The Helen O’Grady Drama System, the Drama-in-Education program for today’s future leaders.

The aim of the Academy is to help young people, 3 – 17 years, develop:

• Enthusiasm
• Confidence
• Self Esteem
• Communication Skills
• Social Skills
• Creativity

These aims are achieved through a highly developed, original, drama program which caters for the following groups:

• Little Tykes        ( 3 – 4 years )
• Lower Primary ( 5 – 8 years )
• Upper Primary ( 9 – 12 years )
• Youth Theatre ( 13 – 17 years )

Each lesson is carefully planned. Curriculum includes introductory activites, speech, verbal dynamics, creative movement, dance drama, language development, structured improvisation, dialogue development, snippets, scene starters, mini-scripts, parent day presentations and end of year productions.

Above all, our classes are fun!

All Principals and teachers have undergone extensive training in Helen O’Grady curriculum and teaching methods.

Each lesson stimulates students to be fully involved and motivated. All students attend a one hour lesson, each week of the school year. Classes are held throughout the week in different locations.

Our Little Tykes, the pre-schoolers participate in a series of fun-filled learning activities which aim to develop ongoing confidence, self-esteem and skill in verbal communication. Our developmental drama programme provides young children with unique opportunities to develop clear speech, fluent delivery and pleasing social skills. Children who mix well with others find it easier to make friends and adjust to new situations. They find school an enjoyable adventure! Our confidence building programme helps to give them the skills to be participants in all aspects of their lives, able to ask questions, seek answers, make friends and share information with others. Our highly-trained teachers motivate and inspire the students in their care to become articulate communicators. This is done through enthusiastic participation in a wide range of creative activities including warm-up songs, speech, movement, drama story, question of the day and closing activities.

Children attend theses classes once a week and are involved in a series of fun-filled learning activites which aim to develop on going confidence, self-esteem and skill in verbal communication. Our developmental drama program provides young children with unique opportunites to develop clear speech, fluent delivery and pleasing social skills. Children who mix well with others find it easier to make friends and adjust to new situations. They find school an enjoyable adventure! Our confidence building program helps to give them the skills to be participants in all aspects of their lives, able to ask questions, seek answers and share information with others.

Each week, our teachers engage these lower primary children with a new lesson plan filled with several segments of fun activities including warm up exercises, speech, movement, mime-to-music, improvisations, scene starters and conclusion activities.

Our weekly classes give students in this age group many opportunities to act out a great variety of situations. At the end of the each year they all take part in a short, scripted production which is performed for parents and friends. However, the terms leading up to this special event are most important, as the main thrust of our program is developmental drama. In a fun-filled atmosphere, our classes aim to give young people ongoing confidence, self-esteem and skill in verbal communication. The confident, articulate child finds it easier to make friends, accept new challenges and explore new directions. Our program is designed to help each child achieve these invaluable life skills.

All academy teachers are qualified and fully trained in the Helen O’Grady Drama System, ensuring that the contribution of each child is encouraged and valued in a warm, positive learning environment. Students participate in a wide range of activities covering speech, movement, dance drama, spontaneous improvisation, structured improvisation, snippets, dialogue developments, mini scripts and production.

Our very successful Youth theatre program is open to all students attending secondary school (in some countries the entry age may be 12 years). We attract a wide range of young people, from those seeking to increase their confidence and speaking ability, to those hoping to pursue a career in the theatre. Our dynamic theatre arts program encompasses a five-year cycle of curriculum providing young actors with a great diversity of material.

As with our classes for 3-12 year olds, the developmental side of the program is still important, encouraging our students to become confident, articulate communicators. However, the theatre arts side of the program is very comprehensive, covering spontaneous improvisation, voice production, small group improvisation with specific directives, mini scripts, character analysis, open ended duologues, theatre games, radio plays, quick fire dialogues, monologues and structured scenes.

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