The performing arts (acting, singing and dancing) are only possible through collaboration, and often collaboration on a grand scale. And it’s only through promoting, teaching and demonstrating kindness that performances can truly be successful. Creativity thrives in a kind environment where you have the freedom to express yourself, learn from failures, try new things and make genuine connections.
Kindness is at the core of our values at Theatretrain, in this series of blogs we look at what kindness actually is, how it impacts our wellbeing, how it helps us learn and why learning to be kind to ourselves is important for mental health.
Imagine a kind world
Imagine a world where children grow up surrounded by kindness. What would that look like?
- We would treat each other with patience, tolerance and consideration
- We would recognise the feelings of others and respond in a supportive, respectful way
- Everyone would feel included and valued
- A supportive helping hand would never be far away
- We would feel secure enough to try new things and learn from our fails
- Our achievements would be celebrated
- We would feel grateful for the people around us
This is a world where creativity would be nurtured.
What we gain from a kind environment
Experiencing kindness impacts how we feel and how we treat others. At Theatretrain we see our students thrive because they feel safe, supported and encouraged in a genuine meaningful way.
Kindness develops our:
- Empathy
- Social skills
- Ability to collaborate as a team
- The ability to manage our emotions
- Tolerance
- Patience for others
- Selflessness
- Gentleness
- Forgiveness
- Compassion
- Helpfulness
- Connections with others
10 reasons why we value kindness in the performing arts
The ability to try new things
To feel confident and push yourself forward to try a new dance move, attempt a new singing style or take the lead in a play, takes courage and the support of those around you. When we are surrounded by kind faces and kind words, it gives us strength. Even if we fail, it doesn’t matter as we are safe to make mistakes.
Creative thinking and self expression
To truly express ourselves and be creative we need a safe space where our ideas will be accepted, valued and tried out. In a kind environment this is possible. We are free to have constructive discussions about our thoughts and ideas.
The shared experience
The performing arts is a shared experience where everyone collaborates, from the director and the backstage hands, to the actors and the musicians. A great ensemble theatre thrives on kindness.
A sense of belonging
Feeling part of something bigger than yourself is why we come together for the large-scale performances which include all Theatretrain Centres around the country. Our students feel an instant sense of belonging. It’s empowering and fuelled by kindness and a sense of being supported and celebrated.
“When you get to a place where you understand that love and belonging, your worthiness, is a birthright and not something you have to earn, anything is possible.”
Confidence is key
When surrounded by people who support you, you feel a greater sense of confidence, which is key to being a performer.
Being present in the moment
If you don’t have to worry about being judged or getting it wrong, you are free to be present in the moment and concentrate on your performance.
Building characters with empathy
Practising kindness develops empathy which is a vital skill to all performers when they are developing a character.
Making connections
When we experience kindness and offer kindness to others we make stronger connections, and this helps us to collaborate more effectively when we are performing.
The ability to challenge ideas
Being in a safe, kind environment means that we can challenge ideas without fear, which is a healthy and important part of creativity.
Daring to be different
The performing arts should be accessible to everyone. Kindness makes us feel accepted for who we are, so we can be ourselves in an authentic way.
In our next blog we talk about why being kind to yourself is vital to our mental health.
