“Teatro da Esperança” – Theatre

Theatre is of great significance for Escola da Esperança, especially for social learning and the development of each child’s personality. A theatrical play, emerging from a shared theme, developed and performed in group, is a community-building process for the participants. The children learn to study a role and to represent it and experience their presence as an important element for the success of the collective performance. Writing the script strengthens their language skills and develops their communication abilities. The production of stage props and sceneries showcases the children’s artistic and creative potential, giving them the opportunity to be publicly acknowledged. In the course of the theatre work, the children grow beyond their roles; the play is continually developed and roles are swapped, depending on which role provides the best learning experience for each child at a given moment.

The strong motivation of the children and young people to present a play in different languages leads them to learning the basics of a new language within a very short time. At the same time the play’s content is the learning matter; the theater work is mentally stimulating and this leads to unusual questions and greater interest. This stimulus is brought to the open learning space, where the contents are further deepened through individual work or other appropriate ideas. 

Get to know the theatre piece “The Black Shadow and the Riddle of the Princess”