After School Programs
for students in Ages 6-12After School drama
Did you know that Drama Education can…
- Encourage better communication
- Build confidence
- Inspire creativity
- Encourage cooperation
- Help children make friends
At Carousel Players, we believe all children can benefit from drama education. We are excited to be bringing the benefits of drama to children in Grades 1-4 across Niagara through our After School Drama Program!
What is it?
A series of high-energy drama games and activities led by professional artist educators that inspire learners to develop empathy, work collaboratively, and gain confidence. Students will get to enter imaginary worlds and explore drama techniques like improvisation, story telling, embodiment of character, clowning, and more.
When is it?
The program runs after school for one hour once a week for 8 weeks.
Where is it?
This fall we will be running the program at out Arts Education Centre, located at Silver Spire Church in downtown St. Catharines (366 St. Paul Street) as well as other locations.
Can my child attend the program if it’s not at their school?
Absolutely! You can register your child for a program at any of the locations that are listed as open to outside students. Please be sure to check the program start times as different schools end their day at different times.
How can I bring this program to my child’s school?
We are always looking for schools who would like to host our After School Drama Program. Carousel Players will provide all the program materials and a trained arts educator for each class. All a school needs to provide is one room per age group with enough open floor space for 12-15 children to move around. It will be needed for 75 minutes after the final bell: 15 minutes for students to make their way to the class plus 1 hour for the lesson.
We ask that the room be dedicated to the program for all eight weeks to give the students a consistent destination. A classroom is not suitable for this program unless there is ample space to use the room without needing to move students’ desks.
Email our Education Coordinator to learn more about how you can bring the program to your school.
After School Drama Pilot Program
Carousel Players’ 2018/19 After School Drama Program Pilot was created through a Seed grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
Carousel Players’ After School Drama Program was conceived to fill the need for affordable, accessible arts education in the Niagara Region. The Niagara Region’s population includes 66,760 children under 14 and yet when program began, there were only eight private companies offering drama classes. Complicating the problem of access is the fact that the poverty rate for children in the Niagara Region is over 15%. In some municipalities, such as Niagara Falls and St. Catharines, the child poverty rate increases to over 20%. These statistics imply the cost of professionally-lead arts education programs is often higher than many families can afford.
A survey was conducted by Carousel Players to assess the local community’s perspective on arts education which found that 80% agreed there is a need for drama education in Niagara and more than 50% agreed that cost is the biggest barrier to accessing drama programs in the Niagara Region. Carousel Players’ After School Drama Program was created with these needs in mind.
Learn about the After School Drama Program Pilot: Read the full report here
