Summer Term

Stage2 encourages academic and emotional intelligence in youth

Stage2 Youth Theatre has always had the aim of promoting individuality and instilling qualities such as ambition, passion and dedication in each of its members. Some schools, while sharing these aims, are lacking the time to achieve them; according to the All-Party Parliamentary Group’s Character and Resilience Manifesto, published 11th February 2014, “while teachers felt that building character should be a central aspect of their role, they did not see this as a core element of their school’s strategy.”  

"All too often the development of attributes associated with character and resilience - that is, the development of the pupil as a rounded individual - are neglected or, at best, given second billing," the report laments. At Stage2, however, developing character in young people is put at the forefront - and it works. “When your children’s friends are moving people to tears with their passion and creativity you know you are in the middle of something special,” one member’s parent praises.

Stage2 does, of course, understand the pressure put on schools to get pupils to pass exams, and endeavours to alleviate this pressure wherever possible. The Summer Term 2014, starting on 26^th April, will see dozens of young people performing in an adaptation of classic children’s writer Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons. This will prove to be an engaging way for these children to revise the curriculum of English Literature, allowing for intimate exploration of the text and characters, as well as providing an invaluable introduction to the writer and his style. It will also be useful for teaching Drama, giving experience of ensemble scenes and stagecraft. Additionally, Stage2 will be running a General Drama Workshop focussing on Performance Skills and a Skills Workshop exploring Poetry focussing on Kate Tempest’s The Teens’ Speech.

Stage2 will also be offering Work Experience and training in areas related to the arts such as Marketing, Fundraising and Mentoring. In this way, Stage2 is the perfect complement to school education; schools focus on academic achievement but sometimes fail to allow pupils to grow into well-rounded individuals, while Stage2 prioritises emotional intelligence and character building while fully supporting academic studies.

Stage2 runs on Saturdays at Millennium Point, Curzon Street, Birmingham B4 7XG. Booking for the Summer Term has already opened. More information can be found at www.stage2.org or on 07961 018841.