Adult, community education in acting and performance as personal development: "I can look people in the eye now!"

Creative arts and performance courses at the community level for mature age individuals. Theatre and drama as education and as therapy. This article charts and reflects on several ACE arts-based courses and community theatre productions that have changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the professi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAustralian journal of adult learning Vol. 64; no. 2; pp. 207 - 226
Main Authors Townsend, Rob, Jones, Jeffrey Bryant
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Canberra Copyright Agency Limited (Distributor) 01.07.2024
Subjects
Acting
Adult learning
Adults
Andragogy
Communication Skills
Community Education
COVID-19
Education Courses
Educational Practices
Group Activities
Group Membership
Imagination
Individual Development
Learning Activities
Mental Health
Modeling (Psychology)
Physical Health
Problem Solving
Psychotherapy
Resistance (Psychology)
Self esteem
Small Group Instruction
Social isolation
Theater
Theaters
Well Being
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Summary:Creative arts and performance courses at the community level for mature age individuals. Theatre and drama as education and as therapy. This article charts and reflects on several ACE arts-based courses and community theatre productions that have changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the professional experiences of the teacher. Change for individuals via education occurs intentionally and unintentionally and needs to be documented, with some examples presented here. If personal change and development were the intention of the courses described here, then participants did have the opportunity to integrate their self-discoveries into their real lives, potentially leading to transformation. The teacher being aware of, and skilled in, emotional regulation strategies can benefit students and teachers in all forms of learning, specifically adult community education. The students in the course described in this article have transformed from anxious, self-doubting individuals into empowered, self-confident people who bravely create their own acting techniques.
ISSN:1443-1394