Blog Post

Does Drama Really Matter? Are you having a laugh?

Adam Boden • Feb 09, 2019

Let's stop shouting out for drama and answering the question it's unbelievable we're even being asked.

I'm not here to bang on about EBAC proposals or defame another Tory MP, but I have seen article after article this year answering the question 'Does Drama Really Matter'? Why are we even responding to a question that is so distinctly rhetorical. Ask Google. It also wonders 'Does theatre matter'? Lists the even worse 'Why does theatre matter to you'? Follows with 'Does theatre even matter'? and the aggravating 'Why does theatre education matter'? Siri led me to an article entitled 'Drama Matters: Does It?' Of course these links mostly lead to articles, blogs and videos from advocates of drama, but posing the question in itself suggests the possibility that it doesn't.. Isn't it time to stop entertaining the negative altogether, when the positives are so clear to see in any good drama education, inside or outside of school.

Let's change the question. Can I suggest a few.

What would the world be like without the arts? Answer - Even Worse.

What life skills can be learnt through the arts? Answer - Most of them.

What six day a week mundane jobs can be relieved between clocking off and the next impending shift by the arts? Answer - all of them.

Additionally, while I think about it... What incredible affects can the provision of arts training have on our young people?

Maybe that's the one we should be asking.

For decades, leading drama providers for young people use the phrases 'have fun', 'develop confidence', 'realise potential', 'make new friends' and in recent years we've started to add 'develop life long skills' and 'explore creativity' to our websites and snapchat stories, as we attempt to combat a politically induced stigma surrounding the arts. But it's never been enough. Do we need to try a little harder? As arts providers, it's been made clear to us, that as wonderful as these benefits to participants are, the government, and an increasing number of parents, don't think it's enough. And maybe, maybe... sometimes it isn't. If we are using great teachers, providing arts classes at the very best level, then we are providing all these transformative skills, and additionally, much much more, that even more importantly, is incredibly relevant to the problems currently facing not just our young people, but our society today.

Don't get me wrong, as the principal Applied Theatre practitioner at one of the UK's foremost performing arts schools for young people, I'm as guilty at the next school's social media marketeer. In the paragraph above, I probably just paraphrased my own last Instagram post, set under a couple of really smiley children having incredible value for money. It's difficult to start including #grit and #criticalthinking when it's hardly going to get the parent down the road to click on a pirate adventure day. This is definitely not happening overnight.

I'm not pretending here that I'm at the forefront of critical engagement within the provision of arts. Far from it. I spend most of my time teaching, while incredibly educated researchers are putting in hour after hour of tremendous work to try and prove the worthiness of the arts to the non-believers. But that doesn't mean I can't do my bit at this level. Let's be honest, after school and weekend performing arts schools are where this all starts for so many. It is a massive stepping stone in the struggle to prove impact and sustainability in the arts. So it's important that we get it right. We know that teaching children a song and dance number from Oliver can boost confidence and co-ordination skills, AND if the choreography leans far away from the original, we're even boosting creativity. Children have fun performing 'A hard knock Life' and they can improve their vocal skills, but start to talk about the orphans situation in the correct way, AND we start to include empathy in the process, something which naturally declines in the adolescent brain. At Bodens, we have belief in increasing our student's grit and determination. Already articles suggest it has no effect on academic achievements (Daily Mail.. does that count?) while suggesting perhaps it is more useful after the age of 16. What does that mean? How is that a negativity? Aren't we building students up to achieve and keep on achieving throughout their lives. Apparently not. Just up to the exams. So we need the drama to compliment the rest of the education. The Maths, English, Science etc. are an incredibly important part of who our young people become, and so is the drama education. Emphatically. I once worked at Toys R Us with an A Level student. He had four of the things. All A grade. Couldn't sell a 'Cozy coupe' to a toddler though. Maybe not the most important thing in the world, but he also failed to talk warmly to a customer, make eye contact, understand the social perspective of a young black girl's parents wanting a black barbie (this was 1990 and change was on it's way). And to be honest... cozy coupes usually sell themselves.

Anyway. Getting back on track...

Bertolt Brecht spent a lifetime challenging audiences to think for themselves.Our young people are facing a spiral of fake news in their feeds and have to be able to think for themselves... something which many subjects are actually steering away. You can't get much further from critical thinking than a Scholastic Aptitude Test.

Brazilian Practitioner Boal works to heal communities, surely there is a place for his teachings within our own fractured towns. Starting with the next generation is usually a good idea.

It was 1942 when Russian Practitioner Michael Chekhov specified his acting teachings were most probably for the actor of the future. Well here we are, and his techniques centre around focus, being in the moment and spiritual awareness. If you ever wanted mindfulness away from a smartphone app, there it is right there.

