Let Loose Your Acting Skills At Lyric’s New Theatre School

Richard Croxford, Lyric Theatre Artistic Director, said, “There are plenty of opportunities for participation at the theatre in the coming months through our Lyric Theatre School. It has been established to offer accessible creative pathways to children and adults from all backgrounds and abilities on a first come, first served basis. The quality of provision is about participation and access to arts training that allows individuals to work at their own pace and develop skills to a level that suits their needs and expectations.” [caption id="attachment_27086" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Lyric Summer Programme participants launch the new Lyric Theatre School which begins in September 2011."][/caption] Early Years drama provision is clearly based on fun activities around imaginative play, but where individuals continue their training through the school, the focus and range of activity will be based around individual skills building as a creative performer. 180 places are available in total across seven different workshop programmes. Each drama programme will run on a weekly basis across a full school year comprising three terms. No previous experience is required and entry into each programme is merely defined by age. Courses will run on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday from 18th September and cost, for an entire year’s workshop programme, is from as little as £62 for Storytrekkers and up to £225 for Let Loose the Actor in You. Sparklers for children aged 4 to 5 years will enjoy a fun-packed class with exciting games and creative tasks, to enable them learn the skills of concentrating, memorising and communicating. Storytrekkers is a story-telling experience for 4 to 6 year olds and 7 to 9 year olds using a variety of children’s books to take children on a journey across the globe, through time and into fantasy worlds. On Dazzlers, children aged 6 to 8 years old will develop self-confidence, self-expression and physicality on a fun drama programme. [caption id="attachment_27087" align="alignright" width="186" caption="The Lyric Theatre School opens in September 2011."][/caption] Monster Movers is an exciting new project for children aged 9 to 11 who have a keen interest in combining dance, physical theatre and acting skills. Beastie Bodies is for 12 to 14 year olds who want to learn about theatre through character work, masks, acrobatics, circus and drama improvisation. Using a wide range of practical techniques, Theatre Lab is an acting course for 15 to 18 year olds to develop skills in improvisation, working from text and in devising performance. Let Loose the Actor in You will use the medium of play and improvisation to help particiapants grow in confidence also providing essential life skills for adults. The theatre recently completed its first series of summer programmes for young people which sold out. Erin McCullough, 15, who completed the summer programme commented“ I’ve made lots of new friends and I learnt lots including set design, creating a script and working on the performance.” Noirin McKinney, Director of Arts Development, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said, “The Lyric has an excellent reputation for working with young people and thanks to public funding, that tradition is set to continue.  As principal funder, the Arts Council supports the Lyric to work with local young people via its education and outreach programmes.” More details on prices, dates and times are available on the Lyric Theatre’s website. Those wishing to enrol can do so online at www.lyrictheatre.co.uk/theatretraining, by phoning 028 9038 1081 or calling in at the Lyric Theatre Box Office. ]]>