These classes at Footlights Theatre Workshop are designed to bring out the very best in your children. Allowing the quiet ones to find their voices whilst those already confident can develop their imaginations whilst learning to share and work as a team.

• Movement to music is how we begin the class, often using characters from familiar stories to free up their minds and bodies for creative play.
• Drama games allow their imaginations and creativity to flow. It also promotes teamwork as well as encouraging them to work independently and in front of their friends.
• Role-play is a huge part of the lesson, usually taking everyone on an adventure often led by the children, who thrive in creating wondrous stories, but guided by the teacher.
• Music can provide a magical atmosphere for story telling, enabling them to express themselves using their bodies. It is incredible and magical to see how young children respond to what they are hearing.
• Hats, props & costumes As you know kids love to dress up and have fun – using these are often the highlight of the class.

This is a very energetic class, who bond well together, sharing ideas, forming friendships and having a lot of fun. The children are always welcoming of new students, who are made to feel right at home & comfortable in their new surroundings.

• Physical warm up to music is designed to shake the day away and free up their minds and body ready for creative play.
• Drama games that incorporate high energy, focusing, teamwork, individuality, voice projection, self expression and improvisation are used every week. Through play they are taught all the terminology and basic stagecraft used in the theatre and are put to use when working on theatrical presentations.
• Improvisation is a key ingredient to class as they get to work in small groups to create short stories inspired by the use of props, masks, hats, wigs, titles, and themes. As an audience they are all encouraged to observe each other and to give positive comments to their friends, thus forming their own opinions and gaining the confidence to speak out in class.
• Script work  is taken on in the form of poetry and short presentations at the end of term on rotation with the other age groups.

The skills learnt in drama classes at Footlights Theatre Workshop have been transferred into the school classroom. For example, one child was reported by his teacher to have written a wonderful piece of creative writing and when asked how he did it he told his mum that he just thought about his drama class, used his imagination and wrote it down.

Fitting in can be tricky when you are new, but all our students at Footlights Theatre Workshop are very supportive of each other and new students feel very comfortable very quickly. This class is buzzy, full of fun and hilarity. No one is afraid to get up in front of their friends and look silly! It’s a place to experiment and share ideas.

• Physical, vocal  & breathing warm ups are essential in getting the body and mind ready for a creative lesson.
• Theatrical conventions are the basis for all good storytelling, whilst different styles and devices are used to add colour and fun to the creative process.
• Character work is approached through various drama exercises and improvised games.
• Script work and poetry are used in class, giving children the chance to develop and direct themselves without the teacher. This gives them the freedom to make their own choices and decisions.
• Inspiring improvisations are developed using hats, props, shoes, titles, themes, scripts and many other devices. This often provides us with plenty of laughter!
• Mask work is a wonderful way to lose their inhibitions and totally inhabit the character of the mask. This proves to be a very popular lesson, as they are free to express themselves not just physically but also vocally when wearing a half mask. Trying out different accents is also great fun.

I am always looking at new, inventive ways to spark off the imagination when devising  and constructing improvisations that I hope will bring on spontaneous thinking, self expression and imaginative storytelling.

• Breathing technique begins this class to help them focus their minds ready for a productive class. The use of visualization combined with the breath is not only important as an actor but has been used by my teenagers in helping them prepare for their GCSE exams.
• Vocal warm ups and exercises are practised each week to include tongue twisters and projection to get the mouth moving and the voice centred.
• Devising scenes and improvisations using a variety of techniques arms these young adults with the ability to express themselves with a plethora of ideas they acquire from class.
• Character work for performance, whether it be a monologue, duologue, scenes or indeed a play, is taught through improvisation. Learning how to create a backstory, looking at the text to find clues and hot seating are just few examples of this work.
• Mask work, props, hats, costumes and shoes are integral when inspiring young actors to use their imaginations and creativity in building a scene or a character.
• Performing monologues, duologues, poetry and plays in class and following the process will prepare students, moving on to the next level of drama study or indeed the next stage of a young person’s life.

You can expect your child to leave Footlights Theatre Workshop equipped with the life skills, social skills, and the ability to communicate well and be a great company member in whatever career they choose.