I must admit that some of the things I discovered while researching this topic surprised even me — and I work in theatre myself. I already knew that theatre influences children’s psychological, social, and emotional development, but some research results truly caught me off guard. They also strengthened my belief that theatre for children is a very serious branch of art that must be approached with responsibility.
In theatre, we hold a potentially powerful tool in our hands. It can be used for simple entertainment, but it can also serve important educational and developmental purposes.
So what exactly is theatre capable of? What are we trying to place on those famous “boards that mean life” from one performance to the next?
The Educational Power of Theatre
Research conducted by the Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas in the United States has shown that theatre has numerous positive effects on brain development.
A single story told through a theatre performance affects a young person’s brain several times more effectively and with longer-lasting impact than the same story presented as a film or read in a book.
Young people who watched a theatre performance achieved significantly better results than their peers who watched the film version or read the book. They answered questions about the relationships between characters more accurately, understood the context of the story better, and expressed themselves more clearly. Many even expanded their vocabulary.
In addition, their level of tolerance increased, they understood the plot more deeply, and they were better able to recognize the emotions of the characters.
Theatre more powerful than film and books? How is that possible?
The reason lies in the fact that while watching a theatre performance, more areas of the brain are activated than during watching a film or reading a book. The brain processes information coming from multiple stimuli at once — visual, auditory, emotional, and contextual — all in real time and within a shared physical space unfolding directly in front of the viewer.
Inspired by these insights into the power of theatre, I once created a meme for social media. Somewhere in the endless wilderness of the internet I found a line by an anonymous author, slightly adapted it, and it eventually became the motto of our Mali Teatar website:
“Scientists have discovered that 3D/4D movies and augmented reality have existed for thousands of years. It’s called theatre.”
Building a Healthy Mind
A five-year study conducted by The New Victory Theater in New York about the influence of theatre on children and young audiences revealed another unexpected result.
Children who did not attend theatre performances or drama workshops during their schooling were less confident about their future prospects, particularly regarding their possibilities for studying and working later in life.
This finding shocked me. I had always assumed that building a healthy outlook in a child’s mind could be supported through sports activities alone. After all, we often say: a healthy body, a healthy mind.
Apparently, that is not enough.
It seems that culture is a crucial element in keeping the mind healthy.
Development of Emotional Competencies
When children watch different kinds of performances in which characters experience situations filled with both positive and negative emotions, psychological development occurs naturally.
Children learn to recognize emotions and place themselves in the emotional position of the character — in other words, they develop empathy.
Empathy plays an extremely important role later in life, which is why it should be cultivated from the earliest age. Theatre is ideal for this because empathy develops naturally and gently, without pressure or instruction.
Development of Social Competencies
A theatre performance is an excellent platform where children learn, practice, and internalize prosocial skills such as listening, speaking confidently and clearly, and functioning within a group.
They practice asking questions, waiting their turn, helping others, and understanding both their own emotions and the emotions of others.
Well-designed theatre performances for children also include carefully structured dramatic dynamics. Calm moments and quieter atmospheres alternate with bursts of laughter, excitement, and audience reaction.
Through this rhythm, children become more aware of their own impulses and responses. They learn to regulate them and gradually develop the qualities of an active listener — an ability that later proves essential for successful personal and professional relationships.
Attending theatre also introduces children to certain social and cultural norms. Watching a performance is not just entertainment; it is a cultural event.
Children learn simple but important elements of theatre etiquette: waiting in line for tickets, respecting assigned seats, maintaining silence during the performance, and not disturbing others in the audience or the actors on stage.
Aesthetic Education
Theatre for children and young audiences also contributes to the development of aesthetic values.
Many theatre productions offer children a form of aesthetic pleasure in which they learn to observe the world through colors, sounds, images, words, and movement.
I say many productions because unfortunately some theatres sacrifice aesthetic quality for the sake of ticket sales. Some shows rely on excessive spectacle, flashy visuals, and loud sound effects. Others are modest productions where the artistic elements simply do not work together harmoniously.
Today it is increasingly common for both adults and children to struggle to distinguish between commercial spectacle, kitsch, and genuinely high-quality artistic content.
For example, children — especially girls — are often surrounded from an early age by bright colors, glitter, and visual overload. Marketing experts know that the more colorful and shiny something is, the more attention it attracts.
Theatre, however, can offer something different. Through carefully balanced costumes, props, music, and stage design, it can introduce children to the deeper values of beauty, harmony, and aesthetic sensitivity.
The Interactivity of Theatre
Interaction is a fundamental characteristic of theatre as an artistic medium.
Unlike film, television, or streaming content, theatre happens live. It creates a direct, shared experience that allows for a level of interaction impossible in other art forms.
This interaction between audience and actors can be direct — or indirect and almost invisible, expressed through murmurs, laughter, applause, or reactions from the audience.
The greater the direct interaction with the audience, the greater the opportunity for dramatic pedagogy.
In performances by Mali Teatar and Tata Slikovnica, this interaction reaches a very high level. The audience helps invent songs, participates in scenes, and talks with the actor — all within the unfolding story of the performance.
The reason I insist on such a high level of audience interaction — which can occasionally be dangerous for the structure of the performance and certainly for the nerves of the actors (haha!) — becomes clearer when we look at one final research project.
Drama Education Creates Better Students
The DICE project (Drama Improves Lisbon Key Competences in Education), funded by the European Union, examined the influence of drama education on children and young people.
The research involved twelve countries, 111 educational theatre and drama programs, and 4,475 students.
The results were remarkable.
Students who participated in educational drama and theatre activities — compared to those who did not — demonstrated:
- greater confidence in communication
- stronger reading comprehension
- a more positive attitude toward school
- greater enjoyment of school activities
- better problem-solving abilities
- improved stress management
- significantly higher tolerance toward minorities and foreigners
- stronger civic engagement
- greater interest in public issues
- higher levels of empathy
- increased creativity and innovation
- stronger entrepreneurial spirit
- clearer future goals and plans
- greater willingness to engage with art and culture
- more time spent reading, playing, and communicating with family members
- and even a better sense of humor
So go ahead — deny your child the chance to experience theatre, if you dare.
Joking aside, I hope this article has been useful and perhaps clarified — just as it did for me — what we in children’s and youth theatre are actually trying to do.
Of course, not every production achieves these goals. That is why choosing performances thoughtfully is important. But that is a topic for another article.
Until then, I hope to see you in theatres, schools, and kindergartens across our beautiful country — sharing laughter, joy, and play, both on stage and in the audience.
Sincerely,
Igor