Theatre for children and teenagers

Theatre for children and teenagers

Theatre for children and teenagers at Pionirski dom is a course that aims to develop young people’s theatre skills in age-based groups led by experienced leaders. The basic aims of the theatre course, applying to all groups, are holistic and emphasise the importance of relaxed creation and mutual cooperation.

Main aims include:

• Encouraging relaxed creation and artistic expression in the company of peers.
• Creating a safe, supportive and trust-filled environment where children feel accepted.
• Developing imagination and creative thinking.
• Acquiring basic theatre skills, such as control of the body and voice, inhabiting characters, stage orientation and the ability to perform both in groups and individually.
• Creative problem-solving through games and theatre exercises.
• Strengthening group cohesion and cooperation among individuals.
• Overcoming stage fright and gaining valuable experience of public performance.
• Clearly expressing thoughts and formulating ideas.
• Developing various forms of communication – verbal and non-verbal.
• Having fun – an important element of the programme, since children gain new experiences through play.

Courses adapted to different age groups

The aims of the Theatre for children and teenagers course are similar for all age groups, although the work in different age groups differs in terms of the content of the scenes. When working with adolescents, leaders focus on establishing relationships (both onstage and within the group), reflecting on various topics and issues facing young people, and confronting one’s own body. A key tool of theatre education is improvisation, which allows for different formats through which young participants test themselves in various areas and build a range of skills. The emphasis is on accepting mistakes as a key part of development and the process. Each theatre group prepares at least one performance per year (usually two – one halfway through the year and one at the end of the school year), where they present their creations to parents, relatives, and friends.