Developing 21st Century Skills through the Performing Arts

“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” — Albert Einstein

In 2013, Google, one of the world’s most reputable technology companies, tested their hiring hypothesis by searching through every bit of hiring, firing and promotion data accumulated since the company first started in 1998. What they concluded came as a shock to many – in rating the qualities of Google’s top employees across the years, STEM expertise came in last.  They categorised all the top seven skills for being hired as what are sometimes called ‘soft skills’. This is a misleading name, as Mary V.L. Wright, a senior director at Jobs for the Future, stated, “For many people, these are very hard. They are things that have to be learned”. The attributes listed by Google were as follows:

• Being a good coach
• Communicating and listening well
• Possessing insights into others (including different values and points of view)
• Having empathy towards and being supportive of one’s colleagues
• Being a good critical thinker and problem solver
• Being able to make connections across complex ideas

At Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi, we believe in a holistic education for every child that comes through our doors. This not only means developing knowledge, but also the transferrable skills that shape a well-rounded individual. Whilst all lessons at Dulwich aim to promote the employable attributes previously listed, perhaps no faculty is more equipped to inspire collaboration, empathy and creativity than the Performing Arts.

Encompassing subjects such as drama, music and dance, the Performing Arts not only hit all of the aforementioned top employable skills, but also, each of the IB learner profiles. Students are taught to be Caring and Communicators through working with an ensemble, orchestra or cast. They are both Balanced, Thinkers and Knowledgeable when they ration their time between dedicated rehearsals and theoretical revision. Students studying a Performing Arts subject will always be asked to question the world around them, interact with cultures different from their own and make decisions based on their own views, making them Inquirers, Open-minded and Principled. Finally, self-improvement is an integral part of the Arts, students are required to be Reflective every time they play a note, speak a line or place a foot on the stage.

Dulwich College in London was founded by Edward Alleyn, notably considered one of the greatest and most loved actors of his time. Sound learning, strong artistic pursuits and good manners  were the pillars upon which Alleyn established his school; pillars which are still holding up the values of our school today. We want our students to adhere to our College Values: Aim High and Work Hard. Be Kind and Respectful. Make a Difference.

“The world is a complicated place, and there’s a lot of division between people. The performing arts tend to unify people in a way nothing else does.” — David Rubenstein

In an unprecedented situation, amidst a global pandemic, the importance of Performing Arts has become increasingly clear. Whether it was videos of quarantined musicians playing on balconies, viral dances connecting people virtually or theatres releasing recorded plays for free online, the Performing Arts community stepped up to join people together in a time of great unknown. Diane Jean-Mary, Partner and Chief Strategy Officer at LaPlaca Cohen said recently “In a time of such great uncertainty, many are turning to creativity, perhaps as a way to regain a sense of agency, expression and enjoyment.” 

Similarly, at Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi, we see the unifying power of the Performing Arts across the school. The Dulwich Shakespeare Festival is an annual event where Senior School students connect with peers across our community to participate in workshops with the Royal Shakespeare Company and to present performances based on the Bard’s greatest plays. This year, the festival will take place online to accommodate for travel restrictions, whilst still connecting our family of schools. The MADD festival is a yearly event where Junior School students explore music, art, dance and drama taught by visiting practitioners, whilst being facilitated by our very own in-house specialists. We should also not forget the wonderful Junior and Senior School productions that take place every year in our very own Alleyn Theatre. This week, the cast and crew of the Senior School will be delighting us with their very own 70’s disco version of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, where magic meets music in a hilarious explosion of colour.

An article by Cambridge Assessment, Celebrating the Arts , lists five important reasons for studying a creative subject in school. Whilst mentioning the development of emotional intelligence, resilience and employability, possibly the most convincing statements are that these subjects ‘reach the parts other subjects can’t reach’ and ‘reach the students other subjects can’t reach’. Whilst it’s true that not everyone is made for the stage, it is our belief that there is a role for everyone in The Arts. This year, we have launched a new initiative to mentor and train a student technician team called ‘The Crew’. With the help of our specialist music and drama technician, students who have felt alienated by the sometimes-daunting world of public performance have been able to operate our theatre’s lighting, sound, cameras and backstage equipment. In speaking about this new opportunity, Jerold in Year 8 said:

“As a sound technician it’s my responsibility to monitor the sound equipment and microphones that are needed in the production. During this year I’ve learnt how to mix and adjust sounds, control certain microphones and understand how speakers work. I would definitely recommend joining the crew if you like performing arts but don’t like acting.”

“All the world’s a stage.” — William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare once wrote that “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” It is our mission to help our learners build a bridge to the world by Graduating Worldwise. We want our students to take the whole world as their stage and to play many roles in the future of their communities. In an ever-evolving world, The Arts serve as a vehicle to change the future without conflict and understand one another without words.

References

• https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2017/12/20/the-surprising-thing-google-learned-about-its-employees-and-what-it-means-for-todays-students/
• https://www.usnews.com/news/stem-index/articles/2016-05-20/dont-call-them-soft-skills-theyre-hard-requirements
• https://www.dulwich.org.uk/about/history/our-founder
• http://www.shakespeare-online.com/biography/edwardalleyn.html
• https://www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/insights/celebrating-the-arts-five-reasons-to-study-creative-subjects/