Arts as a Skill Generator II

Here are other skills that can be acquired through the learning of arts...

1. Non-Verbal Communication – Through experiences in theatre and dance education, you learn to breakdown the mechanics of body language. You experience different ways of moving and how those movements communicate different emotions. You are then coached in performance skills to ensure you are portraying the character effectively to the audience.

2. Receiving Constructive Feedback – Receiving constructive feedback about a performance or visual art piece is a regular part of any arts instruction. Learning that feedback is part of learning and it is not something to be offended by or to be taken personally. It is something helpful. The goal is the improvement of skills and evaluation is incorporated at every step of the process. Each arts discipline has built in parameters to ensure that critique is a valuable experience and greatly contributes to the success of the final piece.

3. Collaboration – Most arts disciplines are collaborative in nature. Through the arts, you practice working together, sharing responsibility, and compromising with others to accomplish a common goal. When a someone has a part to play in a music ensemble, or a theatre or dance production, they begin to understand that their contribution is necessary for the success of the group. Through these experiences you gain confidence and start to learn that their contributions have value even if they don’t have the biggest role.

4. Dedication – When one gets to practice following through with artistic endeavours that result in a finished product or performance, you learn to associate dedication with a feeling of accomplishment. They practice developing healthy work habits of being on time for rehearsals and performances, respecting the contributions of others, and putting effort into the success of the final piece. In the performing arts, the reward for dedication is the warm feeling of an audience’s applause that comes rushing over you, making all your efforts worthwhile.

5. Accountability – When you practice creating something collaboratively you get used to the idea that your actions affect other people. You learn that when you are not prepared or on-time, that other people suffer. Through the arts, you also learn that it is important to admit that you made a mistake and take responsibility for it. Because mistakes are a regular part of the process of learning in the arts, you begin to see that mistakes happen. We acknowledge them, learn from them and move on.  (Lisa Philips)