DRAMA FOR KIDZ

Skills: learned in drama are the skills we need for our very survival in life. It is said that intelligence is the ability to adapt to change. In New Zealand there has been a growth in creative industries, teaching people to be able to think beyond the reality before them. Creative abilities lead to problem-solving, conflict management, negotiation,leadership and management skills. In the Caisley Communication Consultancy students are taught to listen carefully, read what others have written, and then think of their own interpretation to enable them to create dialogue and action. They will learn how to select and arrange their ideas to entertain an audience.

Theatre Sports: are a recent style of drama which has proved enormously popular for all age groups. They develop quick thinking and adaptation to other people's words and actions. All students in the Consultancy enjoy the theatre sports that interlace the regular class activities.

Improvisation: is the interaction of brain and body used so unthinkingly in the activities of everyday life. Students are encouraged to develop an awareness of their environment and to interact confidently within that known space. From there they can appreciate situations beyond their own immediate experiences and start to learn to react to new challenges. Students assume characters which are not their own, perform deeds and acts beyond their own sphere, speak words additional to their own vocabulary, and finally learn to convey a sense of reality to an audience.

Role play: is used so much in industry training. Students are placed in some conflict situation from daily life and asked to act and speak in a manner that would best help them through that conflict to a happy resolution.

Performance opportunities: for both private and group students of drama to be presented to an audience of peers and family. There are regular parents' days when family members can come and enjoy the progress being made by students.
Annual concert: in a theatre environment where students can master the art of performance in front of a larger group.

Qualifications: some of our students enjoy the challenge of preparing work to be presented to examiners either for any of the 8 grades in Speech New Zealand examinations or for Trinity Guildhall. The two examining bodies are different in nature so it is advantageous for students to enter examinations for both organisations to extend their experiences and capabilities. Recently both these examining bodies have introduced group drama examinations so that students can achieve in that specialist area. The certificates they gain from these examinations can be added to their own curriculum vitae as proof of training in communication skills.

School recognition: students who have the benefit of drama training are more likely to be selected for dramatic opportunites at their school and so their experience extends further.

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