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Drama classes teach many skills for life! Drama is an important tool in a child’s development, building their confidence and self esteem. Developing a child’s creativity through improvisation helps them to act on their feet and solve problems.

At Jigsaw, students aged 7 – 18 take part in an hour of drama as part of their 3 hour performing arts session. The younger students aged 3 – 6 years do a more basic drama session for 30 minutes of their one and a half hour session. Watch our video to see inside a typical Jigsaw drama class:

Six ways drama classes can help benefit children’s development:

  • Through drama games, children improve their concentration and listening skills.
  • Drama helps to develop language & communication skills.
  • Working in groups on improvisation encourages children to co-operate and work as a team.
  • Many themes are introduced in drama which help the children to understand the world around them.
  • Drama develops emotional intelligence through scene work and improvisation in a safe environment.
  • Working together as a team, sharing ideas and stories, develops and nurtures friendships.

What happens in a Jigsaw drama class?

For 7 – 18 year-old students, each class starts with a warm up. The teacher will assess the needs of the group and choose a physical, vocal, energising or focusing warm up, to get the group ready to work as a team on the task ahead.

The main body of the lesson will be focusing on a drama skill or technique through a particular genre or theme.

The following techniques and skills are taught to the students throughout their time at Jigsaw:

  • Improvisation – planned/spontaneous
  • Voice
  • Narration
  • Choral work
  • Character
  • Comedy
  • Mime
  • Freeze Frame
  • Role-play
  • Devising
  • Intention
  • Text
  • Creating atmosphere
  • Monologues
  • Duologues
  • Asides
  • Physical Theatre
  • Slapstick
  • Hot seating
  • Poetry
  • Mask work
  • Sound collage
  • And more…

We choose different themes and genres to suit the interests of the group and ensure the sessions are engaging. Here are some of them:

  • Musical
  • Documentary
  • Comedy
  • Panto
  • Horror
  • Melodrama
  • Farce
  • Tragedy
  • Variety
  • Naturalism
  • Physical Theatre

The 3 – 6 year-old students participate in guided improvisations. The teacher will take the students on a journey to outer space, the jungle, the seaside and many other weird and wonderful locations. The students are encouraged to share their ideas and contribute to the story.

The students will also perform poems and scripts appropriate to their age.

Read more about dance classes and singing classes at Jigsaw, or find a Jigsaw school near you below.

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