Kids Acting Classes
Open to primary-aged students, these kids classes will focus on developing your child’s awareness of self and, by stepping into the shoes of exciting and bold characters, an awareness of the other.
After-School and Weekend Program
Open to primary-aged students, these kids classes – offered after school and on weekends – will focus on developing your child’s awareness of self and, by stepping into the shoes of exciting and bold characters, an awareness of the other. This is done through creating a learning environment that is supportive, inclusive, free-from-judgement and most importantly, fun.
Not only do all of the classes here at PAC encourage students to be brave and let loose. We value, just as highly, the development of key acting skills including:
- The ability to improvise and think on your toes.
- The ability to collaborate with peers.
- The ability to understand and analyse text including scripts.
- The ability to use expressive skills, including voice and body, to convey character and communicate ideas.
- The ability to utilise stagecraft to enhance a performance.
- The ability to perform in front of an audience with confidence.
- The ability to evaluate and self-reflect.
A typical 10-week term at PAC will cover one or more of the following elements:
Physical and vocal warm-up activities
Every class will begin with a physical and vocal warm-up to get students energised and prepared for the lesson. They’ll move and stretch and wake up their bodies. There may also meditate and learn how to calm their breathing and develop deep awareness of their five senses.
Ensemble-building exercises
One of the fundamental aspects of any of PAC’s acting classes is ensemble-building. Through fun group activities and games, which may also draw on their literacy and numeracy skills, students will develop a real sense of camaraderie and belonging with their classmates. The activities will build trust, support and strengthen a student’s peer interaction skills.
Improvisation
One of the most fun aspects of any of PAC’s acting lessons is improvisation. Through fast and spontaneous games, students will be forced to think on their feet, be wild with their imaginations and work as a team to create meaning and intrigue within a scene. Improvisation exercises will get students out of their head and loose in their bodies.
Storytelling
Through a range of practical exercises, improvisation and play, students will learn to create stories with their voices and bodies and in doing so, will explore different world and characters. They will draw on their already vivid imaginations and own experiences to access entry into storytelling and will have the chance to share and perform these to their peers.
Monologue/Scene work
Students will work with scripts and learn how to bring words to life. For the lower primary kids, scripts may be only a few lines with longer scripts given to the upper primary kids. They will learn how to remember lines off by heart, rehearse with a partner, and perform these scripts to their fellow peers.
Theatre making
Students will be introduced to different performance styles of theatre including mime, Commedia dell’Arte, and Elizabethan theatre. They will work space and props, and learn how to create exciting and complex characters through their facial expressions and body gestures.
Performing to camera
Upper primary kids will introduced to camera acting. They will learn how to read and understand a script, their character’s journey with it, along with their character’s relationship to the other person in the scene. They will then learn how to perform these scenes in front of a camera.
Drawing/writing exercises
Particularly with the lower primary students, drawing and expression of characters, worlds, internal feelings and emotions through art can often be a great way to stimulate their imagination, giving a great entry point into role-play and acting. It is also an effective way to calm and relax their busy and energetic minds. Writing of scripts, dialogue, and free thought is done to aid with literacy.
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Benefits of Acting
Develops Emotional Intelligence
A PAC acting class teaches awareness of emotion, identifying positive and negative feelings, reacting to criticism, winning humbly and losing gracefully.
Improves Social Interaction
A PAC acting class teaches communication, listening, sharing, empathy, cooperation, teamwork, and vulnerability.
Improves Cognitive Function
A PAC acting class develops memory, thinking on your toes, analysing texts for deeper meaning, literacy and numeracy through select activities.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are your classes organised?
We organise our Kids and Teens classes into the following groupings:
Years K-2, Years 3-6, Years 7-9 and Years 10-12.
Note: ‘Years’ does not indicate age but rather their grade at school.
You can enrol your child into either a weekday/weeknight or weekend session.
My child is mature for their age. Can they be enrolled in the Grade above?
We strongly encourage your child to enrol in their school grade level.
Should we find that your child is exceeding the expectations of the teacher and is clearly showing signs of advanced acting ability, then we will talk with you about moving them up a grade level.
My child has no acting experience. Are term classes suitable for them?
Absolutely. PAC welcomes students from all acting backgrounds; from those who have never acted before to those who are signed to agencies.
