Author: Admin

Local Area

Ten things for kids to do in (or near) Bognor Regis in the school holidays

Admin

FIRST PUBLISHED: APRIL 2022

The holidays are here and whilst parents might initially be excited to see the back of the school run and kids happy to be out of the classroom, households across Sussex will soon be filled with the sounds of “I’m Borrrrrreed”.

So, we’ve put together 10 suggestions of local activities your kids can take part in this summer that should soon put a smile back on everyone’s face!

Amberley Museum
Located in the heart of the South Downs National Park, at Amberley Museum kids can travel back in time and explore the South’s working past in a 36 acre former quarry and limeworks with interactive displays and activities.
For more info, CLICK HERE

Arundel Wetland Centre
Get closer to nature, see unforgettable sights and leave the outside world behind. With wide-open spaces and wetlands full of the sights and sounds of nature, there’s plenty to see and do including a 20 minute guided boat safari.
For more info, CLICK HERE

Butlins
Day Visits to Butlins are packed full of fun. Day Passes cost £10 per child (and £18 per adult) and include unlimited rides, entrance to the Splash Waterworld pools, outdoor play areas and Skyline Pavilion shows.
For more info, CLICK HERE

Chichester Community Development Trust (CCDT)
CCDT owns and manages community buildings and land, safe-guarding these important spaces for the community, and reinvesting profits to create long-term economic, social and environmental benefits. They also run regular activities, classes and events throughout the year at their venues, both for residents and the wider Chichester community.
For more info, CLICK HERE

Flip Out
Flip Out Chichester is the biggest Adventure Trampoline Park in Sussex with lots of attractions to entertain the whole family. As well as the trampolines you can also enjoy an amazing Ninja Assault Course, Wipe Out, Dropslide, 3 floors of Soft Play and much more!
For more info, CLICK HERE

Harbour Park
Based in Littlehampton, Harbour Park offers a day out by the beach for younger families. The rides and attractions are designed for families with children between the ages of 2-12 and there are also great places to eat as well as traditional arcade games in the Arcade. It’s a great place to gently introduce your children to the delights of fun rides.
For more info, CLICK HERE

Out of Bounds
Over in Angmering, this all-weather entertainment centre offers indoor and outdoor activities for all ages including Adventure Golf, Foot/Disc Golf, Adventure Nets, Jumping Pillows, Clip ‘n Climb, Ten Pin Bowling, Soft Play and Open Laser Tag. Perfect for an active day out!
For more info, CLICK HERE.

South Downs Planetarium Science Centre
The South Downs Planetarium Trust is run by a dedicated team of volunteers and astronomy enthusiasts who have a passion for science and education and believe that learning should be fun! They opened to the public in 2001 and are one of the largest Planetariums in the British Isles. Every month, they provide public shows where visitors can experience the magic of the night sky with expert live commentary from one of their expert astronomers.
For more info, CLICK HERE

Fontwell Park
Fontwell Park is set in spectacular surroundings between Chichester and Arundel. Steeped in horse racing history and the only remaining ‘figure of eight’ jump track in the UK, Fontwell stages live horse racing throughout the year including special Family Fun day events.
For more info, CLICK HERE

Dramatis Holiday Workshops
Well, we couldn’t leave ourselves off the list 😉 Our Holiday Workshops are perfect for keeping boredom at bay! Themed around popular films and musicals, they incorporate drama-based games and exercises as well as music and movement activities. The emphasis is very much on having fun, with simple song lyrics and dance routines that everyone can follow. As the week progresses, children work together to create their own devised performance which is filmed to camera on the last day (providing a nice souvenir of their holidays!)

For details on our next Holiday Workshops, CLICK HERE.

Newsletter

Newsletter (Summer Term 2023)

Admin

We send out the Dramatis newsletter three times a year (March, August and December) to provide highlights from the previous term along with plans for the upcoming one.

The below is a copy of the Summer Term 2023 newsletter (sent in March). To make sure you get all our news delivered straight to your inbox, SUBSCRIBE HERE!

SUMMER TERM 2023 NEWSLETTER

Hi Everyone,
 
Time flies when you’re having fun…can you believe the Spring Term is almost over?! Alongside running our usual classes (and getting pupils ready for their end of term Trinity exams) we’ve also been making a few little business tweaks behind the scenes.
 
Eagle-eyed followers may have noticed some changes to our website and socials recently, as we have now officially closed our adult drama programme and are focused solely on children. Our new tagline, “Harnessing the power of Pretend Play”, aims to capture how we do things differently to other performing arts schools.
 
Those same eyes might also have noticed our other news – an expansion into Hove! That’s right, from next term – in addition to Monday’s classes in Bognor – we will also be running Friday classes in Hove. If you know anyone in that area who might be interested (or able to help us spread the word!) we’d be very grateful if you could let them know. We’re running a FREE Workshop in Hove on Saturday 8th April so children from the area can get a feel for what Dramatis lessons are like.
 
