settings. Students will learn how to challenge their self-consciousness through exercises like learning to inhibit a new character entirely. It’s almost a ‘fake it until you make it’ technique. Students will learn techniques to speak in front of a crowd well, ask questions and present themselves clearly. This will help when entering new classes or starting new schools. And it will continue into their future with networking opportunities to further careers. We want the training to give our students the confidence to walk into any room with their head held high and feel they deserve to be there.
Greater Career Prospects
Being part of a Performing Arts School as a child can greatly increase chances of employability. Most employers know that if a young person has engaged with the performing arts on some level they would have developed their public speaking, presentation and debating skills. These skills set you up very well in the work environment. And if you’ve gained confidence from attending performing arts classes, you are likely to be a friendly and approachable team member; the number one priority of most employer’s checklist!
