20 years On In BLOEMFONTEIN and Drama Keeps Changing Lives!
Drama classes WILL change your life. The Helen O’Grady Drama Academy is celebrating is 20th year in South Africa and nearly 40 years of operation worldwide this year. We have been asking past students who have achieved success from the Academy over the year to explain how doing drama has changed their lives. Elri Steenkamp attended the Helen O’Grady Drama Academy in Bloemfontein under the directorship of Sonja Krohn, the Principal. Elri has a Master’s Degree in Journalism and Media Studies from Rhodes University.
She says: "I was a part of the Helen O' Grady Drama Academy for most of my adolescent life. When I was much younger, I was quite shy and struggled to communicate properly with my peers. Helen O’Grady helped to build my confidence and taught me to speak up and embrace who I am. In High School I moved to a new Helen O’Grady class that was filled with a number of my friends from my school. I can honestly say those were some of my favourite memories from High School. My involvement in the Academy even encouraged me to study Dramatic Arts at university which I eventually majored in.
"It offers you the opportunity to step out of your comfort zone and have fun while learning. Often the scenes we worked with had real life implications. We even got to put in our own idea for the construction of a script during one of my final Youth Theatre years.
"I think that more people should join the Helen O’Grady Drama Academy because it is beneficial for some many different reasons. It encourages a love for the arts while at the same time bringing together groups of people with similar interests. It is great for confidence building and general just a fun time.”
The Helen O’Grady Drama Academy has, for many years, giving confidence to children so the can communicate and speak with confidence. Social skills plays a huge part in the Academy’s programme and as, Elri, says, there are many opportunities for children to tackle real life situations so that we are able to deal with whatever life throws at us with ease.
For more information about our programme, to find out the huge benefits for yourself, head to our website, www.dramaafrica.com
