Art academy set to expand after only 10 months (From Echo)

Art academy set to expand after only 10 months

12:00pm Tuesday 30th October 2012 in News By Jacqueline McMillan

CREATIVITY in Castle Point appears to be at an all time high as a popular new art academy is expanding less than a year since launching.

The King John School, in Shipwrights Drive, Thundersley started the academy in January, offering a new range of street dance classes, drama classes and adult watercolour classes with the chance to study for nationally-recognised qualifications.

Now, after only 10 months, the arts school is growing after proving popular with local residents young and old.

The school is now offering three different levels of examinations in drama – junior, intermediate and advanced - for pupils aged 11 to 18, and is looking to start drama classes for adults.

From January next year the academy will also be offering classes in foundation digital photography and a new range of dance courses including salsa, jazz, contemporary, pas de deux (ballet for two), tap and bollywood.

Margaret Wilson, head teacher, said: “Not only are we seeing more students and adults in the community registering for the courses we offer but we are now expanding from January 2013 to include digital photography.

"Since the arts academy was established less than a year ago the numbers have increased dramatically which is testament to the hard work and committed team of staff.”

This comes after the school celebrated getting a 100 per cent pass rate in their first series of drama examinations.

All of its 24 drama students passed their examinations, with 14 pupils going above and beyond getting merits and seven getting the highest grade distinction.

Mrs Wilson added: “It has been wonderful to see so many students achieving such high grades in the first LAMDA exams to be taken at our newly established academy. We hope this success will continue.”

All of the classes are supervised by a qualified teacher, and pupils will be able to sample some of the school’s latest facilities, including the new lighting and sound booth in the drama studio, and a dance studio with recently-implemented mirrored walls.