Exercising the Mind

Abstract

In this article I return to the question of whether we should draw a distinction between theatre-making and drama as a learning medium. Human beings, like all mammals, learn to survive through play. The skills we develop through playing enable us to learn about ourselves, others and our environment. Humans also have a prolonged period of protected and dependent childhood during which time we use our imaginations to envisage our futures and, unlike our mammalian brethren, become aware of our mortality. This ability to learn through play we continue to employ in our adult lives. Alongside this personal involvement in play there has also developed the art form of theatre. I argue that drama and theatre are different in the same way that school athletics are different from professional sport; they are related but not conjoined. Drama is an essential tool of ‘play’ that enables humans to critically examine the world as is and discover what part we can ‘play’ in shaping the future. As sport is to the body so drama is to the mind: it is important that all young people have access to this mind exercise as it is for them to access to physical activity.