The Theatre Artist's Guide to Consent-Based Pedagogy: Supporting Young Students in Performance and Production

The Theatre Artist’s Guide to Consent-Based Pedagogy introduces a Consent-Based Pedagogy designed to fuel young students’ cognitive, emotional, and artistic growth by promoting students’ agency and creating an environment in which boundaries are clearly communicated and needs are acknowledged and respected. Building on the philosophy and practice of Theatrical Intimacy Education and expanding upon the Working with Minors Theatrical Intimacy Education workshop, this text examines the impact of cognitive development on learning and creativity and provides a pedagogical framework that prioritizes student agency and growth while encouraging creative risk-taking. This book draws on cognitive science to identify how students’ brains change during different developmental stages and when faced with modern challenges, such as the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, early screen exposure, and chronic stress, and provides theatre educators with teaching tools, lesson plans, and practical approaches to effectively and ethically work with today’s youth. It also addresses the history of trauma, emotional manipulation, and exploitation in theatrical productions and classrooms, analyzing how these inherited practices have limited students’ learning capacity. Offering shifts in facilitation techniques that align with students’ cognitive, social, emotional, and artistic needs, this text suggests ways for teachers to adapt their teaching methodologies to better support students at their most vulnerable. With over 20 lesson plans and activities rooted in anti-oppressive pedagogies, Universal Design for Learning, and culturally sustaining teaching strategies, this guide equips theatre artists and educators with actionable strategies for supporting students and young artists. These lessons model a shift towards transparent teaching and consent-based facilitation of creative spaces to establish theatrical learning and production processes that empower students through the use of developmentally appropriate pedagogy.