RESILIENCE TRAINING THROUGH LAUGHTER

Venue: Double Teaching Space, Drama Classroom, Studio, Theatre, Hall

Resilience Training Through Laughter is a playful and powerful workshop that helps young people discover the power of joy, imagination, and connection as tools for emotional resilience. Led by acclaimed performer and educator Clint Bolster, this experience invites students to express feelings, bounce back from mistakes, and explore their identity — all through the delightful art forms of clowning, physical theatre, improvisation, and creative play.

 WHAT IT’S ABOUT

Using age-appropriate games, roleplay, and visual storytelling, students learn to:

• Laugh at failure, instead of fearing it
• Express emotions through movement and play
• Support others in group activities
• Take creative risks in a safe, joyful setting
• Celebrate differences, individuality, and imagination

WORKSHOP STRUCTURE

Activities are play-based, physically engaging, and structured around the needs of specific year levels. Every session includes:

• Warm-up games to energise and build trust
• Clowning and movement activities to develop physical and emotional literacy
• Improvisation and storytelling to explore feelings, connection, and choice-making
• Group reflection to reinforce learning and celebrate growth

 AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM LINKS – FOUNDATION TO YEAR 6

 The Arts – Drama

Strands: Making & Responding

• Foundation to Year 2
  ➤ Explore roleplay and movement to express feelings and ideas (ACADRM027, ACADRM028)
  ➤ Respond to drama that explores emotions, relationships, and characters (ACADRR029) 
• Years 3–4
  ➤ Use voice, movement, facial expression and gesture to develop characters and explore emotional situations (ACADRM033)
  ➤ Discuss how drama can represent different viewpoints and emotional journeys (ACADRR034) 
• Years 5–6
  ➤ Develop performance skills to communicate big ideas and emotional themes (ACADRM036, ACADRM037)
  ➤ Analyse how drama can build empathy, courage, and social awareness (ACADRR038)
  

Health and Physical Education (HPE)

Strand: Personal, Social and Community Health

• Foundation to Year 2
  ➤ Identify body signals related to emotions (e.g., butterflies, crying, laughter) (ACPPS003)
  ➤ Recognise behaviours that show kindness and inclusion (ACPPS005) 
• Years 3–4
  ➤ Understand how people express and manage feelings in different ways (ACPPS038)
  ➤ Develop strategies for cooperation, resilience, and communication (ACPPS037) 
• Years 5–6
  ➤ Describe how emotional responses affect decision-making (ACPPS056)
  ➤ Explore self-awareness and how it influences relationships and wellbeing (ACPPS051)

 English

• Foundation to Year 6
  ➤ Use personal experiences as inspiration for story creation (ACELY1651, ACELY1694)
  ➤ Develop oral language by sharing feelings, ideas, and responses to play-based situations (ACELY1666, ACELY1682)
  ➤ Reflect through writing or speaking on workshop activities: “What made me feel brave today?”

 GENERAL CAPABILITIES

Personal and Social Capability

• Develop confidence and self-awareness by expressing feelings through theatre and laughter
• Build empathy and respect by collaborating and celebrating differences
• Strengthen resilience by embracing mistakes as part of the learning journey

Critical and Creative Thinking

• Solve problems creatively in performance tasks
• Think flexibly during improvisational games
• Invent stories, characters, and moments that explore human emotions

Ethical Understanding

• Consider how kindness, inclusion, and encouragement affect group dynamics
• Reflect on the power of humour to build bridges, ease discomfort, and invite belonging

 STYLE & FORM

• Clowning & Physical Comedy – Using exaggeration and play to explore emotional truth
• Physical Theatre – Body-based storytelling and emotional expression
• Improvisation – Thinking on your feet and supporting the unexpected
• Non-Verbal Communication – Understanding feelings without words
• Play-Based Exploration – Structured games with deep learning outcomes
• Collaborative Ensemble Work – Listening, reacting, and supporting other

THEMES FOR P–6 STUDENTS

• Mistakes Are OK – Learning to fail with a smile and bounce back stronger
• Feelings Aren’t Scary – Every emotion is valid and worthy of expression
• Everyone Is Different – And that’s what makes life joyful and exciting
• Being Silly Is Powerful – Humour helps us grow, connect, and relax
• Laughter Is a Superpower – For healing, learning, and community

 POST-WORKSHOP EXTENSIONS

• Drama activities: Character improvisations, laughter journals, mirror games
• HPE discussion prompts: “What helps me when I feel nervous?” “Who supports me when I fall?”
• English tasks: Write a story or poem about a time you were brave or turned a mistake into a win
• Visual art: Design your own clown character or emotion mask

FOR EDUCATORS & SCHOOLS

• Aligns with wellbeing frameworks, SEL programs, and mental health initiatives
• Can be tailored for class-sized intensives, year-level activations, or whole-school incursion days
• Builds a positive school culture around joy, acceptance, and resilience
• Optional teacher resource pack available with pre- and post-workshop activities

Devised by: Clint Bolster
Directed by: Clint Bolster