Character Creation – A 6-week theatre program for children.

Start: Wednesday 1^st November 2023 from 4:00pm – 6:00pm

Finish: Wednesday 6^th December from 4:00pm – 6:00pm.

Performance: Wednesday 6^th December from 6:00pm – 6:45pm.

Where: The Moonah Arts Centre

Cost: $240 all-inclusive

For: Students ages 6-14 years.

BOOK NOW

About:

Ignite your child’s imagination and unleash their inner performer with Act Wild Theatre’s transformative ‘Character Creation’ workshop. This engaging 6-week program invites budding performers to explore improvisation, theatre sports, physical theatre, and the art of character creation. Through dynamic exercises and theatre games, we nurture their creativity, build confidence, and foster teamwork. Each week, they’ll embody different characters, from ‘mighty heroes’ to ‘cheeky jesters’ to ‘cunning villains,’ while expressing their voice and collaborating with others. Join us for an extraordinary experience that will energise and inspire, empowering them to shine not only in school but throughout their lives.

Skills developed in this program:

• Confidence: A safe and exciting learning environment that boosts their enthusiasm and energy levels.
• Creative Thinking: Unleash creative thinking that helps build resilience, self-expression, and creative collaboration with their class-mates.
• Listening: Enrolling theatre games and exercises that promote team-work, collaborative thinking, and listening opportunities for themselves and others.
• Emotional intelligence: A program that gently supports the development of the skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, and feel and show empathy for others.
• Public speaking: Students are given the opportunity to project their voice and opinion creatively, while also respecting others’ individual expression.
• Setting goals: Using performance exercises to set and achieve positive goals, make responsible decisions, and establish and maintain relationships in the process.
• Acting abilities: Students learn to think on their feet, develop spontaneity and lateral thinking using improvisation and other drama skills.
• Playfulness: Our most important skill, the ability to have fun, make mistakes, laugh at one-self, and boost self-love in a community environment.

 

The facilitator:

Jem Nicholas is a performing artist and theatre practitioner living in Hobart. She graduated from Monash University with a BA in Performing Arts, is an acting coach, and a certified Alexander Technique practitioner with a special interest in physical theatre and improvisation. Jem has worked with children for over 10 years, teaching them the fundamentals in puppetry, character creation, and play. She is delighted to be offering this program at the Moonah Arts Centre. Head to www.actwildtheatre.com.au for more information about her company ‘Act Wild Theatre.’

FAQ:

Q: What age-range do you accept?

A: We accept students from ages 6 to 14 for this program.

Q: Is this program suitable for beginners?

A: Yes, absolutely. All levels of experience are welcome in this program. We are not just about drama, we’re also about each child’s journey. All that is needed is enthusiasm and willingness to embrace and learn.

Q: My child is a little bit shy, is it still okay for them to participate?

A: Yes, we will offer a range of exercises and opportunities for all students to participate or observe (depending on their needs on the day). This includes students that are slightly more introverted.

Q: Are your classes suitable for everyone?

A: We are accepting of all students, but we understand the structured environment of these classes require full participation and may not suit every child. If you have a child with additional or individual needs, please reach out via email and we can discuss if this program is right for your child.

Q: Are we able to join the program mid-way through?

A: The first class is an introductory session; therefore, students are able to join from the 2^nd week onwards. However, after week 2 has commenced, new students will not be able to join the program. But don’t worry, there will be more programs run in future. You can register future interest at [email protected].

Q: Is it competitive or simply fun?

A: While we base our program in a non-competitive environment where each student is able to develop skills at their own pace, theatre-sport games are occasionally competitive (in a playful way).

Q: Is this program structured?

A: Yes, the curriculum is structured to cover 4 key archetypal characters: Hero, Villain, Magician, and Everyman. We also explore the fundamentals of presence on stage, the how-to for improvisation, and a step-by-step process in building characters for performance. All this, plus exciting theatre games, physical warm-ups, vocal-work explorations, and a performance evening at the end.