01 Sep Why are we Brisbane’s kindest drama school?
Since our school began in 2011, kindness has been at our foundation.
While we are teaching our students to develop their performance and communication skills, we are just as importantly helping to shape them into confident, empathetic and open minded individuals. There’s a reason so many of our kids stay with us all the way from prep to year 12!
When Miss Cathy started Speak Up, it was with a vision to build a creative space with individualised education for kids of all different backgrounds and styles of learning, whether they are still finding their voice and need a gentle hand, or are full of energy and looking to shine in the spotlight. There are plenty of reasons we boast the title of Brisbane’s kindest school, but here are just a few we are proud of.
Our professional and nurturing teaching staff
As many of our families know, Speak Up teachers go above and beyond for their students. With a dedicated, personal approach, they become a support system in their student’s lives. Our teacher’s know when they have an exam coming up, where they are going for the school holidays, even what funny video they have seen on TikTok that day. Knowing the intricate details of our student’s lives has a momentous impact on their development, as they have someone to trust, confide in, seek advice and share their fears or anxieties. These breakthroughs help build a relationship that helps kids open up in class and sticks with them for years as they grow with that teacher.
While we want our students to try their best and build on their confidence, our teachers understand the fine line between encouragement and pushing too hard. If we have a child that is a little shy and apprehensive about getting on stage, we will help to give them the tools to confront their fears. Worried the crowd will laugh? Find your parents in the crowd and pretend they are the only ones in the room. What if I forget my lines? Practise regularly in front of a mirror, it will start to become a second habit. We will never force a student to go on stage. We have often found that shy kids who don’t want to perform in their first year will want to join their friends on stage by the second.
Creating positive experiences through performance, communication and text
Creating positive experiences with drama and speech is essential for our students to engage and learn. Our Imagination Curriculum is created specifically with the kids’ interests in mind. Everything we do, from our core classes to our school holiday programs, are designed with the consideration of each student. If there is a popular show on Netflix you want to study a scene from, we can work it into class. We also explore text that showcases insightful and meaningful perspectives, giving voice to stories that help expand our student’s understanding of the world.
Our studios have been designed to create a positive visual environment, rainbows and glitter and all. Students have space to work quietly or spread out and perform a scene. Even our costume department provides a special experience for kids as they are able to bring their imagination to life, transforming into character. Anything from a Shakespearean maidan to a literal star, our fabulous costume designer is even able to bring their fantasies to life with her sewing machine.
The pinnacle of our curriculum is our performances. It’s the accumulation of all the hard work put in through the year and is their opportunity to share it with family and friends. And we love nothing more than the rush of joy, excitement and confidence our students feel when they are up on stage.
Teaching and acting with empathy
We don’t just act with kindness, we teach to be kind. We understand that it’s challenging growing up and navigating through a variety of different emotions. In class, we are able to identify these feelings that kids struggle to articulate, helping to establish shared understanding. It’s hard to believe, but many people are going through the same problems as you. By examining fictional characters, identifying motifies, understanding intentions and observing different cultures, drama helps to open up our students’ minds and perspectives.
Understanding things from someone else’s point of view is the first step to helping create a world of more considerate humans.