Life’s Stages: Exploring Confidence, Expression, and Emotional Barriers

 

 

 

The Life’s Stages session was designed as a theatre-based activity aimed at encouraging reflection, expression, and engagement with different stages of life. Participants initially expected a performance-focused session involving acting or theatrical expression. However, for many young people, this expectation became a source of discomfort rather than motivation.

A significant number of participants struggled to engage due to low confidence and anxiety around performing or expressing themselves in front of others. Feelings of self-consciousness and fear of appearing exposed or “silly” affected overall participation levels, making the session challenging for both participants and youth workers. As a result, engagement remained low, particularly during the performance-based elements of the activity.

While some participants—especially those more comfortable with creative expression—were able to engage, the session was only partially completed. Activities involving writing and reflection were more accessible and better received, whereas theatre-based tasks proved difficult for many young people to take part in.

Youth Worker Learning and Reflection

Youth workers described the session as valuable but challenging. Although engagement was mixed, the experience supported the development of greater awareness around young people’s confidence levels and emotional barriers. Youth workers gained insight into how theatre-based methods can affect engagement differently depending on participants’ comfort with performance and self-expression.

Through the session, youth workers developed skills related to facilitating reflection, supporting participants with low confidence, and responding with patience and empathy. They also recognised the importance of adapting activities to suit group needs, confidence levels, and emotional readiness.

Youth workers expressed cautious willingness to repeat the session, noting that while the method has value, it may not be suitable for all groups without significant adaptation.

Session Delivery and Engagement

The session was minimally adapted to the local context. While some adjustments were made to respect comfort levels, the core structure remained theatre-based, which limited participation for some young people. Mentorship and support were provided but were not fully effective in overcoming participants’ reluctance to engage with performance elements.

Overall, Life’s Stages highlighted the importance of sensitivity, flexibility, and confidence-building when using theatre-based tools with young people, particularly those who may feel vulnerable in group performance settings.