The Helen O’Grady Drama Academy is a unique organisation within the UK. It began in Australia in 1979 when Helen O’Grady, who had qualified as a drama teacher and was also an actress, started her own afterschool drama classes for children. She spotted a gap in the market and went on to fill it very successfully. She wanted to introduce children to the fun of acting, but also to give them a chance to develop emotionally and mentally at the same time.
The aims behind the Helen O’Grady Drama Academy are to give children the chance to develop a positive outlook and energy for life, as well as gaining enthusiasm and confidence to try new things. Acting classes such as these can have a serious positive impact on a child’s self-esteem, plus they can aid in learning verbal communication and good social etiquette and interaction.
Over 50,000 students at the Helen O’Grady Drama Academy each week in 26 different countries. The UK has over 15,000 weekly students, but the projection is that there will be 50,000 in the UK each week within just a few years.
Being able to give children confidence in themselves which can then be used in all other aspects of their lives is something that drama teachers at Helen O’Grady Drama Academy love.
