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September 26, 2009 --drama classes London

London is the number one capital city to go to, if you want to train to be an actor. There are literally hundreds of drama classes available to the very young, not so young and even the old. Children?s drama classes, students drama and adults drama with classes ranging from beginners to the more experienced, surprisingly they are not only available to those students who want to study full time, oh no there are weekend classes and evening drama classes available either on a course basis or a pay as you go.

Your first decision is to narrow down what sort of drama you are looking for, is it improvisation, technique, speech, drama for fun, a course in Shakespeare or a teachers refresher course? Are you under 16, over 18 or closer to your fifties? Whatever your age there will be something for you. Remember an actor?s life is a long one! You don?t need to retire at 65 as there will always be a need for elderly actors on television.

Improvisation is a wonderful way to build your drama skills and your confidence. It is a great way to explore character building and try out new material, learning to work as team is a fantastic skill to have at any age in life. If technique is something you strive for check out Meisner or Stanislavski. The CDS can be a great source for students who wish to study full time and for those who are looking for something a little less full on then go to www.dramaclasses.biz where you will find a whole host of drama classes, and drama schools in London to get you started.

And remember to be prepared for those auditions, make sure you find the perfect monologue, on www.dramaclasses.biz you will find recommended pieces and Foyles and Amazon always carry a comprehensive list of plays.

When choosing a monologue try to choose something that is near to your own age, something you can relate to and something that is only a couple of minutes long. Look at new plays, by new writers as this can be an excellent source of material and the panel will be impressed by fresh ideas. One of London?s top venues for new writing is The Bush Theatre in Shepherds Bush, they keep a catalogue of all their past work and new plays are accompanied by the text, so a visit to the theatre could find you your perfect piece. So whatever age you are you will be sure to find your perfect drama school in London that will give you some life enriching experiences. For more information on becoming an actor come along to Actor Expo at Goldsmiths on Saturday 3rd October.

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April 20, 2009 --

dramaclasses.biz is the National database of drama schools and is a website designed to help you find the perfect drama class for your children. The website creators Richard and Lynn Beaumont have a staggering 70 years of experience between them. They offer a personal service too and have already matched hundreds of children to drama schools all over the UK. ?To be or not to be that is the question?. In a world where reality TV stars and celebrities adorn our television screens it is no wonder that kids, young and old seek out their local drama school to nurture their talents and, what better place to learn social skills , build confidence and have a ball than at a local drama class.Each week another school pops up to fill the ever growing need for part time drama schools in the UK with franchises Razzmatazz, Pauline Quirke, Helen O Grady and market leaders Stagecoach all catering for our enthusiastic off spring. But amidst all the bigger names we must not forget the independents that also offer excellent choices of classes and are also found on www.dramaclasses.bizFinding the right drama class to suit our children is now important business, because, the choice is so great.Does your child want singing, or just drama, dance or all three disciplines in one go. Are you looking for specific classes for under fives, exams or perhaps performance opportunities? With the current economic climate you may prefer a more casual school that can offer you a? pay as you go? scheme. The great news is there are classes to suit everyone and only one click away. Lynn at dramaclasses.biz always suggests you compare a couple of schools in your area by looking at their microsites or own websites on dramaclasses.biz and then go along and trial the class. This way you can be sure you match your child to the class. Anyone needing extra help or advice about drama schools should email lynn@dramclasses.biz and the team will do all they can to help.With the internet, life really is a wealth of opportunities.
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February 5, 2009 --

Drama is now one of the most popular subjects to follow at GCSE and A level. With so many students discovering a passion for drama it is important to know what opportunities are available when it comes to pursing a career.

Would be Performers have several options they can study drama at university or choose one of the top 23 drama schools in England that are members of the CDS.

Child performers maybe able to make the transition, from child actor to adult, without having to go to drama school. Though this is indeed rare, it is not impossible.

