New Year. New Faces. Exciting Adventures.

2015 is here, and now schools have settled in enough for us to do our Helen O'Grady Drama Academy takeover. It's exciting to see all the young faces light up when we enter through the school gates.

We're equally as excited to usher them along a journey through discovery and learning. The Kindy programme themes this term are all so very exciting.

With two new teachers, it's an exciting time for the Botswana team.

We are certainly looking forward to making some amazing memories, and unlocking imaginations.

World Theatre Day at Thornhill Primary School

World Theatre Day with Helen O’Grady Botswana HELEN O'GRADY DRAMA ACADEMY IS AFRICA'S LARGEST DRAMA SCHOOL. GLOBALLY, THERE ARE OVER 50, 000 STUDENTS ATTENDING CLASSES EACH WEEK! The Helen O'Grady Drama Academy celebrated World Theatre Day on March 27th during their Drama workshops at Thornhill Primary School. The Academy runs its international programme in some of South Africa's and Botswana’s top private and government schools, giving many children the opportunity to experience the theatre in the best way possible by acting themselves. Much of the love of theatre comes from our childhood experience and the Academy really tries to reinforce the benefits of this beautiful cultural experience. The future theatre-goers will come from the children and it is important to encourage children to enjoy this art form, which is not only entertainment but educational as well. On World Theatre Day, children aged 6-12 at Thornhill Primary School engaged in Mimes and Improvisations as well as activities to develop their speech, articulation and voice projection. All existing students were encouraged to “bring a friend” for the day to participate in the class, giving them the opportunity to experience the wonderful feeling of self-expression in a safe, comfortable and more importantly, FUN environment. Many parents came to watch and participate on this day as well. The Helen O'Grady Drama Academy is the only organisation of its kind in Africa. It was originally founded in 1979 in Australia, when Helen O'Grady, a trained teacher, drama teacher and actress, hired a hall and commenced affordable after school drama classes for young people from 5-18 years of age. Her aims were to provide a self-development drama programme encouraging: • Enthusiasm, energy and a positive approach to life • Ongoing confidence • Self esteem • Skill in verbal communication • Effective social interaction • Performance skills Her legacy continues and the Helen O'Grady Drama System has now become the largest worldwide drama school of its kind. With an extensive curriculum, dynamic teachers and easily accessible venues, this is a truly community-based organisation, with a strong emphasis on the care of all its students. To find out more about Helen O’Grady in Botswana contact 3916741 / marketing@rewaedu.org / www.dramaafrica.com

Our new teacher, Onx takes his first solo class

Onkemetse Sebenyane, our new Lower and Upper Primary school drama teacher took his first class at Rainbow Primary School this week. He did so well with the kids and really had a good time teaching their speech and language skills and doing a first rate job with the class improvisation that the kids could not believe it was a whole hour gone when he said goodbye to them!

Term 3 2013

Helen O Grady Gaborone, Botswana will be starting their term three classes week beginning 16 September. Please go and check out our website - www.dramaafrica.com for information on venues, times and days of classes.

Upcoming holiday school

Due to popular demand, we have decided to do another stage production. The last two were so very popular and the children just absolutely loved dressing up. So, last holiday we were supposed to do The Sword in the Stone and due to some unforeseen circumstances we were not able to carry it out. So..... we will be producing The Sword in the Stone - Helen O Grady way. Holiday school takes place on the 26th - 30th August at Thornhill Primary School, near the Main Mall, and will be held in the Main Hall. The fee for the week is P500 and runs from 8am - 1pm every day. We will also be concentrating a lot on props for the play and having a great fun art week for those children who are creative - so come along and have some fun with us. Contact Kathy 71607116. www.dramaafrica.com

Holiday Drama Club

WE will be holding our ever popular holiday club these holidays from 26th - 30th August at Thornhill Primary School for children aged between 5 and 13 years of age.  This time around we will not be doing a stage production but a whole lot of interesting drama related topics, age specific and they all revolve around FUN, FUN, FUN.  Please contact Kathy on 71607116 for booking.

Brand new website!

Wow, after just checking out the Helen O Grady website after its face lift, I am blown away by its user friendly face!  Also, it has breaking news which keeps everyone up to date with what each franchise is doing ... I went on to the new website today to find a write up about our productions we did on Monday night, with pictures, and I did not even type it!!  So impressive.  Please, do yourselves a favour and go and look at our new website.  You can even fill in an application form online now.

So, yes, I am officially, IMPRESSED.

WWW.DRAMAAFRICA.COM - check it out!

The Final Countdown

Well, last week with our lower and upper primary studios it was all about finishing our productions and talking about our props, make up and projection!!!  On Monday 5 August we will be doing The Snake Charmer and Imagine That with our Thornhill Lower and Upper Primary children in the Helen Mathole Hall at Thornhill Primary School.  It has been a bit of an unnerving time because we have not had the hall to practice in for about a month due to school activities going on in there but we are not going to let that deter us, we are going to go in and have fun on Monday night and just relish the experience of being on a stage with lights, make up and all the other things that go with putting on a show.  Wish us luck!!!

On Tuesday we will be doing the same two shows with our Northside studios and our new studio children who come to Rewa (a composite class).  The excitement of getting our costumes ready and all of our props has become a reality now and we hope we are ready for the big day!!!  As they say - it will be alright on the night!!!

Oh and a further mention of our exciting holiday school in August.  These holidays we are doing something new and exciting - a little hint of things to be done in our holiday club are: - stage make up, creating props for plays, improvisations, drama games, talent show, dress up day!  So much more.  If you are home from the 26th - 30th August, please get down to Thornhill Primary School and join our holiday club, it will be so much more fun that just spending your hours at home doing nothing while Mum and Dad are at work.

Second Term 2013

You may ask yourself what happened to all the blogs in term one, I also ask myself that question, I think I got so carried away with too many things that I forgot my blogspot.  So, here goes, I solemnly swear to try and blog once a week.  There are so many things to tell you about so it is not for lack of information that I have not been here for so long!!!!

This term has been a whirlwind term and Helen O Grady in Botswana has decided to do their productions in second term because come term three there is just so much going on with everyone that we dont seem to get enough practice time in for the shows.

Saying this, it appears that everyone is busy all the time.  However, we are doing lessons right to the end of the term with our primary studios to ensure we get the very best out of our practice sessions.  Needless to say, we have had some great laughs, some good fun times and learnt some fantastic new songs and drama games.

We have welcomed a new teacher into the mix, Onx, who the children love and get on with already.  Onx is coming in to take over the upper primary classes and just generally help out with the teaching and travels to Cape Town over the August holidays to get his very essential training from the Masters in Cape Town!!!!  He has a degree in Drama and has been a real gem this term with the productions.