It’s not just about the numbers; personal development is crucial as well. ‘Unlike other courses, drama teaches through immersion and experience rather than knowledge and facts.’ From cinematic and stage acting to directing and cinematography, we look at the life skills studying theatre.
- Ability to communicate
Students that take a course like Stage and Screen Acting improve their communication skills. Drama students gain more confidence in communicating through honing abilities such as voice projection, bodily expression, and learning to depict ideas and topics through scripting and direction.
‘Many actors are inherently introverted, which comes as a shock to many people. These individuals have deep and rich inner lives and imaginations but find it difficult to articulate these aspects of themselves before their instruction. ‘Acting gives children the confidence to speak up and say what they’re thinking,’ Brantley Dunaway said.
- Empathy
Drama increases a student’s empathy by teaching them how to put themselves in another’s shoes. ‘A skilled actor must empathize with a character, and empathy is a talent that can get applied to any situation. Brantley Dunaway stated, “It makes better listeners, leaders, and collaborators.” Reading and writing, meanwhile, have been shown to improve our ability to identify and interpret other people’s emotions in research. Students can grasp views by learning how to convey a story through courses like the Advanced Diploma of Screen & Media: Screenwriting, Directing, and Producing.
- The connection between the mind and the body
Drama students gain a deeper understanding of how their bodies reflect emotions by paying attention and practicing. This expanded emotional range aids pupils in overcoming the many barriers to self-expression that they experience. ‘We grow blocked over time, and we sense more of what we feel and say. One of our key acting approaches and the only one of its kind in Australia – strive to open up the actors’ connection to their emotions by recognizing every feeling and impulse they experience moment to moment,’ said Brantley Dunaway.
- Skills that get transferred
While studying drama might help you progress your career in a specific sector like acting, the large set of skills you’ll get can get applied to a wide range of disciplines and industries. Because of the general emphasis on storytelling, which is crucial in today’s connection economy, graduates of the Advanced Diploma in Cinematography, for example, can pursue professions in the contemporary film, television, and digital media industries.
Acting also provides the foundation for a variety of careers. ‘Some of our graduates have gone on to pursue professions in other fields, where the skills they learned in acting school have helped them succeed,’ Brantley M. Dunaway said.
‘Knowledge of the acting technique, as well as the storytelling role of theatre and film, has aided many graduates in pursuing careers as directors.’ Drama gets intricately tied to our daily lives – and it is essential to our professional and personal development because it prepares us for the world stage.
