Theatre Workshops: Training you to do it the fun way

When Joga Ram, a Class VII student of a government school in Barmer, Rajasthan, wanted to participate in a four day theatre-cum-education workshop, he was discouraged by the people in his village because he was someone who had problems concentrating on studies and they thought it would prove to be too distracting for him. His performance in the play was so commendable, however, that he became a regular at all of his school’s stage productions. Gradually, his interest in studies also grew.

Thanks to the ‘fun’ element in such theatre workshops, most students find these help improve their academic performance as well.

“I was a maths teacher and was keen about theatre. A few years ago, I combined both to make mathematics interesting. It gets all children involved in the class activity,” says Kamlesh Tiwari, who co-founded the BNKVS Group of Theatre Society, which propagates theatre-in-education.

Play time

Theatre in education has simplified the lives of students and teachers alike. With advent of theatre-oriented education, Shyam Sunder Gehlot, an elementary teacher of mathematics in a government school in Jodhpur, doesn’t struggle any more to explain the concepts of geometry. “To teach children about different geometric shapes such as a circle, triangle and hexagon, we make them enact a play,” says Gehlot.

These theatre workshops get a ‘thumbs up’ from child counsellors, who find theatre an enriching exercise. “It improves communication skills, helps children overcome hesitation, and makes them confident. Children also make new friends (while enacting plays). It brings out different aspects of their personality,” says Pervin Malhotra, a child counsellor.

Psychologist Dr Anindita S Roy has a similar opinion. “Continuous study engenders boredom. It is important to seek the help of music, sports and sometimes yoga to help children unwind. With these methods, students can keep learning without getting bogged down.”