What can children really gain from performing arts?

Dance, drama and singing might be seen as hobbies or extracurricular activities, but the skills children develop through creative experiences can reach far beyond the stage.

In today's episode, I’m joined by Diane Neave, co-founder of Rascals, an award-winning family-run performing arts school that has been inspiring children through dance, drama and singing for almost 30 years.

This is also a particularly special conversation for me, as Diane was one of my own dance lecturers when I studied performing arts more than 20 years ago! Coming back together all these years later to talk about children, education, creativity and confidence felt like a real full-circle moment.

💡 In this episode, we discuss:

✨ Why performing arts is about far more than learning to dance, sing or act

✨ Building children’s confidence, communication and self-belief

✨ Giving quieter children the time and space to find their voice

✨ Why confidence shouldn’t be rushed or forced

✨ Creativity, imagination and the importance of opportunities without a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answer

✨ Supporting autistic children, children with ADHD and those with other SEND needs

✨ Adapting activities to the individual child rather than expecting every child to respond in the same way

✨ Performance anxiety and why taking part in a show should always be a choice

✨ Helping children experience success outside traditional academic measures

✨ How parents can encourage storytelling, movement and imaginative play at home

❤️ Why this matters

Not every child finds their confidence in the same place.

For some, it might not come from getting the highest mark or putting their hand up in class. It might come from saying their name in a group for the first time, joining in with a dance, sharing an idea or eventually standing on a stage.

Diane shares how she has seen children go from being unable to say their own name in class to performing on stage and why those seemingly tiny steps can represent enormous achievements.

Performing arts can give children opportunities to move, imagine, communicate, create and express themselves without everything having a right or wrong answer.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and all major podcast platforms.

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Diane Neave & Rascals

Website: https://www.rascals-uk.com/

Instagram: @rascals_theatre_school

Email: info@rascals-uk.com

You can also find Rascals on Facebook, and use the locations page on their website to find classes near you.

💬 Join the conversation

What activities have helped your child grow in confidence? And do you think children have enough opportunities for creativity and performing arts?

🔍 Keywords:

performing arts for children, benefits of performing arts, children’s confidence, building confidence in children, creative learning, creativity in childhood, dance for children, drama for children, singing for children, performing arts education, children’s wellbeing, SEND inclusion, neurodivergent children, autism and performing arts, ADHD and performing arts, inclusive activities for children, performance anxiety, shy children, imaginative play, self-esteem in children, extracurricular activities, Rascals, Diane Neave, parenting podcast UK, education podcast UK, RECAP The Podcast

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#performingarts #childrensconfidence #creativelearning #childrenswellbeing #send #neurodiversity #inclusiveeducation #creativity #imaginativeplay #selfesteem #parentinguk #educationuk #parentingpodcast #educationpodcast #recapthepodcast

Series 7, Episode 2