Category: Newsletter

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

The below is a copy of the Summer Term 2024 newsletter (sent in March). To make sure you get all our news delivered straight to your inbox, SUBSCRIBE HERE!

Hi Everyone,

After 10 weeks of conjuring up ‘The Magic Within’ through drama games and exercises, Spring Term has now come to an end. This term’s focus has been on Vocal Expression and it culminated with pupils creating their own unique devised piece that they performed to camera. These have been submitted for a Trinity graded exam and we’ll update parents on results in the coming weeks.

We’re now busy finalising plans for the ‘Spooky Spectacles’ Summer Term which will be focused on Spontaneous Improvisation. The 13 week term starts on Mon 15 April and culminates in a Class Performance.

But if you’re nervous about committing your child to a full term (or you know someone who might want to give Dramatis classes a try) take a look at the FREE taster workshop we’ll be running on Wed 3 April.

This past term has also seen us continue to develop our relationships with local schools (running three history themed workshops for Bishop Tufnell pupils) and continue our professional development (gaining additional qualifications in safeguarding and SEND education through our affiliations with The National College and the Out of School Alliance).  

More information about all of this is below.

I wish pupils, parents and everyone else we work with a very Happy Easter and I look forward to another term of watching more local children thrive at Dramatis!

Kind Regards

Suzy (Principal)

News about upcoming Summer 2024 Term

Summer Term Classes
Have you got a sensitive soul at home who tends to shy away? Or a tweenager who’s ghosting you in more ways than one? This Summer Term, pupils will be channelling their creative energies into all things scary as they develop unique characters and storylines to create their own ‘Spooky Spectacles’. Games & exercises will be focused on Spontaneous Improvisation which will help pupils to elevate their devised scenes. These will be shown to parents at the end of term during a Class Performance. Ready to get silly with the spooky? CLICK HERE TO JOIN US.

FREE Workshop for new starters
Know someone who might be interested in Dramatis classes? Or are you feeling nervous about committing your child to a full term?  Join us on Wednesday 3 April for a FREE workshop that will give them a good insight as to what goes on during weekly Dramatis classes. During this one hour session, children will take part in games and activities based around the upcoming ‘Spooky Spectacles’ theme. SIGN UP HERE.

FREE Workshops for Schools
We’re keen to help as many children as possible harness the power of Pretend Play and develop key Life Skills. As part of this, we offer free drama workshops to local schools. These can be used by teachers to bring educational topics to life in a fun and engaging way. If you know a school or organisation in Bognor or the surrounding areas that might be interested in having us run a free workshop, please GET IN TOUCH.

News from Spring 2024 Term

School Workshops for Bishop Tufnell
Here at Dramatis, we harness the power of Pretend Play to help children develop emotional and social life skills. We usually do this during our weekly classes and holiday workshops but we also offer FREE one-hour drama workshops to schools and youth organisations in the local area. Last month, we were excited to partner with Bishop Tufnell CE Primary School in Bognor Regis, to run workshops for their Year 3, Year 4 and Year 6 class groups. To learn more about how we used Pretend Play to bring their history classes to life CLICK HERE.

In the News…
With the future workplace becoming harder to predict, it’s a challenge for parents and educators to know how to best prepare children for the working world. Across all industries, a huge emphasis is now being placed on the importance of creativity but in a landmark report published earlier this year, it was said that creativity “seems to have been all but expunged from the school curriculum in England”. Last month, Principal Suzy spoke with ABC Magazine about how Dramatis classes can help foster creativity and prepare children for the world of work. CLICK HERE and head to page 52 to read.

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

The below is a copy of the Spring Term 2024 newsletter (sent in December). To make sure you get all our news delivered straight to your inbox, SUBSCRIBE HERE!

Hi Everyone,

…and just like that Autumn Term has come to an end! Thank you to all the parents and family members who joined us on Saturday for ‘Enchanted Trails’ – our end of term school showcase. We loved watching our pupils’ creative ideas brought to life on stage. And with hairy grandmothers, naughty children, awkward dinners and royal fallouts, it was a typically festive start to the holidays 😉  

The theme for the upcoming Spring Term is ‘The Magic Within’ and 10 weeks of classes will culminate in pupils recording their devised pieces to camera. These will then be submitted for a graded Trinity exam. 

