In search of an aesthetic pathway: young children's encounters with drama

Aesthetic experiences have proved as a valuable tool to enhance quality childhood life and learning; yet, how young children perceive such experiences is little known. This study investigated the aesthetic experiences and responses of Hong Kong young children through drama improvisation. Deleuzo-Guattarian concept of rhizome was used to form a theoretical framework with the aesthetic concept of Daoism and drama improvisation. This arts-based research studied the aesthetic experiences of six fluent Cantonese-speaking children aged 3–5 years, as they participated in five 2-hour drama improvisation workshops at a private dance studio. Data from video recordings, focused discussions, children's art journals, and reflective journals were mapped across the 22 co-created drama improvisation scenes. Young children's aesthetic experiences were illuminated through the exercise of decisiveness, introspectiveness, and empathy. This research reconceptualizes young children's aesthetic education through aesthetic encounters.