Program Information
The Helen O’Grady Drama Academy started here in Perth in 1979, and last year, we celebrate 40 years of classes! We now have branches in many countries around the world, so thousands of children worldwide are benefiting from our acclaimed program. Our aim is to give children ongoing confidence, self-esteem and skill in verbal communication through dynamic, fun-filled classes.
2024 Term Dates
TERM 1: Monday 29 January – Thursday 28 March
TERM 2: Monday 15 April – Saturday 29 June
TERM 3: Monday 15 July – Saturday 21 September
TERM 4: Monday 7 October – Saturday 14 December
What to bring to class
• Generally, students are not required to bring much to class, other than lots of energy.
• We recommend that students wear comfortable clothing to enable them to move freely during activities
• Footwear should be rubber-soled, however, in most halls, shoes and socks can be removed on arrival.
• Bring a labelled drink bottle (water only please), as each lesson involves a lot of language and talking!
• We occasionally include “dress-up” (optional) lessons in each term and an information page will be provided.
• We keep these simple and make sure that they are easy to provide from home!
Class Structure
Our specially written curriculum and specialist teacher training ensures our students have a balanced, fun-filled lesson every week. A child can join the Academy at three years of age and stay until they are 18 without ever repeating a lesson.
Age groups cover:
Kindy Drama: 3 – 5 yrs
Lower Primary: 5 – 8 yrs
Upper Primary: 9 – 12 yrs
Youth Theatre: 12 years plus
Kindy Drama – 3 – 5 yrs
A well as language development, our Kindy Drama program also helps to develop important life skills for preschoolers
taking turns
sharing
listening
following instructions
sequencing & memory skills
vocalising emotions
Pre-schoolers and their parents love the drama program and find it is a wonderful introduction to drama!
Lower Primary: 5 to 8 yrs & Upper Primary 9 – 12 yrs
Primary students are involved in a series of fun-filled learning drama activities which aim to develop ongoing confidence, self-esteem and skill in verbal communication. Our developmental Primary programs provides children with unique opportunities to develop clear speech, fluent delivery and social skills.
Our highly-trained teachers motivate and inspire the students in their care to become articulate communicators through enthusiastic participation in a wide range of creative activities including:
speech
movement
improvisation
dialogue work
drama games
annual productions
The contribution of each child is encouraged and valued in a warm, positive, learning environment.
Youth Theatre – 12 Years Plus
Our dynamic Youth Theatre Program attracts a wide range of young people, from those seeking to increase their confidence and speaking ability, to those hoping to pursue a career in theatre and media. Our Youth Theatre arts program provides young actors with a great diversity of material.
The developmental side of the program is still important, encouraging our students to become confident, articulate communicators. However, the theatre arts side of the Youth program is very comprehensive, covering:
improvisation
voice production
script work
character analysis
dialogue creation
theatre games
annual productions
Regardless of age, the main aim of our program is to build confidence, self-esteem and skill in verbal communication. All this is achieved through the unique, diverse curriculum we teach each week.
Payment Methods – Enrolment 2024
We follow the school term system, of four terms per year.
Term fees per 10 week term (all inclusive) with sibling discounts are:
1 child $205
2 children $390
3 children $575
Pro-rata rates are available for part-term enrolment and fees may vary depending on the length of the school term.
All fees must be paid, in full, before your child’s first class. Deposits & fees are paid by Internet transfer.
Credit card payments can be made only by phoning our branch offices. Please check with your branch Principal (see contacts page) for bank details.
Ongoing Benefits
Since 1979, our extensive, original curriculum has been developed and fine-tuned, along with our highly successful teaching methodology. It is now possible for children to enrol with the Academy and attend classes for 15 years without ever repeating a lesson!
We recommend that parents keep their children in classes for many years, so that they can receive the accumulative benefits of our excellent self-development program.
