Website
Countr(ies)
China
Grade Level of Students Participating
Children aged 16 and under, with their families
Number of Students Participating per Year
100,000 children and their families
Year Organization Began
2013
Relationship to Public Education System
Work independently through the theatre's own educational programs
Organization’s Vision and Mission
Mission: “To develop Chinese cultural education through the arts by being the best theater for children in the world.” They act on the belief that the best children's art theatre should have the same high standards as a theatre for adults.
Brief Description of Program Activities
SHCAT provides children with a multi-functional platform to join in interactive activities and receive an arts education.
SHCAT believes that these experiences in theater can fundamentally encourage children’s curiosity about the world, ignite their imagination, develop their ability in exploring the world, and encourage children to take their initiatives to learn in the world of art.
A few of their programs are described below:
SHCAT initiated the Super Dad Club, which leads children and their dads to exercise and play games together. This program was developed after the staff observed that many of the children were accompanied only by their mothers or female relatives when they came to SHCAT. The staff set up this club to especially encourage dad’s role in children’s growth.
SHCAT also has the Super Mom Club, in which children and their mothers can create together, such as in DIY art workshops, scientific experiments, storytelling sessions, and bakery workshops.
SHCAT also has established the first large-scale car trunk sale for children since 2014 as the “SHCAT Market.” In this activity, families arrive with their car trunks full of items to sell. Children sell the items while parents act as their assistants. Children learn about auctioning, bargaining and bookkeeping in the process.
SHCAT Classroom gathers well-known artists to interact with children face to face on the stage of the theatre.
SHCAT Theatre Camp is a special program that offers children a diverse class of theatrical experience. It lets children experience the complete process of theatrical creation.
Program Content: Intrapersonal Competencies
Artistic and cultural appreciation; cultural awareness and competence; intellectual interest and curiosity; physical and psychological health, professionalism;
Program Content: Interpersonal Competencies
Communication; self-presentation through performance; peer group learning; empathy/ perspective taking
Program Content: Cognitive Competencies
Imagination, curiosity and creativity development through art, music and body movement learning in the plays
Program Content: Attitudes and Values
Cultural awareness and competences; to appreciate beauty in art; the values of being kind, brave, honest;
Program Content: Pedagogy/Active Engagement of Students
The children engage in a variety of activities, such as taking part in performances and in hands-on workshops.
Additional Links of Note
To see videos from SHCAT, please see this link
Reference List
1All information on this table came from SHCAT’s website and from several interviews with Ms. Liang, the manager of SHCAT that took place in May 2016.
Prepared by
Anna Li