I often say that the greatest pleasure of my role in Drama Kids is getting to see the sense of achievement and sheer joy of the children when they have completed production term and I was reminded of this in spades last weekend.
I was warmly welcomed by Drama Kids Sussex to some of their summer productions, performed by children who attend classes in Worthing and Brighton. Gareth and his team really made everyone feel appreciated, included and ‘seen’. Every child had their moment, and was fantastically supported by their teachers, and even the audience were treated to a mini drama class experience as they waited for the show to start.
From the moment I stood in the queue to get in the theatre to the minute that the children left with their parents I saw shining examples of why Drama Kids is so unique, so special, and why children return term after term. It felt like a family, a safe space for children to be themselves, and the sense of inclusion was second to none.
My niece accompanied me to the Saturday morning production and, during the first play (in which she did not look at her phone once – she is 15… so I am sure you all appreciate what a big deal that was!), she became fascinated by the teacher. Of course, she loved the children and their performances, very impressed with the words they all remembered at such a young age. But it was the teacher that grabbed her interest. If you, like she, have never experienced a class or production with Drama Kids, I will forgive you for not understanding why this was so significant, and I want to share her words with you:
“That’s really different, isn’t it? Having the teacher at the front like a conductor. Those kids must feel really supported. The tambourine is so helpful to remind them of what they are doing and when. I’ve never seen plays done like that and I think if everyone did it that way more children would want to get involved.
“There’s less pressure and you know that your teacher has your back if something goes a little bit wrong. No one would have a bad performance experience if they were all set up this way, and then maybe people wouldn’t get stage fright later in life. I think it’s a really good way to build confidence in a safe space where it isn’t all about performing and what it looks like for the audience, but about the experience that the children have!”
Now, those might not be her exact words… but they are pretty close and we spent a long time over burgers and cheesecake talking about how Drama Kids help children find their voice. She is even considering being a Drama Kids teacher when she is old enough! My take… if it can impress a 15-year-old in this day and age… we are doing a great job!