These are merely a few examples demonstrating what the arts can offer in school, after school and at the weekends, alongside having fun and making really good theatre. But you have to have the right teachers to do it. The danger is that by this continued dismissal of arts education impact, and a lack of schools and funding providers taking the subject as seriously as they should, we are losing amazing drama teachers on a daily basis. Of course there is a plethora of young performers willing to turn their hand to teaching until the next acting job arises, and they do bring an amazing inside knowledge of the industry to their classes (something which we always try to include at times throughout the term) But they are not actually teachers armed with the knowledge of what the arts really can do for our young people. What the arts can really, really do for them in the right hands, with the right backing. That's what we need to be going on, in school, after school and at weekends.

After I completed my MA in Applied Theatre at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, I found myself left with this question... If we can make really great theatre with young people, teaching them to act, sing , dance and realise their potential, and alongside that have an opportunity to impact on the rest of their lives: transferable skills, how they see the world, truly thinking for themselves, grit and determination, mindfulness, acceptance (personally can't abide the word tolerance) and the ability to perform in the real world as themselves... then why would we not make the most of it?

At Bodens performing arts, our fully qualified teacher's also have training along the way, at every level of teaching, to ensure they make the biggest impact they can. It's not always easy, and it demands planning and passion that is admittedly 'possibly' easier to sustain in a privately funded school where our hands are maybe not as tied.

We need the arts to be backed as the serious subject that it is, so seriously good teachers are teaching it, and the impact is as powerful as it can be. All over the UK there are pockets of amazing performing arts schools with incredible teachers working their magic on the future of your young people, and within schools up and down the country, drama teachers worthy of a Robin Williams film, with their backed departments, are having incredible success both within the teaching of the curriculum and the transformative powers their classes can have. We need to shout out about these teachers, embrace them, embrace the arts, and embrace the fact that the future of our young people, needs drama education. And that matters.

"I believe there’s a hero in all of us" - Aunt May

by Adam Boden • 16 Apr, 2023
Making A Movie on a Bodens Summer Film Course

Through the Labyrinth

by Adam Boden • 08 Jan, 2023
The early stages of our new immersive, interactive, promenade performance of Minotaur, based on Plutarch's Theseus.

Providing our young people with opportunities for Manageable Risk-Taking

by Adam Boden • 30 Jan, 2022

Individual Progression

by Adam Boden • 11 Jan, 2022
In a class of students of mixed age and ability, how does a teacher ensure children and young people are individually challenged? What does it take to ensure every student progresses at their own pace and achieves their potential? Knowledge, experience and support.

How to Build your Child’s Confidence

by Adam Boden • 07 Jan, 2022
While performing arts is a very effective way to boost a child’s confidence, family and friends can do plenty of things to help.

Hamelin! Why Immersive, Promenade Theatre for young people at Bodens?

by Adam Boden • 24 Apr, 2018
Director Adam Boden talks about why Bodens Performing Arts is providing their young participants with immersive theatrical experiences; students gain in confidence and ability, and through the provision of manageable risk, are helped in their transition to adulthood.

INTO THE WOODS... IN THE WOODS

by Adam Boden • 22 Jun, 2017
A little bit about our approach to productions at Bodens performing arts.

Bodens New Fully Funded Summer Course

by Adam Boden • 09 Jun, 2017
I would have given my right hand for this kind of opportunity when I was sixteen years old. Instead of the Arts Depot stage and a microphone to sing out the soaring rock score of Spring Awakening, I spent most of my summer in the local park with a 40p can of Scandia Green and Bryan Adams on loop in the background. Bryan Adams. (Sigh). Following three incredible years at Bodens College of Performing Arts, we had already expanded what was on offer by introducing a brand new gap year course for 18-19 year old students with a year to spare before their next Drama School auditions, so what else could we offer? We wanted to share our brilliant teaching team and fantastic studios with those young people not studying performing arts full time that still share the same passion and enthusiasm as our full-time students; so we planned an amazing three week summer course, worked out the nitty gritty, got the funding in place, and now now ready to offer our New Fully Funded Summer Course. From Tuesday 1st - Saturday 19th August, we will be offering a three week long Performing Arts Course for young people aged 16-18 years. Depending on age and experience, students will undertake a Level 2 or Level 3 Certificate in Performing Arts. This fully funded course will enable the participants to perform in both a full length play and a complete musical. This will be a very rewarding experience and does require commitment, energy and passion from any young people wanting to take part. It is an intensive training opportunity, studying all aspects of Musical Theatre throughout each day. We will produce the full musical Spring Awakening, analysing text and lyrics, exploring movement and gesture through the discovery of subtext. Students also produce a contemporary imagining of the play Woyzeck, where together we will explore text, character and relationships through workshops, concentrating on a contemporary play. An intense opportunity to unlock, rehearse and develop these productions ready for performance to an audience. These are two incredibly demanding pieces of theatre, chosen to ensure we have the material that allows us to work at an advanced standard. Two very strong, character driven productions to challenge our young company to produce incredible performances in just three weeks. This is an opportunity for the complete drama school experience without the cost. And as it's packed in to just three weeks, it still leaves you over half your summer to hang about in the park. With the course currently just over half full, we are auditioning over the coming month on a Sunday afternoon to fill the remaining places with capable, talented and passionate young people, to help us produce some incredible theatre this August. So if that sounds like you, or someone you know, then get in touch at info@performingartscollege.co.uk or on 020 8447 0909. Remember, it's fully funded and students taking part receive an accredited qualification in Creative and Performing Arts. You can view a brochure here https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/3e9c4e73/files/uploaded/BODENS%20COLLEGE%20SUMMER%20COURSE%20201...