However, not everyone wants to be a performer some prefer to teach, so what training do you need. Well I spoke to one drama student who told me all about her journey from leaving Blag Youth Theatre in Rickmansworth to landing a first class job in a secondary school in Hertfordshire, she also outlines other routes into becoming a drama teacher.

My passion for drama began in my early teens, when I joined Blag Youth Theatre there I was able to expand my knowledge and experiment with improvisation and scripted pieces. It also gave me performance opportunities which confirmed my passion for the arts.

I left school with 3 A-levels (Theatre studies, Music and English Lit.) in 1998. I went on to do a three year degree in Drama and Theatre Studies and graduated in 2001. During the following 3 years I worked with a variety of different aged children running outdoor adventure activities. I then made the decision to become a secondary school teacher and to go back to university; so in 2004 I started a PGCE in drama at Chester University. This course took a year and was very hands-on with two teaching placements in different schools.

Once I completed this year I started as an NQT (Newly Qualified teacher) at a school in Hertfordshire - Once I had done one year at this school i was a fully-qualified teacher of drama!!

There are other routes into teaching:

If you make the decision before I did and know when you finish your A-Levels that you want to be a teacher then you can do a 4 year course at University and become either a primary teacher or a secondary teacher with drama specialism.

If you have a drama degree already and wish to teach drama then you can either apply to do a PGCE, like me or a GTP. A GTP is a school based qualification where you work in a school for a reduced salary until you qualify.

If you have a degree in another subject then you can still become a drama teacher but may have to do a short course to convert your specialism.

If you would like more information of finding a part time or full time drama schools then visit www.dramaclasses.biz the site also has excellent drama resources.
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October 21, 2008

- The light is fading?

The Current financial situation makes it is even more important for small businesses to watch their spending and for drama schools putting on productions it is now necessary to become more creative in our use of space. A recent trip to The Bush Theatre in Shepherds Bush London reminded me of just that. The space, a room above a pub, admittedly with an area large enough to store props and actors, though not huge, is ingeniously used. Their latest season? The Broken Space Season? incorporates three weeks of 10 different monologues. The broken space refers to the fact that a recent water leak has left the building in poor shape with no useable lighting rig, but instead of closing it's doors the inventive Josie Rourke, the Artistic Director set to work to devise a season that could benefit the theatres short comings using very little light, except those of household lamps, torches and natural light. The result is wonderful and inspiring. Each night there are three different plays by new writers. The first is a monologue the second a two hander and the third a ghost story?very fitting for a theatre with no lights!

The light that it switched on for me was that we can make any space regardless of it?s size or shape, or lighting rig a performance area to showcase our students talents. All we need is imagination. Seating can be on cushions, or make shift benches or if we are lucky enough to have a budget we can hire raked seating. The performance can be on the round or on three sides, using minimalistic set and props. Though performing in large theatres with huge lighting rigs and impressive sets and costumes is exciting we can also find excitement in down scaling our productions and devising new theatre experiences at a fraction of the cost. Writing our own or getting the kids to devise their own saves a fortune on copy right fees.

A past production of Blag Youth proved just that with a ?Thriller? written by myself and partner Richard Beaumont, the piece took place in a disused theatre, no set, just lots of old charred wood, chairs and rubbish. The kids all had torches which added to the atmosphere and apart from some basic lighting and a couple of simple effects that was about it. The result was an extremely spooky evening of entertainment that encompassed thirty kids and an audience of terrified parents!

So as we move into what is predicted as trying times, why not try, to be inventive, creative and get back to the no frills theatre that demonstrates the raw talent that our kids have.

More details of Double Dare can be found on www.dramaclasses.biz the No1 drama resource site for children, parents, teachers and drama students.

Meanwhile, The Bush season is continuing till October 25th you can book tickets on line www.bushtheatre.co.uk or on 02087435050 and enjoy an evening of entertainment seen in a different light!

For more information on The Bush Theatre, go to our 'What's on at Your Local Theatre?' page and click on the link.

To find a Your local drama school log on to www.dramaclasses.biz

For more information: www.dramaclasses.biz

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