Main description:

Recent decades have seen a new appreciation develop for applied theatre and the role of arts-based activities in health care. This book looks specifically at the place of theatre for children who are hospitalized, showing how powerfully it can enhance their social and mental well-being. Child-led performances, for example, can be used as a technique to distract young patients from hospitalization, prepare them for painful procedures, and teach them calming techniques to control their own pre- or post-operative stress. Persephone Sextou details the key theoretical contexts and practical features of theatre for children, in the process offering motivation, guidance and inspiration for practitioners who want to incorporate performance into their treatment regimen.

Contents:

Foreword

Prologue

Introduction

Motivation and beliefs

Arts and health

The structure of the book

Chapter One: A TCH definition and more...

Applied theatre in hospitals

Theatre as an 'antidote' to clinical stress

A playful 'marriage' of two cultures, the artistic with the clinical in audience participation

The artist-child synergistic relationship

Ethical concerns

TCH and therapy

Chapter Two: The distinctive features of TCH practice and research

Background information of the study

Understanding the clinical context

The study: Methodology

Findings and discussion: TCH practice comes alive!

Chapter Three: TCH as a choice: 'I want to make a difference!'

A philosophical approach to TCH

Aristotle

Heraclitus

My philosophy

Chapter Four: Concluding thoughts

Summary

The future of TCH

Appendices

Appendix One: Breathing with Love, the script

Appendix Two: The shape of our bedside theatre rehearsals

Appendix Three: Writing a TCH proposal plan (bid)

Appendix Four: Example of application letter

Appendix Five: Guidance for applying for NHS Research Ethics Committee approval (for researchers only)

Note on the author

Bibliography

Index