From studio to self: What I learned bringing psychology into community performing arts
The front of the theatre, sporting the massive banner for All Will Be Well on the right, the show all the groups were working towards
When I began my six-month part-time Professional Internships for PhD Students (PIPS) internship at the local theatre back in January 2025, I was already no stranger to the building. I’d worked there for over ten years, but this opportunity offered something different: the chance to embed myself more deeply within the Engage programme and explore how psychological skills could support a wide range of community performers. While I had some familiarity with the environment, I hadn’t yet met many of the groups involved - spanning young people, older adults, and performers with learning and physical disabilities. Over the months, I had the privilege of working alongside these diverse participants and their tutors, bringing together my background in performance psychology and a commitment to inclusive, empowering practice.
The big picture: What mental skills mean in a community arts context
Mental skills are often associated with elite athletes or high-performance settings. You hear about Olympic swimmers visualising races, or musicians learning to calm their nerves before a concert. But I’ve long believed that these tools - when thoughtfully adapted - have just as much to offer outside elite spaces. In community arts, where people come together for joy, self-expression, and connection, psychological tools can offer grounding, confidence, and a deeper sense of belonging.
What I didn’t anticipate was just how wide-ranging and individual this work would be. The seven groups I worked with ranged from children in youth theatre, to adults of all ages and abilities preparing for a large-scale production. Each group had its own rhythm, energy, and needs.
Building trust: Starting with what matters to them
From the outset, I made a deliberate choice: the mental skills sessions would be built collaboratively. In the first week of term, I asked every tutor and group what they wanted to get out of the term, both generally and from any mental skills support. The answers varied, but common themes emerged: more confidence, feeling less nervous, improving focus, supporting each other, expressing emotion, and finding a performance mindset.
Rather than impose a pre-designed curriculum, I let these wishes guide the structure. Each session was bespoke, co-created in rhythm with the rehearsal process. Sometimes it was a 20-minute warm-up with a psychological twist; other times, it was a session devoted to mindfulness, group reflection, or role-play. I wasn’t a “guest speaker” dropping in with theory - I was embedded, and the relationships I built were at the core of what made this work feel meaningful.
Highlights from the rehearsal room
There were so many moments that will stay with me. With a group of teenagers , we played with performance personas - imagined versions of themselves who were bold, present, and expressive. Watching a usually reserved and shy participant embody their “confident self” in front of the group, only to return to their real name with a grin and a shrug - it was magic.
In a company of older adult performers, I had the privilege of joining their rehearsal every week. This consistent presence allowed us to build real depth. We explored themes like creative resilience and emotional availability, always through embodied exercises - shared eye contact, movement, and breath. Our conversations around trust, legacy, and stage presence blurred the line between the artistic and the therapeutic.
Working with an inclusive adult group demanded creative flexibility. Verbal strategies sometimes had to give way to imagery, sensory cues, and imaginative play. One of the most effective tools was guided visualisation - not only to recall rehearsal material, but to feel show-ready, emotionally and mentally, before rehearsals.
What the feedback said
At the end of the internship, I collected feedback from participants and tutors. I wasn’t sure what to expect - it can be hard to quantify “mental skills” and their ripple effects. But the results were humbling:
Over 90% of participants enjoyed the sessions
Almost 70% found at least one activity helpful for rehearsals or performance
Almost 70% felt more confident after participating
Participants asked for more of the same: “a couple more sessions through the year, especially closer to performance week”, “more visualisation”, and “more trying different characters and scenarios”. It’s the kind of feedback that quietly says: this mattered.
Tutors were unequivocal. Every single one said the sessions had a very positive impact on their group. One noted: “My group are interacting with each other really well now, and are more confident with me as their tutor too.” Another shared the journey of a performer who, after early sessions, said she “felt stupid” moving physically on stage, but by the end of term, she had joined both the drama and dance groups and was flourishing in both.
Several tutors talked about how the sessions helped them, too - managing low energy, gaining perspective, and expanding their toolkit. One reflected: “Having a specialist practitioner alongside the work I’m doing has been brilliant… totally respecting the work that we do and the diversity of the group, and tailoring exercises that complement the work.”
The unexpected joys (and challenges!)
Some of the most rewarding parts were the most unexpected. Learning how to respond in the moment to the emotional temperature of a group. Adapting an activity that bombed the first time. Making peace with the messiness of process over product. And noticing how often the best outcomes came from stepping back and letting the group steer.
It wasn’t always smooth sailing. Some sessions had low energy or confusion. There were moments I doubted whether I was making a difference. But that’s part of the learning, and part of the reason this experience was so valuable.
What I took with me
This internship affirmed my belief that mental skills training is not just for the elite, it’s for everyone. It deepened my commitment to inclusive, collaborative, embodied work that honours both the psychological and the creative.
It also reminded me of something fundamental: that people are capable of more than they often realise. With the right support - whether it’s a breathing technique, a visualisation, or simply a chance to reflect - people rise. They connect more deeply, take risks, express themselves fully.
For me, the experience was a living laboratory. It allowed me to test and stretch ideas from my research, but more than that - it reminded me why I care about this work in the first place.
Final thoughts
The arts aren’t just about performance, they’re about people. They’re about coming together, finding your voice, and daring to be seen. I saw that, week after week, in rehearsal rooms filled with laughter, nerves, music, and movement. To the dancers and actors, the tutors and the staff, the groups who let me in - thank you. You helped me grow not just as a researcher, but as a human being.
If you're reading this and wondering whether mental skills work belongs in community arts, I’ll leave you with what one tutor told me:
“It changed the way the group talked to each other, and to me, it helped us feel ready, together.”
That, to me, says it all.