If you know any parents who are interested in Dramatis but are nervous about committing their child to a full term,  please let them know about our FREE workshops.

Next term will see us further develop our relationships with local schools. We will be launching an After-School club for Nyewood infant school pupils and also working with Bishop Tuffnell primary school on a series of FREE workshops.

More information on all of this is below.

Thanks as always for your ongoing support and patience as we continue to grow and develop Dramatis. I wish pupils, parents and everyone else we work with a very Happy Christmas and I look forward to another term of watching more local children thrive at Dramatis!

Kind Regards

Suzy (Principal)

News about upcoming Spring 2024 Term

Spring Term Classes
Has your child devoured a well-known wizard book series? Or tried to cast a spell on a Sibling?  If so, they’re going to love ‘The Magic Within’! This Term’s theme will see us embrace all things magical and mystical. We’ll be using ice-breaker games and drama exercises (based on vocal expression) to help pupils create their own unique characters and stories. Once they’re cackling like pros and waving wands with ease, they’ll create their own devised performance. This will be filmed at the end of term and submitted for a Trinity graded exam. Click here to find out more & book.

FREE Workshops for new starters
We offer various free experiences so potential new pupils can get a feel for what Dramatis is about before committing to booking a full term.
FREE WORKSHOPS take place at the start of each term, and mean children can try out a class with other potential new starters.
FREE TRIAL SESSIONS can be booked at any point during the term and mean children can join in a class with current pupils.
On Monday 8 January, we’re running three free workshops (themed around ‘The Magic Within’). Click here to sign up.

FREE Workshops for Schools
We’re keen to help as many children as possible harness the power of Pretend Play and develop key Life Skills. As part of this, we offer free drama workshops to local schools. This Spring Term, we’ll be working with Bishop Tuffnell CE Primary School on a series of workshops that will help bring their history lessons to life. If you know a school or organisation in Bognor or the surrounding areas that might be interested in having us run a free workshop, we’d be very grateful if you could send THIS LINK on to them.

News from Autumn 2023 Term

End of Term School Showcase
During Autumn Term’s, ‘Enchanted Trails’, pupils explored famous characters from much loved fairy tales and put their own unique spin on classic stories with help from drama exercises that focused on freeze-frame, voice and gesture. The term culminated in a ticketed School Showcase on Saturday 9th December. Thanks to all the parents who joined us to see the children’s creative ideas brought to life. Photos from the performance can be seen on our Facebook page HERE.

In the News…
Last term, ABC Magazine asked us to share our expertise with their readers. With more children than ever before being home-schooled, Principal Suzy was asked to write about how drama classes can help children being educated outside of the traditional school system. To read the article in full, CLICK HERE and go to page 34.

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 11^th April.
 
And some other dates for your diary – Summer Term DRAMA LESSONS start in Bognor on Monday 17^th April (with Bring a Friend Day on 24th April) and in Hove on Friday 21^st 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 20^th 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.

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!)  

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 2022 newsletter (sent in March). To make sure you get all our news delivered straight to your inbox, SUBSCRIBE HERE!

Hi Everyone,

The Summer term is nearly upon us, so in a bid to get organised (!) welcome to our first official newsletter!

If you’re signed up to classes with us, I’ll still be keeping in touch with specific things relevant to you, but this Termly newsletter will provide a general overview of what we’ve got coming up.

I will try my best not to waffle on (!) but should you wish to unsubscribe at any point, simply click the link at the bottom of this email.

It’s been a busy Spring Term! In January, our Plays and Pinot participants bunkered down to read The Watsons – a playful adaptation of Jane Austen’s unfinished novel. Giggles ensued.  Over the February Half Term, we ran both a Peter Pan and a House of Hogwarts Holiday Workshop – creating a bit of magic in an otherwise dreary month! Since term began, pupils in our youth Drama Lessons have been working with their ‘Modern Marvels’ and ‘LOL Factor’ themes to create pieces for their graded Trinity exams. And our Act Your Age participants have been donning trilby hats and tutus whilst working on Laura Wade’s ‘Home, I’m Darling’ (the Buzzy Bee’s game proved a particular highlight – who said adults can’t fly around and be silly?!) 

