20th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS

It's been a while since we shared news on here; it's been a bit of a whirlwind summer! The Helen O'Grady Drama Academy, UK and Europe is celebrating 20 years of operation this year! The first Academies launched in Croydon and St. Helens/Warrington in September 1994. Both these schools are going strong, along with many more which have started up along the way. 

So much has happened in the time these Academies have been operating. Tens of thousands of children have attended classes, experiencing and benefiting from the amazing self-development programme we offer. 

The classes are full of exciting activities for children. During the autumn and spring terms, they include warm-ups, speech training, mimes to music, whole class improvisations and short scripts. The curriculum is constantly revised and updated to keep it fresh but the aims and objectives remain exactly the same as when Helen O’Grady started the first classes in Perth, Australia in 1979. Every week is different and every child is involved.

A special anniversary Seminar was hosted by Head Office on the beautiful island of Guernsey. Time was spent distributing awards to many Principals who have been with the Academy for up to 20 years.

Long serving Principals with their hand painted awards. 

As usual, at the Summer Seminar, Nigel Le Page presented his National Director's Award and the Head Office team chose this year's Franchisee of the Year.

North Leicestershire Principal, Beth Daniel, receives her award, from the HO team, for Franchisee of the Year, 2014

Neil O'Gorman, SE London, accepts the National Director's Award

Following a very successful Seminar, Head Office hosted a reception at the stunning Castle Cornet on the seafront at St. Peter Port (below), followed by a gala dinner with entertainment at one of Guernsey's top hotels.

Founder of the Academy, Helen O'Grady, was unable to attend the celebrations due to her husband's ill health but sent a congratulatory message including these words:

"For thirty years I was Executive Director of the International Academy Network. I first opened the Academy in Perth, with 100 students, in 1979. Taking it across Australia and, eventually, to the world, required great dedication, persistence, energy and, above all, a genuine love for children and their well being. Sometimes, when the task seemed so immense, I would re-read a favourite quote from George Bernard Shaw:

"Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I've got hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations."

I urge you to envisage that splendid torch and pledge to keep a strong hold on it as you guide your students towards a hopeful and fulfilling future!"

And so, all Principals are back in their offices and back in class, passing on amazing skills to even more children. If you want your child to experience that "hopeful and fulfilling future" visit our website www.helenogrady.co.uk to find a class near you.

NEW SURVEY SHOWS MOST CHILDREN DON'T THINK WINNING IS IMPORTANT!

This morning, on BBC Breakfast, https://www.facebook.com/bbcbreakfast there was an article on sport and competitiveness in school. This is from their page:

"A new survey has found only 14% of kids think winning is the most important part of sport, while the majority of them think their parents care more about winning than they do!
So, should school sport be all about being the best, or is it the taking part that counts?"

I think everyone agrees, some competition is a healthy thing, and, as so many viewers wrote on the Breakfast page, you have to learn to lose in life to survive. 

But sometimes, the pressure of competition may spoil a child's enjoyment of their activity, whether it is sport, an academic subject or a leisure activity. Feeling the answers always have to be right stops some children from offering the answers in the first place. Always seeing the 'best' children answering questions or getting top marks and being praised for it can destroy a child's confidence. Maybe only a little bit at a time but a significant amount during a school year.

Here at the Helen O'Grady Drama Academy there are no 'stars' or, rather, every child is a star. We are at the beginning of our production term when Principals and teachers are casting their plays and starting rehearsals. In these year end plays, every child has an active role. Even if they have no individual lines to say on their own, all children will take part in ad-lib sections, join in 'all' lines, and belt out show songs with gusto! Not to mention acting and re-acting to whatever is happening on stage. Every single one of them is a big part of something positive and successful.

Our teachers are trained to involve every child, all the time. Each little actor will receive an award after their shows, either to mark the term's work or to celebrate an anniversary with the Academy. Some young adults are up to an award for the 16th year attending classes. 

The cast of 'Circus Capers' with their achievement awards.

As youngsters, they return year after year not only because they are having so much fun but also because their parents see a difference in their confidence. They are becoming that child who will raise his/her hand in class, and not worry if the answer they give isn't technically correct. They are volunteering to read aloud in assembly and acting as a mentor to shyer children in their class. As young adults they may choose to pursue their love of drama and Helen O'Grady classes will give them an excellent grounding for this but, equally, they will have a good grounding in whatever they choose to do in life.

All this from attending drama classes where they are constantly valued and encouraged. Where there are no wrong answers and they will gain as much praise from their peers as they do from their teachers. As productions get under way we wish all our Principals, teachers and students good luck with rehearsals and we look forward to hearing the success stories during the term, as well as after the shows.

Please do share any stories on the blog with us, if you have already seen Helen O'Grady productions.

GRADY BEAR COMES HOME

After a very exciting few weeks in Toronto, Canada, Grady Bear is finally back on UK soil. He enjoyed the flight and caused lots of smiles as he was travelling.

He had great fun in classes with lots of lovely Canadian children, enjoying the classes almost as much as they did. He loved all the stretching and curling - especially after spending the long flight curled up in the overhead luggage rack!

He liked watching the Lazy Worms and the Birds, and he thought he may like some of those worms for dinner!

 

But he grew just a little bit tired of the cold and spent a lot of time watching the snow settle from his cosy apartment.

So, when it was time to leave, he very quickly packed and waited for his ride to the airport.

He will miss all the lovely children and their parents but he is happy to be back in the office in Somerset. Just a bit exhausted!

Jetlag has taken its toll and it may be a few days before he is back in routine. And will it ever stop raining in England???