MUSIC AND THE PERFORMING ARTS
Whose life is it anyway?
I
mprovisation (or improv) has long been considered an important skill for actors and performers – enabling them to express characters truthfully and in the moment. But improv is just as beneficial off the stage – and not just in the drama studio. As a learning technique, it can be useful anywhere from maths class to the sports field and well beyond. In our second feature this month looking at the performing arts in UK schools, Education Today catches up with members of the London Improv Theatre Training League (LITTL) and The Nursery Theatre to find out how the use of improvisation as a teaching and learning tool can benefit students and improve their life chances, while imparting useful and important skills for the future. The London Improv Theatre Training League (LITTL), in conjunction with The Nursery, has developed a youth programme to teach the basic skills of improvisation to 15- to 18-year-olds. Experienced teachers and improvisers Molly Merwin, Jennifer Jordan and Audra Goffeney are heading up the project, which is dedicated to bringing the art form to a whole new generation and improving the lives of young people through improv.
“The lessons in improv of accepting failure, Molly Merwin
being bold, and supporting each other can help to create a more engaged and supportive atmosphere and culture in classrooms,” says facilitator Jennifer Jordan. “Many students disengage from subjects they find difficult out of fear of getting things wrong and being laughed at. In improv getting things wrong and responding with laughter, joy and perseverance is encouraged – we learn that failure is not only nothing to be afraid of but also a key element to learning and improving. This is an incredibly helpful mindset for formal learning settings and life in general.”
The benefits of learning improv have been proven to reach far and wide, including: • Helping with confidence, communication and making friends
• Learning to get past the fear of failure, take risks and trust instincts
• Unleashing creativity, imagination and the ability to think on the spot
• Helping with anxiety, social interaction and interpersonal skills
• Improving problem solving, decision-making and dealing with change
• Building concentration, teamwork skills and active listening
“Active listening is something which feels like it’s become more and more difficult as the pace
Audra Goffeney
of the world increases and information is thrown at us from all angles at tremendous speed,” says Jordan. “Attention spans are getting shorter and learning anything properly feels like a real effort. Active listening is a key component of improv and it trains the brain back into being able to hold on to information spoken out loud and really tune in and connect with what’s happening. This is a key skill to encourage in a classroom environment and helps to boost engagement and understanding.” The skills acquired through improv are particularly important at an age when young people often find it hard to communicate, don’t feel they are being listened to, can loose confidence and easily fall into negative behavioural patterns that can be unsupportive, distrustful and judgemental. Improv offers a safe, supportive, non-competitive, collaborative and judgement-fee learning environment where students are actively encouraged to both make and celebrate mistakes.
“Teenage years can be incredibly difficult to navigate, battling intense hormone changes and trying to find a place in the world to fit in. Improv is deeply based on the idea of supporting each other, saying ‘yes’ to each other’s ideas, and learning to accept/enjoy moments of failure/imperfection,” explains teacher and improviser Audra Goffeney. “This focus draws
Jennifer Jordan
30
www.education-today.co.uk
November 2017
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