Why do I teach speech and drama?
Cat’s Academy of Speech and Drama grew from a belief that every young person should have the opportunity to learn through drama. As a child, I really looked forward to speech and drama classes and it was one of the highlights of my week and the benefits I gained from attending these classes I would like to share with young people today. I also know that many parents, who have also been lucky enough to have attended speech and drama classes, know that it is key to unlock an inner confidence that can help in all areas of life and therefore choose to send their own children to classes. Through teaching at Cat’s Academy, I never cease to be amazed by my students and their individual strengths and talents and how with encouragement from others can help their strengthen their self belief. This is hugely rewarding not only for the students but also for myself as a teacher as it strengthens my conviction that it is an important part of education.
How does it help students?
Confidence is gradually built and worked upon through fun exercises, drama games,improvisation, mime, public speaking, debating and story telling movement to music the list goes on and on… I have witnessed so much joy and laughter in classes and also the sense of camaraderie among the students whether through shared opinions or working on a performance piece. It can help manage anxiety that is often related to the fear of performing or expressing oneself to an audience whether this is simply giving an opinion or reading aloud in class for instance.
The sound of laughter is music to my ears and there is lots of laughter in our classes. Drama builds confidence and improvisation helps us explore everyday situations and how we relate to one another and how our actions can result in different reactions from others. The hard work involved in preparing for exams, competitions and performances teaches the discipline and the importance of time management and these are skills that students continue to use as they grow and prepare for college and work life.
Summer 2019 – Artistic ability comes to the fore.
All the creative talents are being harvested in preparation for summer showcase 2019.
There was lots of work going on to create our wonderful backdrop. Thanks to everyone who was involved in painting backdrops and adding their artistic flair and a big shout out to Tom for the Crying Planet.
June 2021 – Has creativity flourished during the pandemic?
I would like to think so. Although this has been a very challenging time for people especially the old and the young I received great artwork and stories from children during this period. A big thank you to James for sharing some for his thoughts and ideas with us not only in class but also through the medium of cartoons that he created himself during some of the quiet times I think we all experienced.
The story continues. Our new term of begins in September for teenagers, so we’re looking forwarding to building on the work done so far, and for new workshops and classes in the future. The best is yet to come!