Developing 21st-Century Competencies Through the Transformative Power of Performing Arts
- Jun 10
- 12 min read
Written by Helen Kenworthy, Artistic Director
Helen champions the arts as a tool for change. Now, as CEO of RYTC Creatives CIC and Give Get Go Education, she mentors young people, creates pathways for them to thrive in the arts, and helps launch successful careers.
For the longest time, learning has often been measured by what can be seen, tested, graded, or neatly recorded. Young people have been encouraged to work towards academic targets, meet expected standards, follow instructions, and demonstrate progress through visible outcomes. These things still have value, but they do not tell the whole story of what a young person needs to grow, contribute, and thrive in a changing world.
Today, the conversation around education and youth development is expanding. It is no longer enough to ask whether young people can remember information, complete a task correctly, or reach a fixed benchmark. We also need to ask whether they can communicate with confidence, work with others, think creatively, adapt to challenges, express themselves, solve problems, and keep going when something feels unfamiliar or difficult. These are not soft extras. They are essential competencies for life, learning, work, relationships, and meaningful participation in society.
This is where the performing arts offer something powerful. Through drama, theatre, voice, movement, rehearsal, storytelling, and performance, young people are not only introduced to these skills in theory. They practise them in real time. They learn by doing. They learn by listening, responding, trying again, taking creative risks, sharing space, managing nerves, and discovering that their voice has value.
At RYTC Creatives CIC (The RYTC), this kind of active participation sits at the heart of empowering young talent. Performing arts become more than a creative outlet. They become a living space for confidence, collaboration, creative problem-solving, emotional awareness, and personal growth. For young people who are brilliantly underestimated, this matters deeply because it creates opportunities to be seen differently, supported differently, and allowed to grow beyond the limits others may have placed around them.
The development of 21st-century competencies cannot be left to chance. Young people need environments where they can practise the skills that life will ask of them, not only the skills that exams can measure. Performing arts provide one of those environments, and when delivered with purpose, care, and inclusion, they can become a transformative pathway into confidence, capability, belonging, and future possibility.
What learning was once expected to deliver
For the longest time, learning was often judged by what a young person could show on paper or prove in a test. They were expected to attend, listen, remember, repeat, complete the task, follow the rules, and reach the expected standard. In many settings, success was closely linked to grades, behaviour, attendance, discipline, and the ability to fit into a system that already had a clear idea of what progress should look like.
Of course, structure matters. Knowledge matters. Academic achievement still has value, and young people need strong foundations to build from. But when learning is viewed only through results, it can miss much of what is happening inside the learner. A grade may show one part of a young person’s ability, but it does not always show how they think, how they communicate, how they recover after a mistake, how they manage pressure, or how they begin to trust their own voice.
This has been especially difficult for young people who do not naturally shine in traditional learning spaces. Some are full of ideas but find it hard to express them through written work. Some are creative, observant, emotionally intelligent, or natural leaders, but those strengths are not always easy to measure. Some may appear quiet, distracted, resistant, or unsure, when in reality they are trying to navigate a system that has not fully recognised the way they learn best.
That is why the conversation around learning has had to grow. It is no longer enough to ask only, “What can this young person remember?” or “What result did they achieve?” We also need to ask, “How are they learning to take part?”, “Can they work with others?”, “Are they growing in confidence?”, “Can they think creatively?”, and perhaps most importantly, “Do they believe they have something valuable to contribute?”
What 21st-century competencies are really about
At its simplest, 21st-century competencies are about preparing young people for the world they are actually growing into. They are not only about what a young person knows, but how they use what they know. They are about how young people think, communicate, collaborate, adapt, solve problems, manage change, express themselves, and take part in life with confidence.
These competencies include collaboration, creative problem-solving, communication, confidence, emotional awareness, adaptability, critical thinking, resilience, and self-expression. They are sometimes described as skills for the future, but in reality, young people need them now. They need them in classrooms, friendships, families, creative spaces, communities, interviews, workplaces, and everyday decisions.
This matters because knowledge alone is no longer enough. A young person may understand something, but they also need to be able to explain it, apply it, question it, share it, and use it with others. They need to know how to respond when something does not go to plan, how to listen to different perspectives, how to contribute ideas, and how to keep going while confidence is still developing.
For many young people, these competencies are not built through instruction alone. They are developed through experience. They grow when a young person is given space to try, reflect, speak, listen, lead, make mistakes, solve problems, and try again. That is why active, creative environments matter so much. They allow young people to practise these skills in real and memorable ways.
How the world has changed for young people
The world young people are growing into looks very different from the one many adults were prepared for. Careers are changing, technology is moving quickly, communication happens across many platforms, and young people are expected to adapt to new information, new environments, and new pressures at a much faster pace. The old idea that learning is mainly about getting through school, passing exams, and then following one clear route into the future no longer reflects the reality many young people will face.
