Drama, Wellbeing and Confidence: What the Evidence Shows for Students and Parents

Parents often tell me the same thing: "I’m not worried about the grade right now; I’m worried about my child’s confidence" - or anxiety, or whether their child will speak up in class, cope with exam pressure, or feel comfortable in their own skin.

Throughout my career teaching Drama and English to secondary students, I’ve heard this so many times and it makes complete sense. Adolescence is loud, emotional, and full of pressure (more so now than maybe ever before). Confidence and communication aren’t the 'soft skills' or 'nice extras' that I have so often heard them referred to in the past; they’re the foundations that make everything else possible.

The encouraging news is that we now have a strong, research‑backed understanding of how Drama supports exactly these areas. In May 2026, the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and the Cultural Learning Alliance (CLA) published a Rapid Evidence Review (RER), The Benefits of Drama Education in Schools, pulling together 351 studies on Drama education from the last 20 years. It’s one of the most comprehensive pieces of research we’ve had on the subject.

Drama Builds Confidence and Self‑Belief

One of the clearest findings in the review is that Drama consistently boosts young people’s:

“self‑confidence, agency, self‑efficacy.”

In simple terms: Drama helps students feel braver. It can help a student volunteer an idea, read a paragraph aloud, or try something new without freezing.

I have seen this so many times throughout my years working with young people. A student who barely whispers in their first session ends up leading warm‑ups. A teenager who’s terrified of being “cringe” shares a monologue they wrote themselves. These moments aren’t really about the performance; they’re about self‑belief, and they remain some of the most memorable for me.

The research also shows these gains aren’t limited to natural 'performers'. Neurodivergent learners often benefit the most, especially when the work is scaffolded and the environment is gently encouraging rather than competitive.

Drama Supports Emotional Regulation

Another big theme in the review is emotional regulation: the ability to notice a feeling, manage it, and respond intentionally rather than reactively. Drama helps with this through:

“emotional and behavioural regulation.”

Role‑play and character work give students a safe way to explore difficult emotions: anger, embarrassment, frustration, fear. They can “try on” these feelings through a character, which creates just enough distance to make them manageable.

For exam‑age students, this is incredibly practical and so important. The ability to pause, take a breath, and choose a calmer response is something we rehearse in Drama, and it transfers directly to the exam hall.

Drama Creates Safe Spaces for Expression

Drama is one of the few places where “safe space” isn’t just another buzzword. We've been using that phrase since before it was cool! The review highlights Drama’s impact on:

“safe space, collaboration, social skills.”

Drama studios and Drama‑informed tutoring sessions tend to have clear expectations around respect, listening, confidentiality, and support. When they are working within these boundaries, students can express thoughts and feelings that might feel too risky elsewhere.

This is especially important for students who are shy, anxious, or neurodivergent. Drama gives them a predictable, non‑judgemental environment where they can practise social interaction in real time: negotiating meaning, building scenes, responding to others, and being responded to kindly. Especially when they are allowed to take risks - and sometimes even, would you believe, get it wrong! Yes, daring to fail in a safe environment might just be the most valuable experience Drama can offer. How else can we develop resilience and perseverance?

Drama Builds Empathy and Social Understanding

The review also highlights Drama’s role in developing:

“empathy and theory of mind.”

The world our young people are growing up in is often overwhelming, and understanding other people’s behaviours can be unfathomable. Building and practising empathy is one of the best things Drama enables. When students inhabit a character with different experiences, motivations, or emotions, they practise perspective‑taking. They ask questions like: Why might they say this? What are they feeling? What do they want?

This kind of emotional intelligence is central to wellbeing and relationships. It also helps academically: students write more nuanced English Literature essays, respond more thoughtfully to peers, and become more comfortable engaging with differences.

Drama Supports Identity Formation

Adolescence is tough. Figuring out who you are and what tribe you belong to has always been a rite of passage for teenagers, and it can often land them in sticky situations where they are misunderstood or misrepresented. The review notes that Drama helps young people explore:

“identity” and even “unruly identities.”

I love the phrase “unruly identities.” It sums up the reality of being a teenager so well: trying things on, discarding them, reinventing yourself, feeling unsure, feeling bold, feeling confused - sometimes making mistakes.

Drama gives students a safe way to experiment with different versions of themselves. Through character work, autobiographical pieces, or creative writing, they can explore aspects of their identity that feel too vulnerable or too complicated to express otherwise. It’s a space where they can be more than one thing at once, and that’s incredibly freeing.

Drama Is Joyful - and Joy Matters

Years ago, a former colleague of mine (from a different department, I should say!) described Drama lessons as 'leaping about'. I chose to receive this as a compliment.

One of my favourite lines in the review is that Drama’s value lies partly in:

“fun, joy and playfulness.”

Joy is often dismissed as frivolous, but it’s so vital for wellbeing. Play reduces stress, builds resilience, and makes learning feel meaningful rather than draining.

In a school system dominated by grades, targets, and high‑stakes assessment, Drama can offer something different: a space where creativity, imagination, and laughter are allowed to take up room. For many students, it’s the one place in their week where learning feels light.

Why Drama‑Informed Tutoring Matters Now

Despite all this evidence, Drama provision in schools has shrunk dramatically over the past decade or so. The CLA’s 2026 Report Card shows that access to Arts subjects is increasingly shaped by geography and socioeconomic status, creating an “Arts entitlement gap” that starts early and widens over time.

As Elliott et al. (2019) put it, creative work in education often flourishes:

“despite, rather than because of, official policies.”

In other words: many students simply don’t get consistent access to Drama’s benefits.

Drama‑informed tutoring can help fill that gap. In my work with secondary students, including those preparing for GCSE or A-Level Drama, I use Drama‑based strategies to support:

• Confidence in speaking, listening, and performing

• Emotional regulation and exam resilience

• Empathy and interpretation skills for English Literature

• A supportive relationship where progress is noticed and comfort zones are gently stretched

For parents worried about confidence, anxiety, or communication, Drama‑informed tutoring isn’t about replacing school Drama; it’s about ensuring their child has a reliable, nurturing educational space where these crucial skills can grow and flourish.

Sources

1. Cultural Learning Alliance, “Report Card 2026 & Rapid Evidence Reviews for Arts Subjects” (May 2026): https://www.culturallearningalliance.org.uk/report-card-and-rers-published-today/

2. Royal Shakespeare Company, “New Rapid Evidence Reviews show powerful impact of arts‑rich education” (May 2026): https://www.rsc.org.uk/news/rapid-evidence-reviews-arts-education

3. RSC-CLA, “The Benefits of Drama Education in Schools: A Rapid Evidence Review” (May 2026): https://www.culturallearningalliance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/RSC-CLA-Drama-Education-Rapid-Evidence-Review.pdf

(Additional research on drama pedagogy and wellbeing is cited in the review itself; see the RSC-CLA Drama RER for full references.)