When the school holidays roll around, the Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP) provides a lifeline for busy parents, offering a tailored program of drama workshops for kids. There are courses for mini thespians in kindergarten all the way to senior high school students looking to further their studies in performance. What better way to salve a year of school holidays indoors (thanks, pandemic) than by getting out there and experiencing new things in 2021.
The experiences are interactive – because who wants to be in a classroom during the holidays? Kids will learn new skills, make new friends and get to show off their efforts in performances at the end of the course. Every class is taught by drama tutors who are industry trained, working actors so that kids can learn the showbiz ropes from seasoned professionals.
There’s something for every performer, whether they’re looking to develop their singing and acting, or want to explore comedy, script-writing, short films and movement. For the youngest ducklings (kindergarten to year two), there are storytelling courses about animals and under the sea, and kids in years three and four can take performance classes inspired by Roald Dahl and David Walliams to build 'disgusting stories'. Years four to six can also dive in to news presenting, short film making and creating their own game show. The too-cool high school kids can unlock the secrets of good dark comedy, perfect a monologue, tackle accents or try their hand at musical theatre.
The classes run at multiple venues around Sydney throughout the school holidays. Find out more about the autumn program on the ATYP website.