| |
Victoria Fradgley Actress, Director, and Playwright, tutors the adult theatre company .
Jenna Harris, Jazz Singer, & experienced tutor teaches children’s singing class.
Niamh O’Connor, Singer and experienced teacher tutors the adult singing classes.
Mark Rogers, Dancer & Choreographer is our dance tutor and Choreographer.
We have many guest tutors at the Academy, experts in their field, who Facilitate specialist workshops during the year.
Irish Academy of Dramatic Arts, aims to emphasize the creative and self-development side of Drama and the Performing Arts. Workshops are kept small to ensure individual attention. Facilitators are very experienced working professionals and take great interest in their student’s progress. Students are names not numbers!
We encourage our students to strive for professionalism in their approach no matter what their age or ambitions, as these are attributes that will serve them well in life. So commitment, time-keeping and respect for other members of the group are expected from all our students.
All Facilitators employed by the Academy are very experienced working professionals to bring our students the most up to date and stimulating courses available in Ireland.
JOY FORSYTHE
Following several years working in the Theatre in Dublin initially as a Stage Manager and then as an Actress I now work as a full-time Facilitator, Director and run Irish Academy of Dramatic Arts. I spent three years with the Abbey Theatre Company and also appeared in the Gate, Olympia. Andrews Lane, Gaiety, Project, etc. With Honor Heffernan I co-wrote, produced and acted in “Jack Saves Christmas”, and “Charlotta’s Choice”, both shows enjoyed very successful productions with, Jack Saves Christmas being televised by Coco T.V. and broadcast on Christmas Day.
I first started teaching/facilitating Drama Workshops in 1988. Initially I worked as a substitute teacher in the Leinster School of Music and Drama, where I received my Licentiate. This was followed by two years teaching Acting Students at the Adam Acting Academy. At this time I was also running Dun Laoghaire Drama Workshop, and becoming more and more drawn to the idea of teaching full time.
Teaching is a very special privilege and I learn every day from my students. Whilst there is a great thrill in discovering new raw talent, it is equally wonderful to watch a student of any age grow in self confidence. For some students standing up in front of other people is excruciating, so it is amazing how the medium of Drama and the Performing Arts can give them the opportunity to overcome this and express themselves creatively. What I love about teaching is you can never predict what is going to happen in a workshop situation especially when students are improvising, but there is frequent laughter, often a moving moment, always excitement, and above all fun.
Sometimes students are amazed how hard they must work to put together a Performance worthy of an audience, but there is also a wonderful sense of achievement that they have done it. The ‘buzz’ of putting on a show is very contagious, and the experience is something that stays with you and enriches your life. One of the best things about drama is that it’s never too late to start. In fact the more life experience you bring to it the more interesting your performance can potentially be! So I’d say to students don’t think “I wouldn’t have the nerve”, or “I wouldn’t have the talent”, because I’ve yet to come across a person who didn’t have creativity waiting to be expressed, all it needs is the opportunity, and the willingness to give it your best shot.
|
|
