The Drama Space as Companion: Students’ Perspectives on Mental Health in Upper Secondary Drama Education

Purpose: The study investigates how drama students in Norwegian upper secondary education understand their learning experiences in the drama space in relation to their perspectives on mental health. Design/Methodology: Based on 14 semi-structured interviews, the data stem from a research project conducted between 2020–2022. The qualitative data were analysed thematically by the research team, which consisted of two experienced drama educators. Findings: The study demonstrates that the drama space is embedded with opportunities for the students to experience and reflect on subjective mental health in useful ways for developing life skills and personal insight. The findings indicate that the students perceive the drama space as an inviting and actively co-creating companion that induces complex, entangled meaning making and transformative learning, transgressing the formal educational aims of the curriculum. Originality: According to the findings, the educational context of learning the art form of drama and theatre offers a mental health related by-product that supports the students’ sense of self and drive for wellbeing.