Welcome to Stagewise.ie, the website for Ireland’s Leading Performing Arts Camp. Stagewise is ideal for young people aged 12-18 who are interested in exploring the world of Performing Arts and developing their social skills. Held annually at the Kings Hospital School in Palmerstown, Stagewise provides an opportunity to develop a full range of performance skills including courses in:  Singing, Acting,  Mime,  Dance and  Comedy.

Since its launch in 1994, Stagewise has helped thousands of youths develop their confidence, creativity and communication skills all through the power of Performing Arts. Now firmly established, it has become an annual summer event with a stellar reputation as a performance focused, confidence building, well-organised and thoroughly enjoyable week.

During the course, each participant will get a taste of what it is like to train for a career in the Performing Arts, working with some of the industry’s top tutors from both Ireland and abroad. Work begins each day at 9:30am and continues with breaks for meals until 8:30pm. In the evenings, when not engaged in course activity, a supervised social programme is provided which includes a varied range of social, sports and leisure activities guaranteeing a fun and rewarding week for all.

If you have an interest in pursuing a career in the Performing Arts or if you wish to develop your social skills then this course is for you!

In 2012 two groups will be catered for as follows:

Stagewise One: July 1 – 6 ( 12 to 15 year olds )

Stagewise Two: July 8 – 13 ( 15 to 18 year olds )

Nicola O’Hara. Dance

Nicola has been teaching drama and dance for the last seven years both professionally and voluntary. She qualified with a BA Hons in Drama from Queens University Belfast in 2009 and has recently qualified as a Street Dance Facilitator. Nicola is currently a self-employed facilitator who has built up a good reputation amongst several leading companies in the North, most notably Fiona’s Academy of Drama and Dance and BEAM Creative Networks.

Her work as a dance tutor covers a wide spectrum of styles including Hip Hop, Street, Disco, Line, Salsa, Cha-cha, Jive, Contemporary and Musical Theatre. Nicola has worked with people of all abilities and ages ranging from 3 – 70 and has choreographed for theatre productions and at a competition level.

Her choreography credits include ‘High School Musical’ (MADS), ‘My Mother Said I Never Should’(QUB), ‘Alice The Musical’(FADD), ‘Blood Wedding’(QUB), ‘Back to the 80’s’(MADS), Mamma Mia (BEAM) and ‘Blood Brothers’(MADS).

The main aim of this course is to create a fun learning environment that encourages all the pupils to express themselves creatively. The students will acquire the knowledge and skills required of different styles of dance for both individual and group routines.

Rowan Tolley. Mime

Rowan Tolley is Yorkshire based and has been classed as one of Britain’s most original and imaginative white face mimes. Influenced by Chaplin, Keaton, Tati and Beckett and building on a training of Decroux technique he studied in Bournmouth, London and Paris, creating a style that has been described as “Classical with touch of the unexpected”. He combines touring his one-man show extensively throughout Britain and Europe with teaching, working in Film and Television, choreographic commissions and directing. Increasingly interested in the function of silence, he is a great believer in the element of risk for both performer and director.

Rowan will concentrate on Mime and Movement, working without words. In this course the students will explore the exciting possibilities of physical movement in creating compelling pieces of theatre.

David Scott. Acting / Comedy

David Scott is an Australian born actor, writer and director and acting teacher. He has worked extensively as a professional actor in both Australia and Ireland on television, Stage and film, appearing in such programs as “All Saints”, “Water Rats” and “Home and Away” in Australia, and “The Clinic”, “Fair City”, “Damage” and “The Tudors” since arriving in Ireland in 2004. David teaches at the Gaiety School of Acting, Backstage Academy of the Performing Arts and has taught many short courses for Drama and Theatre organisations across Ireland.

In 2006 he founded Company D Theatre, a theatre company and advanced training facility to assist trained actors in gaining production experience. Company D has produced five plays, “Tonight We Kill God”, “The Repeated Bombing of Philip Boucher-Hayes”, “The Celtic Spider” and “Luurrvv”, all written by David, and “The Intruder” by Maurice Maeterlinck.

David’s training method centres around the search for truth in character using the methods of Constantin Stanislavski coupled with his own methods of physical characterisation, vocal training and improvisation. Together, these ideas gel to create a technique that draws sustained, powerful and truthful performances from his students.

Robert Hyman. Musical Theatre

Robert has spent over twenty years training young people for a career in theatre and working with and encouraging some of the best professional actors in the industry.

He is also a Conductor, Composer and Arranger of note with over thirty scores to his credit. As exclusive composer to Image Musical Theatre Company he currently has his musical versions of The ‘Selfish Giant’, ‘The Little Princess’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’ touring the UK. He was also commissioned by the BBC to contribute songs to the most recent series of ‘Boogie Beebies’

As a conductor Robert has worked extensively with young people as Musical Director to the group ‘Theatretrain’. Venues include the Royal Albert Hall, the Sibelius Academy Finland, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and the majority of West End Theatres. Last year he made his debut at the O2 in London conducting a choir of 4,000 and repeats the experience this year with a choir of 6,000! As a Musical Director his many credits include: ‘The Big Life’ at the Apollo, Shaftesbury Avenue and ‘Come Dancing’, (written by and starring former Kinks front-man Ray Davies).

