Crooked Mice - Children's Drama and Art Workshops



When and Where?

September to May each year, every Saturday from 10.00am - 12.00pm. There are some exceptions to this (Christmas and Easter holidays for example but parents are informed beforehand). All sessions take place in Riverbank, Main Street, Newbridge.

Advance booking is always necessary as places fill up quickly each year. We do not take any more than fifteen in each group.

Aims

Our focus is on developing the child's artistic expression, teaching him/her the mechanics of acting in a holistic approach grounded in performance. This means that we do not offer traditional Speech and Drama classes as there are plenty of quality services in the region which provide this. We offer Art & Craft workshops alongside the Drama workshops. Many of these workshops will focus on creating material for the theatre (see below), while others will introduce the participant to a range of art and craft work not usually on offer in school curricula. We realise that not all children and teenagers will wish to take both workshops so we have designed Crooked Mice to facilitate those who simply wish to avail of either one or the other programme. There will be a performance in the summer in Riverbank Arts Centre in Newbridge. This is usually a specially adapted classic (A Midsummer Night's Dream) or Celtic saga (Bricriu, the Poisoned Poet). In previous years these have been adapted by Nastasie Leddy and Yvonne O' Hara.

In addition, there is an exhibition of art and craft work also in the summer.

Content

1. Drama Workshops

Classes in improv, games, mime, voice, confidence-building, text-based ensemble and solo acting, culminating in a performance in the Riverbank Arts Centre.

The number of classess each year depends upon the number of children registered. Contact the company for specific information.

2. Art & Craft Workshops

Weekly classes in drawing, painting, paper making, origami, collâge, paper-marbling, papier maché sculpting, mask making, printing (wood-block, vegetable, etc), jewellery-making, costume making, prop making, shakers and drums, shaping and modeling, and basic set making. Participants will make a range of cards and masks.


Facilitators

Anna Swords is a director of Crooked House and has appeared in several productions to date. She trained with the late Deirdre O' Connell in the Focus Stanislavski Studio, Dublin. She teaches drama in primary schools in Newbridge.

Joanie Murphy has worked and traveled as an artist in Japan, Asia and Europe. She holds an NCVA Certificate in Art, Craft & Design as well as awards in Theatre Production. She has designed sets and props for Crooked House (notably for Handbag and Antigone). Currently Joanie is employed as a freelance community artist, specialising in batik and papermaking.