‘Freedom & Responsiveness’

Confidence in Self Expression
Through Art & Drama Activities

As the old saying goes, “all work and no play makes John a dull boy.” In this day and age the lack of joyous and lighthearted play can do more than make our children “dull’.

These workshops help children to relax and de-stress and have an important ‘digestive’ break in between the academic school terms. What children fail to learn through the joy of play it is unlikely they will learn in the classroom.

Play ‘for the love of it’, without agendas other than the freedom and joy of it, can be a rare thing in children’s lives. Entertainment and so-called (technologically-based) ‘games’do not replace the benefits of spontaneous play that nourishes appropriate freedom and authentic responsiveness, which are the foundations for developing self-response-ability.

Simple but profound ‘drama’ and ‘artistic expression’ activities that are performed in freedom and fun and without any required ‘performance outcomes’ offer participants a chance to unwind and digest their full and complex lives.

Without free play children can become reactive in two main ways: they can become withdrawn, nervous and anxious, or they can become precocious, rebellious and risk-taking.

Even so-called play can add to the stress through the competition inherent in most sports and team games.

What we do not properly digest becomes toxic to our systems (physical, mental and emotional). Constant academic and other life-pressures can strain the vulnerable child and create problems and illness now and later on in life. Many mid-life and geriatric illnesses can be traced back to childhood lifestyle imbalances.

The rest we take between ‘bites of life’ is essential to the process of digestion. Too-much too-fast creates tension that cannot be healed through passive ingestion of entertainment (computer games, videos etc).

Light-hearted, active play is one way humans can digest their lives. Laughter is truly the best medicine in a world that is far too serious for the still-developing being of a young person. Many children nowadays reach the threshold of adulthood already burnt out, cynical, jaded, and debilitated or driven by fears,.