Classes – weekly programmes

Enthusiastic students who learn to speak out clearly and relate confidently with others will have an inside track to lifetime success.

The Helen O’Grady Drama Academy develops all young people. We’re a place where all our students, from the shy to the outgoing can develop at their own pace, with plenty of positive encouragement.

Our specialty is using fun drama activities to focus the bold, outspoken dramatic development and to draw out the quiet, inarticulate person and help them reach into themselves and discover their full potential.

The Helen O’Grady Drama Academy is a highly developed, original drama programme serving 4 age groups:

Kindy 3-5 years
Lower Primary 5-8 years
Upper Primary 9-12 years
Youth Theatre 13-18 years
Adult Classes 19+

Kindy 3-5 years (Starter Course)

The kindergarten programme empowers young children and their natural self through creative drama, working with children to build confidence, communication and interactive skills though drama techniques, for example: storytelling, improvisation, devised theatre and play, mime and dance and much more.

This curriculum runs throughout school terms in private studios and pre-schools.  The sessions run for 45 minutes per class and parents stay or wait outside depending upon the age of the child and ratio of teacher and children. The sessions run set and seasonal themes throughout the year.

The lessons are structured and devised to allow creative development as we believe every child matters and drama is such a rewarding experience regardless of age. Children take from drama what they need and we work with the children to achieve whatever that may be, no matter what age they are.

Lower Primary 5-8 years (Foundation Course)

The Helen O’Grady developmental drama programme for Lower Primary provides young children ages 5 to 8 with unique opportunities to develop clear speech, fluent delivery and pleasing social skills.

Our program helps to give them the confidence to be participants in all aspects of their lives, able to ask questions, seek answers and share information with others. Children who mix well with others find it easier to make friends and adjust to new situations. They find school an enjoyable adventure!

The Academy’s highly trained teachers motivate and inspire the students to become articulate communicators through enthusiastic participation in a wide range of creative activities including speech, creative movement, improvisation, and a special year-end performance.

Upper Primary 9-12 years (Intermediate Course)

The confident, articulate child finds it easier to make friends, accept new challenges and explore new directions. The Helen O’Grady
Drama Academy Upper Primary program for children ages 9-12 is designed to help each child achieve these invaluable life skills.
Students in our Upper Primary program participate in a wide range of creative activities including speech, dramatic movement, improvisation, snippets and scene starters.

At the end of each year they utilise all the skills acquired during the year to create a short, scripted production, which is performed, for parents and friends.

In a fun-filled atmosphere, our classes aim to give young people ongoing confidence, self-esteem and skill in verbal communication.

Youth Theatre 13-18 years (Advanced Course)

The Academy attracts 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, film, radio or television.

The dynamic, theatre arts program encompasses a five-year cycle of curriculum providing young actors with a great diversity of material for film, television, radio and theatre. As with the classes for 5-12 year olds, the developmental side of the program is still important. The Youth Theatre 13-18 years is still founded on the principles of encouraging the students to become confident, articulate communicators. The theatre arts side of the program is very comprehensive, covering amongst many other aspects, 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.

Performance is at the heart of the Youth Theatre Curriculum and students have many opportunities to show their advanced skills, including an end-of-year production.

Adult Classes 19+ (Specialist Course)

Adult classes focus on the 3 Ps: Presentation, Public Speaking and Performance skills. In today’s world, people who can communicate effectively are the ones who will achieve success in their social and professional lives. The skills learnt in these classes will help all adults to become articulate speakers, with excellent presentation skills.

With a theatrical base to these classes, students will learn advanced voice production, spontaneous thinking, improvisation, and advanced acting technique for film, radio and the theatre.

Students have the option of working towards professional qualifications in Performance or Communication Skills through Trinity Guildhall College, London.

The Academy’s aim is to bring out the inner ‘star’ in all its students!

Classes – holiday programmes

Holiday Programmes (Selected Academies only, please contact us)

The Academy’s holiday programmes aim to compliment the work completed during the term-time programme and take students to the next level of their personal development. Holiday programmes vary in the different regions as the Academy hires experts in different fields of performance arts to develop the students.

Students from our academy
The programme lasts for three-hours a day. During each day students gain an hour’s experience of three theatrical disciplines, which could include: singing, dance, drama, mask-making, puppetry, mime, costume design and physical theatre.

The highlight of the holiday programme is a ‘workshop’ performance for Parents and Friends.