Since 1998 Robert has worked extensively as a composer and M.D. at Theatre Royal Stratford East and wrote the score and lyrics for this year’s pantomime ‘Aladdin’ as well as the 2007/8 Christmas show ‘Cinderella’ which was nominated for an Olivier award for Best Production in Affiliate Theatre.

Robert will provide singers and non-singers the opportunity to develop their full vocal potential with a structured and fun filled programme of work.

Fiona Thompson. Dance

Fiona has been working as a Dance and drama Tutor for six years. She graduated from Queens University Belfast in 2005 with a degree in Drama, and from BIFHE in 2004 with a HND in Performing Arts. She successfully runs her own Academy of Drama & Dance in Northern Ireland, which continues to expand regionally, and has choreographed many dance routines for performance and competition level, with groups ranging in age from 3-70! She has previously worked as a dance Tutor in South West College, where she taught various genres of dance including Jazz, Tap, Contemporary, Salsa, cha-cha, Medieval, Irish, Line, Musical Theatre, Street & Hip-Hop.

Her Choreography credits include Little Shop of Horrors, The Canterbury Tales, The Little Lion King and High School Musical. She also worked on and performed in The Man of Mode at The Lyric Theatre Belfast and 42nd Street in The Grand Opera House.

Fiona recently completed an accredited course in Street Dance and has also completed specialized courses through UCD with Smashing Times Theatre Company, The Lyric Drama Studio in Belfast and a master Class with Robert Hylton’s Urban Classicism Dance.

Participants will have the opportunity to learn and develop new skills associated with individual movement and group routine work in a fun but structured class.

Mike Casey. Acting / Comedy

Mike is an actor, director, workshop leader and teacher. He has taught acting and performance for many years, specializing in improvisation, comedy, farce and the commedia dell’arte tradition, as well as Shakespeare. For many years he taught at Bretton Hall on the BA Acting course teaching mask, comedy and directing.

He is a founder member, writer, director and actor with Plain Quakers Theatre Company. Their last production, On Human Folly, played at Edinburgh Fringe in 2008 and later toured throughout England, as well as playing in Ireland, France and the Netherlands. Their current production, The Chocolate Paradox, is about Cadburys and the credit crunch.

Mike has previously been a tutor for Stageworks at Gormanston, leading workshops on comedy and Shakespeare. He has directed and devised commedia dell’arte performances for the National Trust of England for open air events, and for Cumbria University; run commedia dell’arte workshops in Sligo and directed open air performances of Medieval Mystery Plays at Fountains Abbey, Yorkshire and in Wakefield.

Mike lives in West Yorkshire and is a keen supporter of Huddersfield Town Football Club.

At Stagewise, a perfect balance is struck between work and play. When not engaged in course activities, participant’s entertainment needs are well satisfied with a diverse and structured programme of fun-filled social & leisure activities. Some of these activities include:

Sports – Athletics, rugby, tennis, swimming, basketball, volleyball, soccer and badminton.

Social – Discos, movies, karaoke & quizzes.

Every year we encourage participants to bring along their own instruments (guitars etc) for the famous Stagewise impromptu sing-a-long sessions.

Stagewise is held at The King’s Hospital School in Dublin. The school was founded in 1669 and is one of Ireland’s oldest co-educational schools. Set in beautiful parkland adjacent to the city of Dublin, it provides a secure and spacious environment for residential courses such as Stagewise. The college itself is located in Palmerstown, adjacent to the N4 Dublin/Galway Road, just off the M50 Liffey Valley Roundabout.

The facilities (which are all made available to Stagewise participants) include an indoor heated swimming pool, an ultra modern sports hall & gym (incorporating a fully equipped computerised fitness centre) and a recently completed Performing Arts centre.

View Kings Hospital School in a larger map

Why Stagewise?

It’s well known that in today’s world academic qualifications alone are simply not enough to succeed and reach your full potential. At Stagewise, we know this better than anyone and that is why we have designed our courses to help equip your child with the necessary skills to ensure they reach their full potential, both personally and socially.

Unlike most other performing arts courses, Stagewise is fully residential, meaning your child benefits from a week long experience rather than just a few hours each day. We find this approach gives each child the best possible chance to fully immerse themselves in the course content and even make a few new friends along the way.

Whether your child has difficulty expressing themselves, suffers from low self esteem or is just a little shy, we’ve seen over the past 17 years that Stagewise really delivers remarkable results.

