Why Theatre?

Worldwide, theatre is recognized as an effective means to disseminate practical information about issues such as health and civic rights. Theatre-based training improves learning abilities, develops leadership and communication skills, boosts self-confidence, fosters teamwork, stimulates creative thinking and problem solving, and encourages self-expression. Theatre gives voice to the voiceless and provides them with a safe environment and the creative tools to address critical problems that can directly improve their community.

“Theatre is a good way to transform all kinds of information – we can show different kinds of conflict in the families and in society. The most important thing is that we could just make people laugh and happy while giving them a message.”  – Sakina, actress, Afghanistan

Our programs focus on:

• INFORMATION: Illustrating crucial social issues for audiences of all ages and circumstances
• EDUCATION: Enhancing traditional studies, stimulating imagination and learning abilities
• EMPOWERMENT: Building leadership, self-confidence, and communication skills
• CONFLICT RESOLUTION: Enhancing creative thinking and problem-solving abilities
• INTERACTIVE PERFORMANCES: Engaging audiences with comedy, skill and imagination
• TEACHER TRAINING: Giving trainers new skills to stimulate students and clarify material
• CULTURAL REVITALIZATION AND EXCHANGE: Collaborating with local artists to reach across cultural borders.

"We feel so much stronger now! Now we can do anything!" - Marina, Haiti

Bond Street Theatre teaches through sensory and physical activities, using body language, imagery, and role-play to stimulate imagination, exploration, and learning.  Sensory and tactile experiences build the neural networks necessary for thought, creativity, and learning.  A sense of touch increases connectivity and happiness because it increases brain activity, which makes “hands-on” techniques so successful.  Muscular activities also stimulate the growth of neural cells. Thus the more a body moves and comes into contact with other bodies, the more the mind can learn.

Artistic play and creative exploration help to foster self-efficacy and self-esteem in young people, and build positive and lasting group connections.  By learning to speak in front of a crowd, work collaboratively, and express ideas well, individuals learn to create lasting change in the community.  

Imagination, make-believe, and play are also integral parts to brain development and community-building. They unlock neural networks, allowing more connections to be made within the brain.  Play integrates mind and body, creating a social learning pattern that combines the individual with the world around them. Play and imagination are how we become mature, feeling, caring people – creating the beginnings of community-centered behavior.

Did you know?

"Arts improve individual well-being. 63 percent of the population believe the arts “lift me up beyond everyday experiences,” 64 percent feel the arts give them “pure pleasure to experience and participate in,” and 73 percent say the arts are a “positive experience in a troubled world.”

Arts unify communities. 67 percent of Americans believe “the arts unify our communities regardless of age, race, and ethnicity” and 62 percent agree that the arts “help me understand other cultures better”—a perspective observed across all demographic and economic categories.

Arts improve academic performance. Students engaged in arts learning have higher GPAs and standardized test scores, and lower drop-out rates. The Department of Education reports that access to arts education for students of color is significantly lower than for their white peers, and has declined for three decades. Yet, research shows that low socio-economic-status students have even greater increases in academic performance, college-going rates, college grades, and holding jobs with a future. 88 percent of Americans believe that arts are part of a well-rounded K-12 education."

​- Randy Cohen, Americans for the Arts © 2017

Creative training builds leadership and communication skills, increasing agency particularly for disadvantaged populations.  The arts are a whole-brain process, using both creativity and logic.  Our theatrical projects and events encourage participants to be engaged to their full capacity.

"In spite of being people from different regions, religions and races, all performed with appreciation and unity." - Sein, Myanmar, in response to a BST show