Today, young people need to be able to think across different situations. They may need to work with people from different backgrounds, use creativity in practical ways, solve problems that do not come with clear instructions, and communicate their ideas with confidence. They may also need to manage uncertainty, navigate comparison, deal with pressure, and keep developing skills throughout their lives.
This does not mean academic learning is no longer important. It means academic learning now needs to sit alongside a wider set of competencies that help young people use their knowledge well. A strong education should not only help a young person answer questions. It should also help them ask better questions, explore possibilities, build confidence, connect with others, and recognise where their strengths can make a difference.
That is why learning spaces need to evolve. Young people do not only need information handed to them. They need opportunities to practise being active participants in their own growth. They need spaces where they can try, contribute, collaborate, create, reflect, and discover that they are capable of more than simply meeting expectations.
Why this change in learning matters
This change matters because young people are not preparing for a fixed world. They are preparing for a world that will ask them to keep learning, keep adapting, keep communicating, and keep finding new ways forward. If learning only focuses on memorising information or meeting narrow expectations, it can leave young people underprepared for the real situations they will face beyond the classroom.
A young person may know the right answer, but still struggle to speak up in a group. They may have creative ideas, but lack the confidence to share them. They may be capable of solving problems, but become overwhelmed when the path is unclear. They may have talent, insight, or potential, but need the right environment to practise using those strengths in ways that feel safe, supported, and meaningful.
This is why learning has to become more active, more human, and more connected to real life. Young people need spaces where they are not only told what to do, but invited to participate. They need to experience what it means to listen, respond, lead, collaborate, make mistakes, recover, and try again. These are the moments where growth becomes more than a concept. It becomes something they can feel, practise, and carry with them.
When learning changes in this way, young people begin to see themselves differently. They are no longer just trying to meet a standard set by someone else. They begin to recognise their own voice, their own contribution, and their own capacity to grow. That shift is powerful, especially for young people who have spent too long feeling that traditional systems only notice what they find difficult, rather than what they are capable of becoming.
The transformative power of performing arts
The performing arts offer a different kind of learning space because they ask young people to become active participants, not passive receivers. In drama, theatre, voice work, movement, rehearsal, storytelling, and performance, young people are not simply being told about confidence, communication, collaboration, or creative thinking. They are practising these skills in real time, often without even realising how much growth is taking place.
This is what makes performing arts so powerful. A young person learns to listen because a scene depends on it. They learn to communicate because their voice, body, timing, and presence all carry meaning. They learn to collaborate because creative work is shared. They learn to solve problems because the process is rarely perfect the first time. Something changes, something feels difficult, something does not work, and they have to find another way through.
There is also something deeply human about creative participation. It gives young people permission to explore ideas, emotions, characters, stories, and perspectives beyond their own immediate experience. This can help them build empathy, emotional awareness, and confidence in ways that feel natural rather than forced. They begin to understand not only how to express themselves, but also how to notice others, respond to others, and share space with care.
Performing arts also allow mistakes to become part of the process. In many traditional settings, mistakes can feel like failure. In a creative space, mistakes can become rehearsal, discovery, adjustment, or even the beginning of a better idea. That shift matters because it teaches young people that growth is not about getting everything right the first time. It is about staying engaged, being willing to try, and learning how to move forward with others.
This is why performing arts should not be treated as an extra or a reward after the “real” learning has happened. For many young people, performing arts are where real learning becomes visible. They build confidence through participation, communication through practice, collaboration through shared creation, and problem-solving through lived experience. In that sense, the stage becomes more than a place to perform. It becomes a place to grow.
The work of RYTC Creatives CIC (The RYTC)
RYTC Creatives CIC (The RYTC) is rooted in the belief that young people grow when they are given meaningful opportunities to take part, create, express themselves, and be supported through the process. Its work is not simply about introducing young people to performing arts. It is about using drama, theatre, creativity, and active participation as a practical route into confidence, communication, collaboration, and personal development.
Through creative workshops, rehearsal, storytelling, theatre-based learning, and performance opportunities, The RYTC gives young people space to learn by doing. They are not only asked to watch or listen. They are invited to use their voice, explore ideas, work with others, take creative risks, and begin to recognise their own contribution. This kind of participation matters because it allows growth to become something young people experience, not just something adults describe to them.
The RYTC’s work also recognises that talent does not always appear in obvious or traditional ways. Some young people need time before they feel confident enough to speak. Others may show leadership through listening, empathy, imagination, humour, observation, problem-solving, or the ability to bring a group together. In a creative space, these qualities can become visible. They can be noticed, encouraged, and developed.
This is what makes The RYTC a creative catalyst. It creates opportunities for young people to discover what they can do through practice, participation, and encouragement. By placing active involvement at the centre, The RYTC helps young people build competencies that support learning, life, creativity, and future opportunity. It does not only prepare young people to perform. It helps them practise becoming more confident, capable, expressive, and connected versions of themselves.