Supervision

Your children’s safety is our top priority. At Stagewise, all participants are supervised around the clock. A team of group leaders, working with tutors and course organisers look after the welfare and safety of all students. The team providing the supervision are skilled and experienced in this area. Each class group is assigned a leader by whom they are monitored on a regular basis throughout the day. In addition, accommodation areas are also monitored throughout the night.

Course Administrators

Stagewise has been designed and structured by a team experienced in the areas of Theatre, Arts Administration, Education and looking after young people.

Eamonn O’Donoghue

Eamonn is a former secondary school principal and co-founder of Stagewise. He is an experienced director with many stage productions to his credit. He has also directed for T.V. and Radio. His production of Patrick Galvin’s “Last Burning” represented Ireland at the World Theatre Festival in Monaco. In 1998 he established Acorn Theatre and recent productions include “Da”, “The Lonesome West”, “Moll” and “The Kings of the Kilburn Road”

He currently divides his time between freelance directing and school administration. He is also director of the Stageworks Annual Drama Summer School for adults in Gormanston. In 2005 he co-ordinated the Stagewise series at the Bank of Ireland Arts Centre, Dublin. In addition he has established Acorn Youth Theatre with whom he has devised a theatre in the round, production entitled “What’s the Story?”

Freda O’Donoghue

Freda has many years experience as an arts administrator. She is co-founder of Stagewise and is responsible for the organising and running of the course. She is also responsible for the organisation and running of the Annual Stageworks Drama Summer School Gormanston. She has much experience in the area of managing residential courses for young people, having done so with Eamonn for the past seventeen years. Freda also looks after the administration needs of the Ballinasloe-based Acorn Theatre Company.

Scroll down for a selection of pics from 2008 – 2011 (click to enlarge)

Check out a selection of vids from previous years:

The course fee is, as previous years – €360.

This covers the  cost of ALL Tuition, Supervision, Meals, Accommodation, Sports/ Leisure Facilities and organised Social Programme.

To book your place please send a fully completed application form along with a €150 booking deposit to: Freda O’Donoghue, Beechlawn, Ballinasloe, Co.Galway.

The remainder of the course fee is to be paid at registration on arrival.

Please note: Booking Deposits are non-refundable.

Click here to download application form.

(^ PDF Format) – Download PDF Reader Here

Checking In -

Stagewise One ( 12 – 15 yr olds )

Participants should be at The King’s Hospital School on Sunday, July 1st between 3pm – 4:30 pm

Stagewise Two ( 15 – 18 yr olds )

Participants should be at The King’s Hospital School on Sunday, July 8th between 3pm – 4:30 pm

Note: Classes commence after registration on both days.

Checking Out -

Stagewise One: Friday, July 6th at 3 pm

Stagewise Two: Friday, July 13th at 3 pm

The Final Performance.

At the end of each week there is ‘The Final Performance’ where the course participants get a chance to showcase their week’s work on Stagewise. Parents, family and friends are welcome to attend this performance in the King’s Hospital School.

The final performance on Stagewise One will take place on Friday the 6th from 2 – 3pm.

The final performance on Stagewise Two will take place on Friday the 13th from 2 – 3pm. 

Click to view the Stagewise forum (opens in new window)

Feel free to start new discussions and join in.

Have fun…

For bookings and general enquiries:

Call Freda on 086 875 0578 / 090 96 43338 or email stagewise@eircom.net

For media or other promotional opportunities:

Call Ronan on 087 6829729 or email stagewiseireland@gmail.com

Stagewise Ireland

Create your badge

Stagewise Irelandhttp://www.bebo.com/Stagewise2010

Here’s some tags you may find helpful while searching for Stagewise:
Stagewise
Stagewise 2010
Performing arts
Summer Camp
Drama camp
theatre camp
theatre school
stageschool
irish drama camp
acting course
youth drama
dublin performing arts course
stagewise summer course
personal development
acting
musical
comedy

Gormanston is Ireland’s leading Drama and Theatre Summer School for adults. Running successfully for many years now, Gormanston is famed within Ireland’s amateur drama world for delivering the skills to grow and develop more satisfying, rewarding drama and theatre performances to its participants.

Nestled away for a week in stunning Gormanston College, Gormanston explores and develops a diverse range of acting techniques with its attendees, where they will work with the highest calibre of tutors to extend and enhance their performance skills and capabilities. The course caters for all levels of experience, from complete newcomers to drama to the extremely experienced thespian.

With the perfect balance of work and play, the social calendar for the evenings are jam-packed with all sorts of activities to keep you entertained after a day “treading the boards”. From the availability a private golf course, sports/gym facilities, theatre and quiz nights, to simple pleasures such as musical & singing sessions, it is this mix of drama and sociability that has led to the famous ‘Gormanston atmosphere’, which people love and return to year after year. There is no doubt that Gormanston is truly a unique experience, which simply cannot be found anywhere else

Please visit www.gormanstondrama.ie for more informaiton.