Letting Kids Learn The Art Of Laughter

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At performing arts school Yourspace

Innovative performing arts school Yourspace drama is offering a new Saturday course "Make 'em laugh". Join in and let your youngsters find their funny bones.

Laughter is one of the most powerful reactions human beings have, it can express happiness and surprise, it reduces pain or stress, it's an aid to communication and most of all it's just plain fun. And making other people laugh can be just as enjoyable, especially for children.

So the theme of Yourspace Saturdays next 10-week summer-term course for 6-10s and 11s-16s is "Make 'em laugh". Whether your child chooses an hour of dance or an hour of drama, or both, they'll find out how laughter fits into great performances and get plenty of opportunity to explore their own "inner smile".

With all the pressures on children these days, it's just great to help them let off steam in a really helpful way. And that is exactly what the Yourspace drama performing arts courses are all about. Whether it's creating an original work in four days in the Yourspace project at Easter or taking part in one of the 5-day summer courses (half days for 3-5s) all the children are encouraged to express their ideas and emotions in order to produce a tremendous entertainment for friends and family. And there's nothing better than children feeling good about themselves.

All Yourspace courses are packed with music and movement as well as learning the self-discipline needed for stagecraft and putting on a production. But that's easy when you are enjoying yourself, so whether your child is a bouncy bubbler or a quiet thinker there will be something worthwhile for them to contribute. And maybe they'll discover new life-time interest. As one parent told us after a Yourspace holiday course: "This has encouraged my daughter to do drama for GCSE, and she wants to do the course again next year."

Yourspace Saturdays were introduced last September and the two-hour sessions on Saturday mornings bridge the gaps between the holiday courses. Each term introduces a new theme and develops it over 10 weeks. It doesn't matter if you have lots of experience or none. Enthusiasm is all that's needed to have a really great time. And this term is the chance for your kids to be as funny as they like!

Not everyone is a natural clown, of course, but there's far more to making people laugh than larking around. And course director Faith Murphy, who trained at Lamda and teaches drama at St Augustine's Priory, Ealing, where Yourspace is located, knows the secrets. "It's also about timing, and surprise, whether using words, sounds or movements. And it's about creating a happy atmosphere where the audience feel able to share their laughter. And it's about finding the fun in ourselves. Sadly we can lose our instinct for this as we get older but it comes far more naturally to children. So I'm really looking forward to this summer-term course."

Course location: St Augustine's Priory, Hillcrest Road, Ealing W5 2JL

Yourspace Saturdays "Make 'em laugh" April 25 - July 4
Drama and/or dance for 6-10s and 11-16s £105 per term for 1-hour drama or dance; £195 for 2 hours drama and dance. No classes May 30.

Yourspace project March 30-April 2
4 days 9am-5pm for 6-16s and 9am-1pm for 3-5s. £160 (£110 for 3-5s)

Yourspace summer August 10-14
5 days 9am-5pm for 6-10s and 11-16s and 9am-1pm for 3-5s. £190 (£135 for 3-5s)

Full details www.yourspacedrama.com tel 07580 474638

You're having a laugh...did you know...

• Children who laugh at cartoon shows before a painful procedure experience less discomfort according to research at the University of California.

• The presence of a clown reduces children's anxiety when having a general anaesthetic say separate groups of researchers in Italy and Portugal.

• The Australian Family Physician magazine has reported laughter has a role in stress hormone reduction, improving mood, enhancing creativity, pain reduction, improving immunity and reducing blood pressure.

• Even pretending to laugh can be good for you physically and emotionally according to the laughter research network in Spain!

HURRY! To book in, just call 07580474638 or email info@yourspacedrama.com.

 www.yourspacedrama.com

 

 

 

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May 5, 2015