Sometimes you have to be a little bit naughty...

by Adam Boden • 18 May, 2017
I remember when we took on High School Musical all those years ago. The only reason we did it then, is because we did it first. Producing the London Premier of the Smash Hit Disney Musical while it still held pride of place on the whole world's sky box office planner, was it's redeeming feature. We were all in it together before everybody else got their heads in the game. Thousands of production followed nationwide, and the start of something new definitely wasn't. But we got in first. Matilda was a different story. We couldn't get in first because you weren't allowed to produce the show, and by the time an abridged thirty minute version of the show became available for schools to perform, it was too late. Matilda was naughty in almost every school hall and community theatre across England; As far as we were concerned as an innovative and forward thinking organisation, an abridged version of Matilda was as attractive a prospect as High School Musical 3. Forward three years later, and we are in a very different place. While Matilda still maintains a rightful place on the West End Stage, schools have ironically returned to High School Musical, allowing us, to sneak along the hallway and mix up our own production of Matilda. We are blessed as a school with incredible talent across our groups, but it is in particular abundance with our 8-12 year old students. Matilda is perfect for them. An opportunity to be stretched with challenging choreography, demanding lyrics and musicality. We have studied the story, themes and characters and unlocked our performance through creative play: we use the image theatre of Augusto Boal, the naturalistic acting of Stanislavski, using our bodies as the set in a Grotowskian Poor Theatre style, exploring movement techniques of Laban, Jacques Lecoq's levels of tension and bringing it altogether through hardwork, passion and commitment; i'm talking about the students.

Bodens New Magazine

by Adam Boden • 04 May, 2017
With an uncurbed amount of pop-up performing arts schools emerging across the local boroughs, it becomes increasingly difficult for the proven and established schools to get their message across to those parents and young people searching for excellent performing arts training. With easy access to drama clubs after school, and franchises within a half a mile radius of one another, there is a lot of information to sift through when searching for a drama school to entrust with your most precious possession, and the development of their talent, confidence and most importantly, their ability to perform as themselves. So how do you make the right decisions. It's hard to say. At Bodens we have our purpose built performing arts studios and regularly assessed outstanding teachers. We have missions, values and aims in place, and at the heart of our school and college is a desire to transform the lives of young people through inspirational teaching, providing exceptional training in performing arts. But just because another school might be newly established, with classes held in a small village hall, run by a relatively inexperienced teacher, doesn't mean that you haven't stumbled across the beginnings of a brilliant new school, and the perfect pathway for the development of your child or young person; a three-year-old rolling around St. Cuthbert's Hall still has an opportunity to roly poly all the way to RADA. So how do you choose? We know that word of mouth is one of the most important factors in gaining new students, and of course search engines and social media play an ever-expanding part. I set myself a target this term, to work on search engine optimisation and improve our website to increase traffic to blah blah blah... but within two weeks I fell out with both google and bing, and my brains helpless merger of SEO, SMO, CTR, and CPC left me frustrated. TOO MUCH NOISE. How can we be heard? I can preach about qualifications and visions until Fagan's boys come home, but it doesn't mean anyone is listening. And is it really worth paying £2.78 a click so someone can visit my website that says it does what everyone else’s website says they do! So, we turned to our new magazine; and instead of filling it with information about us, it's all about them - our students - the children and young people who heard all about us, despite the pandemonium of performing arts promise, and joined our happy little family. We've also got them to write it. So, it's by them, all about them, which is all about us. Seemed to make sense that if we wanted someone to shout out above the noise, it might as well be them. After all, they have a lot of brilliant things to say. They're actually as passionate as I am... and that's saying something. So the magazine is online at www.bodens.co.uk and you can pick up a hard copy, for free, at any of our performing arts classes. It’s all about the shows, the classes and the students. If you're feeling really lazy, exhausted after all your studious studio searching, then just e-mail MAGAZINE to info@bodens.co.uk and we'll send you the link.
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