Dramatic News For Young Actors

Moorland’s youngsters with a taste for the stage are being offered the chance to get involved in a fantastic new project at Leek’s Foxlowe Arts Centre.

Starting in late February, the Foxlowe will play host to regular Saturday morning drama workshops for youngsters aged 7 to 16.

The workshops will be led by Katie White, a graudate of the prestigious Central School of Speech and Drama in London. After following her dream and gaining experience of the professional stage, she has returned to her home town of Leek as a teacher at a local school.

Aided by a team of other leaders, the workshops will run every Saturday morning throughout term time, with plans for performances, plays and even mini-musicals to be staged at the end of each term.

Katie, aged 23 and a former pupil of Leek’s Westwood High School, said she was delighted to have been asked to lead the workshops.

“Most young people enjoy being involved in drama because it is great fun to be able to pretend to be someone else for a while”, she said, “But it is also a great educational tool that helps build confidence and bring out peoples natural abilities ”

The workshops will run in two sessions each Saturday, the first for 7-10 year olds and the second for 11-16 year olds. Activities on offer will include acting, singing and mevement and dance, together with sessions on stagecraft, props and scenery making and, later for the seniors, lighting and sound.

Peter Kent-Baguley, a trustee of the Foxlowe Arts Centre said, “Leek has needed something like this for a long time. We are very excited that it is going to happen at the Foxlowe and that the workshops will be led by someone with Katie’s exceptional skills and talent”.

Fred Jeffries, the Foxlowe’s Performing Arts Co-ordinator added, “This is a wonderful opportunity for Leek’s young people to get involved in something that will not only provide them with an interesting and entertaining activity on a Saturday morning, but will boost their skills and confidence for the future”.

Classes will be £39 per six/seven week block / half term