At the 32nd Annual Sessions of the Jaffna Science Association, Dr. T. Thevananth delivered a presentation on the role of art activities in psychosocial work. The presentation focused on how art-based activities contribute to children's psychological well-being and psychosocial development, with particular emphasis on the “Saturday Drama Night” programme conducted by the Active Theatre Movement at Nallur.
The discussion was supported by several theoretical perspectives, including Sigmund Freud's theory of unconscious expression, Carl Jung's concept of symbolic expression, Erik Erikson's psychosocial development theory, and Lev Vygotsky's social learning theory. Through these frameworks, the presentation demonstrated how creative arts provide opportunities for emotional expression, identity formation, social interaction, confidence building, resilience, and psychological healing among children.
