At the Helen O’Grady Drama Academy in Cape Town, this is what we aim to do - to bring out the natural talents of each child and adult in our extensive classes. Education, in many respects, can be like sausage machine churning out children to fit the norm of a national curriculum or examination board. In order to do this, and nowadays the immense focus on academic success, the ‘natural’, spontaneous child is lost.
Duncan Rice, African Director of the Helen O’Grady Drama Academy, says: “Every year I ask parents what their greatest fear is and, by far, it is public speaking. Every human being has the natural ability to communicate but somehow our education systems are failing us when, by the end of school, young adults are afraid to express themselves in public and lack the confidence to put themselves forward.
“It is a huge worry for me that communication skills are not taught or not taught properly in a nurturing environment within our schools because one of the keys to success in our future careers is to be able to communicate well.”
If you observe young children in our Kindergarten drama classes around Cape Town, you will see children who already have a natural ability to communicate and many, at this stage, do not having the negative influences to curb their expression.
We need to create environments within our schools where children are taught to work to together in mutual respect, where failure or mistakes are not the end of the world, where we can experiment with communicating in a fun environment, and most importantly where the barriers to one’s natural ability can be broken so that our true self can shine through.
The teaching method of the Helen O’Grady Drama Academy, developed now over near 40 years internationally, works on breaking down the facades that we hide behind so that true and authentic person can shine through with confidence.
The programme is extremely popular because of this and many schools have realised the importance of outsourcing drama to the professionals - performance arts teachers - who are trained to really develop the natural abilities, using this amazing drama curriculum. You can see all of our schools and private studios by heading to the website: http://dramaafrica.com/branch/9/south-africa/cape-town-south.htm
The Academy recently opened its famous Youth Theatre for High School students (teenagers) in Hout Bay and Grassy Park, adding to our Youth Theatres in Goodwood, Newlands, Fish Hoek and Plumstead. Apart from these studios, speech and drama classes are also available for Primary School children in Tokai, Athlone, Rondebosch, Camps Bay, Mitchell’s Plain,
Like our Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/helenogradycapetown
Tel: 021 6747478
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