Why this matters for the brilliantly underestimated
At The RYTC, the phrase brilliantly underestimated speaks to young people whose potential is often missed, misunderstood, or not fully recognised in traditional spaces. These are young people who may have creativity, insight, humour, imagination, emotional intelligence, leadership, or deep sensitivity, but who may not always show those strengths in the ways adults expect. Their brilliance is there, but it may be hidden behind anxiety, low confidence, different learning needs, communication challenges, behaviour that is misunderstood, or systems that have not looked closely enough.
This is why performing arts can be so powerful. They create more than one route into expression. A young person can communicate through voice, movement, character, storytelling, humour, imagination, presence, and emotional expression. Someone who seems quiet in one setting may begin to take up space in rehearsal. Someone who struggles with written work may show insight through improvisation. Someone who has been labelled as difficult may reveal leadership, empathy, or creative instinct when given the right support and responsibility.
For the brilliantly underestimated, this is not only about inclusion. It is about recognition. When young people are seen through what they can bring, not only what they find difficult, confidence begins to grow. They start to experience themselves as capable, creative, and valuable. That shift matters because it gives them more than a place to take part. It gives them a reason to believe they belong.
The role of parents, caregivers, and community
Developing 21st-century competencies is a role for everyone. Young people need support from parents, caregivers, educators, creative practitioners, and the wider community around them. Each has a part to play in helping young people believe that their voice matters, their ideas have value, and their growth is worth supporting.
This support does not always need to be complicated. Sometimes it begins with noticing what a young person enjoys, listening without rushing to correct, encouraging them to try something new, or giving them permission to make mistakes without shame. For a young person who is still building confidence, that kind of support can make participation feel safer. It can help them move from “I cannot do this” to “Maybe I can try.”
Parents and caregivers play a powerful role in helping young people recognise their own growth. The encouragement they give at home can shape how safe a young person feels to try, speak up, make mistakes, and take part in new experiences. When parents and caregivers notice effort, confidence, curiosity, creativity, and progress, not only outcomes, they help young people understand that their development matters beyond grades or formal achievement.
Educators also have an important role in widening how progress is recognised. In classrooms and learning spaces, they are often the people who can see when a young person needs a different route into confidence, understanding, or participation. By making room for creativity, discussion, group work, performance, reflection, and practical learning, educators can help young people build competencies that support both academic growth and life beyond the classroom.
Community gives young people places to practise these skills in real and meaningful ways. Creative organisations, youth programmes, local arts spaces, mentors, and supportive networks can offer access, encouragement, and opportunity beyond formal education. These spaces matter because young people need more than potential. They need environments where that potential can be noticed, nurtured, and developed.
When parents, caregivers, educators, and communities work together, young people receive a stronger message: their development matters in more than one setting. They are not only being prepared for exams, but for life, relationships, work, creativity, and contribution. That shared encouragement can help young people, especially the brilliantly underestimated, feel seen, supported, and capable of growing into the future with confidence.
Conclusion
Young people become more confident, capable, and creative when they are given real opportunities to participate, practise, and grow. They need spaces where communication, collaboration, creative thinking, adaptability, and self-expression are not only spoken about, but lived. Performing arts offer that kind of space because they allow young people to learn through doing, not only through instruction.
This is why the work of RYTC Creatives CIC (The RYTC) matters. It shows that performing arts are not simply about being on stage. They are about helping young people discover what they are capable of, how they can contribute, and how their voice, ideas, and presence can have value. For the brilliantly underestimated, this kind of recognition can be especially powerful because it creates a different way to be seen, supported, and encouraged.
As the world continues to change, young people need more than knowledge alone. They need the confidence to use what they know, the creativity to approach challenges differently, and the courage to keep growing. When performing arts are used with purpose, care, and inclusion, they become more than a creative experience. They become a pathway into confidence, capability, belonging, and future possibility.
When young people are given spaces where they can try, create, speak, listen, make mistakes, and be seen beyond narrow measures of achievement, they do not only develop skills. They begin to recognise themselves as contributors. That is the deeper power of performing arts, and it is why this work matters.
To explore more about this work and the wider Creative Pathway approach, visit here. Creative Pathway Methodology: Of Course You Can!™ serving the brilliantly underestimated
The full portfolio can be found here.
Helen Kenworthy, Artistic Director
Helen Kenworthy’s career embodies the transformative power of the arts, from her early roles in the prestigious West End with Bill Kenwright to her impactful work in regional theatre. As manager of the Oxfordshire Youth Arts Partnership, she created pathways for young people to thrive in the arts, with many going on to successful careers. Now at RYTC Creatives CIC and Give Get Go Education, Helen continues to inspire and mentor the next generation of theatre-makers and community leaders, offering invaluable opportunities for growth and professional development.