If you haven’t signed up your child already, a reminder that we still have spaces left on our Easter HOLIDAY WORKSHOP in Bognor which starts on Tuesday 11th April.
 
And some other dates for your diary – Summer Term DRAMA LESSONS start in Bognor on Monday 17th April (with Bring a Friend Day on 24th April) and in Hove on Friday 21st April (with Bring a Friend Day on 5th May).
 
Thanks as always for your ongoing support and I look forward to another term of watching your children develop and thrive at Dramatis!
 
Kind Regards
 
Suzy (Principal)

UPCOMING SUMMER TERM NEWS

Easter Holiday Workshop
This Easter, we’re exploring the much-loved Roald Dahl classic, Matilda. Join us for “When I Grow Up” as we act, sing and dance our way through the week. There will be plenty of fun playing drama-based games and learning simple song lyrics and dance routines. As always, children will work together to create their own devised performance which is filmed to camera on the last day (providing a nice souvenir of their holidays!)  Priced at £120, these 9.30 to 3.30pm sessions work out at just £30 a day. CLICK HERE for more info.

Summer Term Lessons
This Summer, we’re running drama lessons in both Bognor and Hove based on the theme, “Life on the Otherside”. As always, we’ll be using a range of drama games and exercises to encourage our pupils’ imaginations and interpretations. We will then help them to hone and develop their creative ideas (and are already looking forward to showing you what they’ve been working on in their end of term class performance). A reminder that these performances will take place a week before term ends.  CLICK HERE for more info.

FREE School Workshops
We’ve been running free workshops at local schools for a while (perhaps that’s how you found us?!) but we now have a page on the website to help promote them.
If you know a school in the local area that might be interested in having us run a free after-school workshop, we’d be very grateful if you could send this on to them.

NEWS FROM SPRING TERM

Pupils gearing up for Spring Term exams
This past Spring Term, our pupils have been exploring Peter Pan. It’s been great to watch pupils ideas unfold, including the development of new characters such an evil Tinkerbell! Pupils will be performing their final pieces to camera on Monday 20th March. These will then be submitted as part of their Speech and Drama Digital Exams (assessed by Trinity College). We look forward to sharing results in due course. 

Swotting Up!
Our pupils aren’t the only ones developing new skills! Last month, Principal Suzy headed up to London to take part in two key drama teacher events.  First up was the National Theatre Drama Teacher Conference (which provides drama teachers with the opportunity to work with some of the finest artists, makers and companies in the industry) and then the Music and Drama Expo (Europe’s largest conference and exhibition for anyone involved in music & drama education). Having taken part in a rage of workshops, she came away with lots of inspiration to take back into lessons.

Drama Education

What is Pretend Play?

Admin

Pretend Play (also known as ‘imaginative’, ‘role’, or ‘make-believe’ play) is when children take on different roles and act out specific situations. By doing this, they (consciously or unconsciously) express themselves by revealing thoughts, ideas and feelings.

When overseen by a professional teacher within a structured class setting, Pretend Play can be used to build skills that are essential for managing emotions and maintaining healthy relationships.

How does Dramatis use Pretend Play?
In addition to energiser games (which create a welcoming space that children feel safe to share their ideas in) and drama exercises (which develop key skills such as vocal expression and body language), the majority of our classes and workshops use Pretend Play.

For this, we give pupils a stimulus so they can create their own (totally unique!) scene. We then use thoughtful prompts and gentle questioning to help children develop the scenes they are creating.

What are some example activities used in Dramatis classes?

Example Energiser Game: Captain’s Orders
The teacher plays the role of Captain and shouts out a (growing list of) instructions. Pupils must carry them out correctly (and as quickly!) as possible to avoid being thrown overboard. The last sailor standing wins. This game is great for raising energy levels and improving listening skills.

Example Drama Exercise: Pineapple
Pupils are divided into pairs and stand facing each other. One pupil tells the other one some them bad news BUT they’re only allowed to use the word ‘pineapple’. That person must respond to the news also only using the word ‘pineapple’. We then repeat the activity (asking pupils to tell a funny story, some juicy gossip and finally, some really good news). This exercise helps improve empathy and vocal expression.

Example Pretend Play:
We give small groups a stimulus (e.g a location, an object, a closing line, a picture or a poem) around which they must create their own unique scene (ideally incorporating the drama technique they learnt during the class or workshop). We then give personalised feedback (including thoughtful prompts and gentle questioning) to help pupils improve their scene.

Pretend Play is A LOT of fun but it’s not just play for play’s sake.
Read more about the BENEFITS here.

Newsletter

Newsletter (Autumn Term 2022)

Admin

We send out the Dramatis newsletter three times a year (March, August and December) to provide highlights from the previous term along with plans for the upcoming one.

The below is a copy of the Autumn Term 2022 newsletter (sent in August). To make sure you get all our news delivered straight to your inbox, SUBSCRIBE HERE!

