In the Performing Arts department at ASH, confidence doesn’t begin with applause or polished performances. It begins with safety. For Katrina Middelburg’s (Musical Theatre and Public Speaking teacher) students, building a safe space for her students is a critical part of her work, as it is then, where students are able to fully remove their armor and embrace being vulnerable, open, and seen. That vulnerability, she believes, is the foundation of meaningful artistic work and personal growth.

 

 

The journey starts with play. Games that invite silliness, exaggerated movement, and uninhibited voices help students gently push against the invisible boundaries society places on their bodies, voices, and identities. “As soon as you find that moment of play,” Katrina says, “the walls start to fall away.” Through laughter and experimentation, students discover new ways of expressing themselves, often for the first time.

 

Building trust is central to this process. As a teacher, Katrina makes sure to hold a space in which students feel safe to explore beyond boundaries, without letting them cross into embarrassment or harm. Mistakes are welcomed, even celebrated, as essential parts of discovery. Sometimes, she notes, mistakes lead to the most powerful moments on stage. “We play games that are silly. It’s a really good way to break through some of the restrictions that we place on ourselves. And as soon as you find that moment of play, the walls start to fall away”, she says.

 

 

Beyond performance skills, theatre becomes a powerful tool for empathy. By stepping into characters who think, live, and struggle differently from themselves, students widen their perspectives and learn more about who they are. Asking how a character differs from them helps students define their own values, beliefs, and sense of self.

 

This year’s musical, The Spitfire Grill, is one example of how storytelling becomes a space for this kind of growth. “When we choose to do a show that wrestles with difficult topics,” Katrina explains, “it’s less about the topic itself and more about the process of healing and community.” Through these stories, students rehearse empathy in a meaningful way, learning how to respond with understanding and care when they encounter pain.

 

Through shared storytelling, students practice empathy in action. They learn how communities heal, how people support one another, and how hope can exist even after hardship. In doing so, we don’t just become better performers, but become more grounded, compassionate humans.

 

 

This sense of exploration deepens when students engage with complex stories that address pain, healing, and community. Rather than avoiding difficult themes, Katrina encourages students to ask three guiding questions: Why this story? Why now? Why me? These conversations help students understand that theatre isn’t just about entertainment, it’s about meaning.

 

The performing arts, Katrina says, has become a place that students consider their home, and feel like they belong in: “That’s why students keep coming back, they can be who they are here”. The performing arts department at ASH is a place where students are accepted, lifted by community, and free to be exactly who they are, shape and discover who they are still becoming.