Published on 29th July 2025 by Tessa Robinson
The act of storytelling has been a tremendously influential means to make us know each other. This is so much more in the case of children and the youth because they associate with others and the development of basic social skills. Activities available in performing arts, such as those of Stagecoach Performing Arts, create much space to engage in safe exploration of different forms of storytelling as children step into the shoes another person and collaborate with their peers on the presentations. All these develop empathy, compassion and so on in children and young adults as they turn into mature adults.
Increasing your level of empathy and compassion is important at any age however, in children and young people it is important as you develop life choices and experience periods of maturing and growth through significant life stages and changes. Studies have even indicated that empathy and emotional perception in other people is immature till adolescence. This implies that providing children and youth with the opportunity to develop the ability to explore emotion, reactions and interpersonal relationships is invaluable during childhood.
The Power of the Story
Performing arts classes are all about storytelling. The performance arts rely on storytelling; it is a transforming aspect of the meaning in a song, the inspiration of a song routine, up to milestones at the end of a school term theatre performance. Storytelling For children, story comprehension is central to development, it will be relevant to communication and understanding skills as well as to how we learn about each other. Not only is assisting your children in improving their storytelling ability through the performing arts useful helping them gain a superior perspective on the world around them, it also aids in character development as they learn to be more empathetic towards other people through perfecting their knowledge of what makes other people tick.
Walk the Shoes of Another Man
Acting classes put children into a position where they need to consider that everyone around them has their own opinions and memories that inform the way they are, the things they say and the decisions they make. As children grow and the pool of other people they know gets wider, for example in the move from primary to secondary school, having the insight to know that everyone thinks and feels differently for a whole host of reasons, and being able to try and put themselves in someone else’s shoes, is an invaluable skill. This kind of empathy plays a central role in how one makes friends, how one works as a team and how to resolve interpersonal problems.
The Dream is a Team Player
As they move the story forward with each of their individual contributions, whether they’re playing a lead role or are part of the ensemble (the backbone of theatre!), they can see how working with others should be done.
Opening Their Eyes to More
The act of storytelling through drama, dance and singing also gives children the opportunity to get out of their comfort zones and discover something new. As they work with material they might not have come across otherwise that challenges them to think differently, or perhaps even learn more about another culture.
Booking your child into a performing arts class is a great way to help your child’s empathy development. Through teamwork and exploring storytelling and character, children naturally build their empathy, compassion and understanding. If you’d like to explore the positive impact of the performing arts, you can search your postcode on the Stagecoach website to book a commitment-free Two-Week Trial today.