AUTUMN TERM 2022 NEWSLETTER

Hi Everyone,

And just like that… Autumn Term is almost upon us! It’s been a long hot summer and we’re looking forward to welcoming pupils back to lessons.

Here at Dramatis, we might have been on break from weekly classes, but we’ve had plenty to keep us busy. Check out what we’ve been up to below.

This term, in our youth Drama Lessons, we will be working towards an end of year school showcase of ‘The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe’. Term starts on 5th Sept and places are filling up fast, so if you haven’t booked your child in yet, click here now to avoid disappointment! 

We’ve paused our Drama for Adults programme until the end of the year and will update you in due course. If you’re interested in joining, do get in touch.

We will be running more youth Holiday Workshops in the October Half Term. Stay tuned to find out more!

Kind Regards

Suzy (Principal)

AUTUMN TERM NEWS

Youth Drama Lessons – Autumn Term
Due to popular demand, this term we have expanded and now have three youth groups: The Garrick (ages 8-9),  The Royal Court (ages 10-11) and The Globe (ages 12-13).
They will all be working towards an end of school showcase of ‘The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe’. It’s a brilliant story with plenty of strange mythical creatures and an evil queen who wants it to be winter forever! What could be a more fitting theme going into the Autumn term!?
For more information, CLICK HERE.

Reminder – Bring A Friend Day (BAFD) 
As our long standing pupils will know, each term we include a BAFD. This gives children the opportunity to bring a friend along to class to show them what they do in drama lessons and help them integrate their friendship groups. It also provides parents with free play-date entertainment! The Autumn Term’s BAFD will be on Mon 19th/Tues 20th Sept (depending on group). There is absolutely no pressure for friends to join Dramatis so mark it in your diaries now and invite a friend along today! 

Your Feedback
As a growing community drama school, feedback from pupils and parents is always welcomed. If you’ve got something especially nice to say, we’d love it if you could leave us a Google Review here.

NEWS FROM LAST TERM

Dramatis takes part in Jubilee Celebrations
When Dramatis was invited to take part in the Bognor Regis Carnival “Royal Wave” themed parade as part of the town’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations – we knew exactly the costume for us! As a drama school with an ethos rooted in kindness, we wanted to give the red heart in our logo a Royal twist…and so on Saturday 4th June, Principal Suzy became the Queen of Hearts and pupils transformed into a deck of cards for the day! Pupils soon got into character, shouting (various versions of!) “off with their heads” towards delighted crowds! To read more about the weekend’s events, CLICK HERE.

Exam Success for Dramatis Pupils
Our weekly Drama Lessons are built around a set theme and culminate in a specific outcome (a digital exam, a class performance or a school showcase). During the Spring Term, pupils worked towards a graded Trinity exam. After some long delays (!) pupils finally got their certificates in June…and it was merits and distinctions all round – congratulations everyone! For more info about Trinity exams, CLICK HERE.

Dramatis hits Edinburgh Fringe Festival
In July, Principal Suzy headed to Scotland for a week to explore the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Volunteering behind the scenes, chatting with industry insiders and watching an incredible variety of performances – the trip has provided plenty of inspiration for the term ahead. For more info about Edinburgh Fringe Festival CLICK HERE.

Holiday Workshop Fun for Everyone 
In August, we ran two Holiday Workshops – The Freaky School of Rock and Incredible Madrigals. The children were all brilliant and both groups delivered a 30 minute performance at the end of the week (which can be seen on our You Tube channel here). We added in a few surprises including a sing-a-long with live guitar (courtesy of Teaching Assistant Polly) and also a feather boa scene from Legally Blonde (which resulted in a drama studio full of feathers!)  

Local Area, News

Dramatis pupils celebrate Jubilee weekend at the Bognor Regis Carnival

Admin

When Dramatis was invited to take part in the Bognor Regis Carnival “Royal Wave” themed parade as part of the town’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations – we knew exactly the costume for us!

As a drama school with an ethos rooted in kindness, we wanted to give the red heart in our logo a Royal twist…and so Principal Suzy became the Queen of Hearts and pupils transformed into a deck of cards for the day!

On Saturday 4th June, we joined hundreds of other local community groups and a range of floats on a parade that started on the Sea Front and travelled through the Town Centre and up to West Park.

Pupils soon got into character, shouting (various versions of!) “off with their heads” towards delighted crowds!

In West Park, we joined in the celebratory atmosphere, playing a few drama games together – before pupils headed off to explore the food and drink stands with their families.

We were back bright and early the next day, to continue celebrations and spread the word about Dramatis from our stand. Thank you to all the pupils (and parents!) who joined us in marking this historic occasion and congratulations to the Bognor Regis Carnival Association for organising on a brilliantly run event.

You can read more about the event in this feature in the Sussex Express or watch the below video (forward to 5mins 55 to see us in our full regalia!)