Children's theatre 'class'....comments GREATLY appreciated!!

[nanny1]

Hi,

Perhaps a bit long, but please bear with me!

I'm in the early stages of setting up a children's theatre company....At least, that's the long-term aim. To start with, I'm planning to run a weekly 'class' for children to sign up to. Each session would be 45mins-1hr long. I'm looking at running one for younger children and one for older. Hopefully, in time, it'll develop, and the full-blown company will form (HOPEFULLY!).

I've started to plan the content of each of these classes, but could do to find out what parents would appreciate from such things!

I had initially considered that the groups would run as activity sesions, in which the children do some drama exercises, plus act out little scenes/short stories, plus some dramatherapy techniques would be explored (specifically aimed at aiding social skills, confidence building etc). BUT, might parents prefer a series of classes which lead up to a larger-scale play being performed at the end of the term?...so, essentially, the classes would act as rehearsal time for this 'grand finale'.

It'd be great to hear opinions on this!

I'd also love to know...

1)whether it sounds like something that any of you would sign your child up for (am I barking up the right tree, basically!),

2)how old your child is (so that I know what age group this might appeal to most)

3. how much you would consider paying for an hour's session (I'm thinking of running them in 10 week terms)

ANY help, comments would be really appreciated... call it 'market research' !!

Thank you so much!!! I hope I haven't bored anyone tooooo much...

Some of my kids go to a local youth theatre group. It has seven sub-groups, ranging from Years 4/5's, to Years 11-13 as the oldest group. Each session is one and a half hours per week. Mostly the younger groups do the kind of thing you mention, but once or twice in a year they improvise their own little drama and rehearse it. The older ones also put together plays of their own making, or sometimes "ready-made" plays (they did Romeo & Juliet the other year), which are impressive. At the moment, the older ones are doing a National Theatre Connections youth play for a competition. I think it's good to have something to aim for as a performance once in a year, but if a group is just starting up, it is of more help to spend some time just playing with drama and integrating as a group, exploring drama with games and role-play etc.

Fees for a whole term are £35 for the first child in a family, £32 for the second child, £30 for any subsequent children.

I think local ventures of this kind can be really positive. They're less "stagey" than Stagecoach (and less expensive!) and hopefully feed into any local adult theatre groups (some of the older kids have taken parts in the local adult theatre company's productions when they've been 16+). One of my older children is currently working (with pay) as the production manager and co-director for the next senior group's play.

I think a children's theatre company is a great idea. In my area West London there is the usual variety of performing art clubs, Arts Ed Saturday School etc. My kids didn't particulary enjoy them - I think partly because the end of term shows are so badly produced, and there are always show-off kids and their pushy parents around. We also have the W11 Children's Opera company in our area, which runs annually from September (audition time) to the production in early December. Majority of the kids are 10-13 but the age range is 9 - 18. That cost about £170 per child. It commissions an original Opera and hires a professional musical director and crew. The final production is held in a normal theatre. Not for profit obviously and is a charitable trust but the end result is fantastic. That is well worth the money in my opinion and I feel the kids get more out of it than attending a weekly class all year round.

I think it sounds like a great idea. Personally, I think that your first suggestion of a variety of activities sounds better than spending the time working towards a 'big production', at least for younger age groups.

Also, that would mean that if children didn't attend every week (inevitable IME of other classes - sickness, weekend trips to see Granny etc.) then it wouldn't be so much of a problem.

My dd is 8, and I think she'd enjoy such a class.

Cost - dd currently goes to an art session on a Saturday, it lasts 1.5 hours and costs £5 per session. I think that's good value, and it is popular so I guess others agree. We are in a relatively low-wage area, I imagine that in richer areas people would be willing to pay a little more?

Come to think of it, you don't live in West Wales, do you - I know someone who was talking about doing something very similar to what you describe round here

No plays for 3/4 year olds please. Both DS used to attend a local group for 3-12 year olds. Twice a year they would do a big show with all the kids. The youngest kids would be led on, dressed in some elaborate costume,,, looking completly baffled as to why they were on a stage. There would be a hall full of wailing younger siblings who were bored and started yelling when it came to the older kids parts . Much better idea to go with your first idea and maybe have a watching week at the end of term. On the whole to do a good show you probably need more rehersal time that a once a week session will allow

Thank you all SO MUCH for your comments!

Seriously, a huge help!

Mary21 - you made me laugh! i know just what you mean...those 'forced' productions...last thing i want to be doing is feeding children to regurgitate, and kick them from the sidelines to stay still, or co-operate... That's not enhancing a child's life, and in my mind cant exactly be stimulating their sense of fun in the slightest, iyswim! Love the idea of a 'watching week' though. may well just fit the bill :-)

Takver - thank you for the support! I, too, think the former idea is best - especially for littl'uns. Alas, I'm afraid I'm not in West Wales... any chance of your friend moving to sunny Berkshire?!?! I actually had the thought this afternoon that doing this as a partnership with someone might work dividends. I'm a professional nanny by trade, and did my degree and MA in Childhood Development, so am going back through old friends in my head, thinking who might be up for it!

Grove and Dan - Really really useful to know, thank you! It's great to hear what sort of demand there is out there. From nannying, I've taken children to many a talking tots/rhyme time/monkey music/you-name-it (!)...but always in London... Its good to know that drama appeals too!

Thank you so much!

There are two types of drama classes round here - most are inspired by x-factor and jazz hands. They charge a ridiculous amount but boast of getting kids on the london stage. (I think it's £40 for 3 hours on a Saturday).

The one my child (9) goes to explores ideas through language and sound. They had her reading a Shakespeare sonnet at 7 - just for the sound of it. The older children did a rhyming couplet in praise of Obama (?) I love it, she loves it. The end of term production isn't much and it's made up by the kids rather than the latest musical, but this is for kids who aren't destined for the stage. It's £70 a term (10 weeks).

A lot of boys go which I think is great.

I would make people sign up for the whole term or you'll be out of pocket

My son loves Limelight Academy of Performing Arts and they have a great theatre class lasting 2.25 hrs on a Sat morning doing a little dance, acting and hip-hop. he likes the variety and we like the length as getting somewhere for 30 mins only is annoying!