Our first venture into online workshops has been a great success with young people aged 6 – 18 enjoying workshops in Theatre Design, Stage Combat, Audition Technique and Acting for Film & TV. It’s been great to see some of our regular Theatre School participants join us for this new format of workshop as well as meeting lo ts of new faces we hope to see again when the building opens and classes can resume.
We hope the participants have been introduced to a few new skills and have enjoyed having the opportunity to get the creative juices flowing again. Under the skilful eye of facilitator Bobbi Rai Purdy, our youngest participants created their own sets using old cereal boxes which they transformed to become the backdrop for their own individual stories. They created characters using kitchen roll holders and tape which they decorated ready for the final ‘show and tell,’ session. During this last session each participant performed their own story using their characters and their completed backdrop.
Our 10 – 14 year olds tried something completely different when they met Ian McCracken for their Stage Combat sessions. Ian taught the group how to punch, kick, dodge and react safely when fighting on the stage. They also used a variety of household items such as wooden spoons to learn some sword fighting routines.
Actor and facilitator Jo Dow led our teenage participants in Acting for Film & TV workshop. They each learnt script extracts, some performing duologues with other participants they had never met before. The group explored the differences in acting for the stage and the screen and offered each other feedback on their individual performances.
In the week that saw some of our older participants receive their much anticipated A Level results, they took part in an audition technique with our Head of Creative Learning, Philip Crawford. Philip explained the ‘do’s and don’ts’ of auditioning and was able to answer any questions these aspiring young actors had. The group analysed two audition speeches; a Shakespearean monologue and a modern piece. One participant commented, ‘I really enjoyed the workshops and I found them very useful. I learned a lot about auditioning for drama school and I enjoyed trying the Shakespeare monologues.’
Other parents commented ‘We all loved being able to be part of the Lyric again in a more tangible way.’ We’ve loved being able to engage with young people again albeit in a different format than usual and we can’t wait to see what other opportunities we can create both online and when it is safe to welcome participants back to the theatre.
We hope the participants have been introduced to a few new skills and have enjoyed having the opportunity to get the creative juices flowing again. Under the skilful eye of facilitator Bobbi Rai Purdy, our youngest participants created their own sets using old cereal boxes which they transformed to become the backdrop for their own individual stories. They created characters using kitchen roll holders and tape which they decorated ready for the final ‘show and tell,’ session. During this last session each participant performed their own story using their characters and their completed backdrop.
Our 10 – 14 year olds tried something completely different when they met Ian McCracken for their Stage Combat sessions. Ian taught the group how to punch, kick, dodge and react safely when fighting on the stage. They also used a variety of household items such as wooden spoons to learn some sword fighting routines.
Actor and facilitator Jo Dow led our teenage participants in Acting for Film & TV workshop. They each learnt script extracts, some performing duologues with other participants they had never met before. The group explored the differences in acting for the stage and the screen and offered each other feedback on their individual performances.
In the week that saw some of our older participants receive their much anticipated A Level results, they took part in an audition technique with our Head of Creative Learning, Philip Crawford. Philip explained the ‘do’s and don’ts’ of auditioning and was able to answer any questions these aspiring young actors had. The group analysed two audition speeches; a Shakespearean monologue and a modern piece. One participant commented, ‘I really enjoyed the workshops and I found them very useful. I learned a lot about auditioning for drama school and I enjoyed trying the Shakespeare monologues.’
Other parents commented ‘We all loved being able to be part of the Lyric again in a more tangible way.’ We’ve loved being able to engage with young people again albeit in a different format than usual and we can’t wait to see what other opportunities we can create both online and when it is safe to welcome participants back to the theatre.