Applied Theatre in Paediatrics

This book explores applied theatre practice for children in environments of illness and cure and how it can powerfully normalise children's hospitalisation experience. It is an essential tool for making meaning of children's illness, putting it into a fictional context and developing better control of their clinical experiences. It can be central to raising the standards of care and quality of life during illness. Taken from the author's research and participatory bedside theatre practice in hospitals before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, this book demonstrates new learning about aesthetics, ethics, emotions, stories, puppetry, digital arts and research methodologies about children's health and wellbeing. It provides a selection of ten unique stories told by children inspired by applied theatre practice in paediatrics, cardiac, oncology, neurosurgery, burns units and complex and intensive care wards. Stories aid in understanding the language of children's pain for a better assessment and management of pain by healthcare professionals through the arts. It analyses synergistic theatre performance in 'stitched lands' between challenging realities and safe fictionalities. This book enables artists to develop new ways of thinking and contributes to further improvements in the provision of education and reflective learning in the field. It also addresses the emotional labour of the artist in healthcare and makes recommendations for balanced training to prevent emotional exhaustion. Designed for artists, healthcare professionals, therapists, play specialists and teachers who work with children in healthcare, this text aims to help many people find creative ways of making a positive difference in sick children's lives. It is a book for those who love and care for children.

Persephone Sextou is a professor in applied theatre for health and wellbeing and the director of the Sidney De Haan Research Centre at Canterbury Christ Church University. She is a leading expert in participatory dramas for sick children in hospitals with 30 years of experience in academia around the world. She is the proud mother of two and the author of Theatre for Children in Hospital: The Gift of Compassion.

1. Hospitalised children's stories in applied theatre 2. Applied theatre and digital assets on the wards 3. Sick Children's stories: from patients to story-makers 4. Applied performance, puppetry and hospital tuition 5. Caring enough is never enough: Training actors on emotional Skills 6. The Future: questions and recommendations Appendix A: 'Rocket-Arts' or "Simba, the Therapy Dog". The script. Appendix B: "Simba, the Therapy Dog". A digital adaptation. Appendix C: "Lollie the rough collie and the magic kiss". The story.

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