"I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework." – Lily Tomlin
To most people, immersive theatre is simply another form of entertainment, a fun pastime that breaks down the barriers between performers and audiences.
The scene has exploded in recent years, taking the form of themed holiday events, murder mystery shows, interactive art installations, and so much more, spanning across many genres and mediums.
However, did you know that blending immersive theatre with education can be an effective way to teach young people?
By blending elements of engaging storytelling, role-playing, and meaningful lessons, immersive learning can transcend traditional teaching methods like lectures, instructional videos, and rote memorization. Immersive learning stimulates multiple senses, giving students a more memorable and well-rounded learning experience.
Take England-based immersive theatre charity Punchdrunk Enrichment, for example, whose method “involves placing learners within a fictional or fictionalized real world, casting them as characters in a story, with their actions and work integral to the progression of the narrative.” Students are given a problem to solve, and must work together by completing a variety of amusing yet educational tasks, such as writing short stories, learning about local history, visiting museums, and more.
While this pedagogical approach is certainly unorthodox in the realm of education, Dr. Angela Colvert – Deputy Director for Innovation at the University of Sheffield and research fellow at the University of Roehampton – makes a strong case for the practical application of immersive learning in the classroom. She told Nosuch Studios that, “Immersive learning brings together cognitive, emotional, and physical ways of knowing, feeling and being. It is playful, exploratory, and shaped by the needs and interests of those who take part in the experience.”
Through immersive learning, young people don’t just learn important lessons – they embody them. When students are tasked with playing a character in a fictional story or scenario, their understanding of the material deepens far more than if they were to, say, read a passage from a textbook. ABLConnect at Harvard University states that “role-playing is an opportunity for students to grapple with material in simulated real-world environments. It forces students to apply their knowledge, reflect on key issues, and consider alternate viewpoints.”
Educators may be reluctant to incorporate immersive learning into their curricula due to the perceived costs that go into these types of experiences. However, immersive lessons don’t need to be expensive or complex to be enlightening and captivating. After all, children are hardly known for lacking imagination – simply put the locations and resources you already have at your disposal to good use, and their minds can do much of the heavy lifting.
The Immersive Art Collective has been exploring the possibilities of immersive learning with various programs. For example, last year we hosted a 6-week anti-bullying program that saw students act out different roles in various scenarios with the goal of not only reducing bullying, but also creating an educational environment in which young people feel safe and accepted. By embodying another persona in a simulated situation, participants developed their empathy, and learned how to speak out in cases of bullying.
Coming in June, IAC will host Creative Bend, a summer camp focusing on nurturing creative talents like painting, storytelling, and dance, bending traditional art forms for an immersive learning experience through LARP (live-action role-playing), World-building, and Interactive STEM learning with lighting/audio programming.
Our goal is to provide Creative Bend to children for free. You can help make that happen by making a donation HERE.
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