Adolescence in the Era of Loneliness: The Role of Theatre Workshops in the Development of Interpersonal Intelligence

Upon completing the master’s program Alternative Pedagogies and Theater in Education (PED-ArtE) – an academic program carried out in consortium by the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences (University of Bucharest) and the I.L. Caragiale National University of Theatre and Film – I conducted a research1 study centered on exploring the correlation between interpersonal intelligence and participation in theatre workshops during adolescence. The study sought to move beyond the entrenched societal perceptions of adolescents by identifying the defining characteristics of today’s youth – those aged between 14 and 24. This group represents a generation of digital natives, with no lived memory prior to the advent of the internet, and who have emerged as survivors of the educational experiment of online schooling and the social isolation brought about by the recent global pandemic. The impetus for this research is deeply rooted in a personal conviction regarding the transformative and therapeutic potential of theatre, as well as its unique capacity to foster personal development and social cohesion. The central research question guiding this inquiry was: What are the tools and methodologies that can genuinely make a meaningful impact in a theatre workshop designed for contemporary adolescents?