Our passionate and observant teachers ensure that every lesson caters to the needs of each individual student and closely monitors each student’s progress to make sure that they feel comfortable but also challenged.
Do you offer weekend classes?
Yes! PAC is proud to offer weekend classes. Visit the upcoming course schedule below to learn more.
Do you offer free trial classes?
We do not offer a free trial class as such as we feel it can distract the flow of learning for existing students.
What we do offer however is an invitation to prospective parents and their children to attend the last class of term. This will give them the opportunity to see, first-hand, the class in action.
PAC is also proud to offer a 100% money-back guarantee on all classes. Should your child not enjoy the first lesson of a term (we’re pretty confident they will though!), then we will happily refund the full amount of the course.
I want to enrol more than one child. Do you offer a sibling discount?
Yes. PAC is proud to offer a 10% discount to the sibling of a full-paying student.
Does PAC offer payment plans?
PAC's policy is that full payment is to be made before the commencement of a course. We are happy, however, to discuss a payment plan with families who might be experiencing temporary financial hardship.
Can I redeem my Creative Kids voucher at PAC?
Yes! PAC is a proud service provider of the NSW Government's Creative Kids voucher. This will give a parent $100 off the course fee. This is for use once a year for one child. For more information on how to redeem this voucher, visit the Service NSW website.
What should my child wear to class?
We encourage all students to wear loose and comfortable clothing to all lessons so as to free their ability to move and explore.
If your child does not have time to get changed from their school uniform for an after-school class, then we suggest the girls wear tights or leggings under their school dresses so as to not inhibit movement.
My child is running late to a class. What should I do?
In the event of running late to a class, please call the centre on 1300 828 144 and inform management. Alternatively, send an email to info@parramattaactorscentre.com.au.
My child can’t make their allocated session. Can they make up their missed class in another session?
On the rare occasion that your child cannot make class one week, they can attend one of the other timeslots allocated for their age group (should there be another timeslot scheduled).
Can my child start your classes in the middle of a term?
In order to get the most out of the course, students are strongly encouraged to attend all 10 classes scheduled for the term.
For this reason, we do not take enrolments after the commencement of the first lesson.
Am I allowed into the studio with my child during a class?
Sometimes, having people in the room with them can make a child feel self-conscious. For this reason, we kindly ask that no parent or guardian be in the room with the teacher and students during a class. The exception is during the end of term open performance where parents and friends are invited to watch and support the students.
Do your teachers have Working With Children checks?
Absolutely. Your child's safety is our number one priority which is why we ensure that all of our teachers not only have WWC checks but that they have a combination of arts and education experience.
Can my child bring food and drink into the studio?
No. The only drink allowed into the studio is water.
Where do you run the acting classes?
Our classes are run out of the Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE) in Parramatta.
The address is 8 Victoria Road, Parramatta. Corner of Victoria Road and Villiers Street.
If you're driving:
We recommend parking in the carpark of North Parramatta McDonalds next door and walking over.
If you're catching public transport:
ICE is a 15-20 minute walk from Parramatta train station. Walk all the way down Church Street until you hit Prince Alfred Park. Cross diagonally through the park and ICE will be on the corner across Victoria Road.
On the rare occasion that a class will be held elsewhere, parents will be notified in advance.
Will my child receive a certificate at the end of the term?
A student will receive a Certificate of Participation at the end of Term 2 and again at the end of Term 4.
This is our way of congratulating those students who have stuck with us over two or more terms, and invested time and energy into developing their acting skills.
What are your 2019 term dates?
Our Term classes run in line with school terms.
The Term dates for 2019 are as follows:
Term 1: 29 January - 12 April
Term 2: 29 April - 5 July
Term 3: 22 July - 27 September
Term 4: 14 October - 20 December
My child wants to turn acting into a career. Do you offer any industry advice?
Of course. Our co-founder, Nisrine Amine, is both an educator and working actor giving her plenty of insight into the acting industry.
Feel free to organise a meeting with her to chat about your child's needs.
Her email is nisrine@parramattaactorscentre.com.au.
Is PAC affiliated with any acting agencies?
Although PAC can suggest names of Sydney Acting Agencies to keen students, they are not affiliated with any of them.
Any advice or recommendations given by the team at PAC regarding acting agencies are personal opinions of the team members themselves.
While staff at PAC may pass on audition notices to actors, they in no way receive payment (monetary or otherwise) for doing so.