The Spring Term has also seen us work with PACSO to deliver an Outreach Workshop AND work with the Chichester Community Development Trust to launch two workshops for local residents as part of the opening celebrations of Graylingwell Chapel. We even got to meet and chat with Hugh Bonneville 😉 Details on both of these projects are below!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for classes, sessions and workshops – I have so loved teaching you and seeing you all grow in confidence.

But without further ado (we’ll leave that to Shakespeare!) on to the Summer Term! As you can see from the below – it’s going to be jam packed with lots of fun and learning!

So, have a peaceful Easter break and we’ll see you (with your renewed energy levels!) next term.

Kind Regards

Suzy (Principal)

Act Your Age – Summer Term
This term will be focused around Mike Leigh’s award winning play, Abigail’s Party – a suburban situation comedy and a satire on the aspirations and tastes of the new middle class that emerged in Britain in the 1970s. Ice-breakers, games and activities will explore the themes of the play while specific acting exercises will help prepare for the final piece (which will be informally recorded). This 12 week term costs £180 (which works out to just £15 per session) and will run in Bognor on Wednesday mornings and in Chichester on Thursday evenings.
For more information, CLICK HERE.

Youth Drama Lessons – Summer Term
This Term, The Royal Court group will be working with the ‘Keep it Traditional’ theme while The Globe group will be exploring ‘Life and It’s Lessons’. Both groups will work towards an end of term class performance. Sessions continue to run at The Regis School in Bognor on Monday evenings and the 12 session Summer term costs £120 (which works out to just £10 per class).
For more information, CLICK HERE.

Plays and Pinot – Summer Term
This term, our online playreading group will be exploring Alan Ayckbourn’s ‘Confusions’ – a series of five, short, interlinked one-act plays. Whilst each play is vastly different, they all deal with the underlying themes of obsession, isolation and human desire for companionship. This term runs from 8th to 29th June and costs £30 (equating to just £7 a session).
For more information, CLICK HERE.

Holiday Workshops – Spring and Summer Term
We have two Holiday Workshops coming up to keep the Kids’ entertained over the school holidays! The Freaky School of Cool Easter Workshop will explore the School of Rock, Freaky Friday and Legally Blonde, while the Magical Madricals Summer Workshop will be themed around a mash-up of Disney’s Encanto and Pixar’s Incredibles. Both workshops will see pupils’ singing, dancing and acting their way through the films and will culminate in a recording of a costumed performance – to keep and share with family and friends. Workshops take place at The Regis School and cost £120 (for the 4-day Easter Workshop) and £150 (for the 5-day Summer Workshop)…meaning just £30 a day!
For more information, CLICK HERE.

NEWS FROM LAST TERM

Meeting Hugh Bonneville at Graylingwell Chapel!
Friday 4^th March saw the official opening of The Chapel at Graylingwell Park by the acclaimed actor Hugh Bonneville. Dramatis has been working closely with CCDT (the owners and developers of The Chapel) to deliver two workshops for adults that will run as part of the opening celebrations, so this was the perfect opportunity to see the former derelict hospital transformed into a thriving new neighbourhood space. It also gave Dramatis Principal, Suzy Duxbury, the chance to have a chinwag with Hugh himself! The two chatted about the role of drama in the community with a particular focus on the importance of storytelling and kindness. For more information about the Dramatis Workshops being run at The Chapel, CLICK HERE.

Dramatis Outreach Workshop with PACSO Begins!
After numerous delays (due to you know what!), this term we FINALLY began our Outreach Workshop in partnership with PACSO (Parents and Carers Support Organisation). Funded by Sussex Community Foundation and Pagham Pram Race, this ten-week workshop has focused on improving attendees’ social awareness and interpersonal skills with their peers, family and carers. Weekly workshops (themed around a range of films and musicals) have looked at the topics of good and evil to enable teenage participants to explore their emotions and help guide their future actions. For more info about Dramatis Outreach, CLICK HERE.