Helen O'Grady Drama Academy - Africa

Teachers or Principal position to run international drama school in Accra, Ghana

2011-10-18T07:58:00.000-07:00

The Helen O'Grady Drama Academy is looking for suitable teachers or performance arts graduates or actors to run its international Drama School in Accra, Ghana. Candidates must have a tertiary qualification and live in Accra. This is for the purchase of the franchise for Accra. Further opportunities may exist for a suitable candidate who wishes to take the Helen O'Grady Drama Academy further.

Please see our website www.dramafrica.com or email the African Head Office on info@dramafrica.com or telephone +27 21 6747478 for further opportunities.

Helen O'grady Drama Academy seeks franchisees and teachers throughout Africa.

2011-05-25T01:30:00.000-07:00

The world famous drama school, the Helen O'Grady Drama Academy, is seeking teachers and franchisees for its international African network. Already in operation in Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria, Kenya, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, Egypt, Malawi and South Africa.

If you think that you have the necessary qualifications to run one of our franchise drama schools, please contact our African Head Office by going to our website www.dramaafrica.com


	Here are some of the countries we either run or wish to run our programme: Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Canary Islands Cape Verde Central African Republic Ceuta Chad Comoros Côte d'Ivoire Democratic Republic of the Congo Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Madeira Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Melilla Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Republic of the Congo Réunion Rwanda Saint Helena São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Western Sahara Zambia Zimbabwe

Helen O'Grady Drama Academy Franchisee of the Year Award goes to Marianne Terblanche from Lagos Islands, Nigeria

2011-01-14T11:05:00.000-08:00

Marianne Terblanche is seen with African Director, Duncan Rice and South African Director, Vicky Stroud

The African network of the Helen O'Grady Drama Academy is pleased to announce the 2010 Franchisee of the Year is Marianne Terblanche. Marianne runs the Lagos Islands branch of the Helen O'Grady Drama Academy and within a year, was one of the fastest growing franchisees on our international network, developing a drama school in Nigeria with over 500 students. We are proud of her excellent achievements and her exceptional Academy, which reflects her vibrancy and tenacity.

Students from the Helen O'Grady Drama Academy in South Nairobi, Kenya arrive for the Cape Town holiday programme

2010-12-18T09:06:00.000-08:00

Under the direction of Harun Wakhungu, the students from the Helen O'Grady Drama Academy in Nairobi, Kenya attended the Cape Town Academy's Holiday programme, which produces a musical in a week. These students were fantastic and performed with great gusto in the final performances.

Nigeria Helen O'Grady Drama Academy arrives in Cape Town for Holiday Stage School

2010-12-14T04:54:00.000-08:00

A contingent from our Academy in Lagos, Nigeria arrived today to participate in the famous 'Perform a Musical in a Week' programme developed by the Helen O'Grady Drama Academy. This year the children will be performing 'The Mikado' in a week at the Theatre in the Distric in Cape Town. The Holiday stage, as with the Academy classes, operates at the Atheneaum in Newlands.

Helen O'Grady Drama Academy - Ghana: Helen O'Grady Drama Academy starts in Ghana

2010-09-08T06:50:00.000-07:00

Helen O'Grady Drama Academy - Ghana: Helen O'Grady Drama Academy starts in Ghana: "Helen O'Grady Drama Academy is very excited to bring this International Program to Ghana."

Helen O'Grady Zambia in full dramatic swing

2010-08-31T09:59:00.001-07:00

The Helen O'Grady Drama Academy www.dramaafrica.com and Aardvark Casting www.aardvarkcasting.com have already achieve great things in Lusaka and have become one of the premiere performance arts organisations in Zambia under the direction of Janet Irwin and Carlyn Irwin. Recently Africa Director, Duncan Rice, trained teachers and franchisees, in Lusaka and he was amazed at the high standards of teaching and the huge developments that the Academy has made since the start of the year. Many of Zambia's schools want this highly educational programme as their in-school and after school programme and recently the Academy has been besieged with requests to offer the world famous programme in the schools throughout Zambia. The Academy would also like to thank Proflight, Zambia's premiere airline for their hospitality in Zambia. Proflight is definitely the airline to fly and see Zambia's beauty.

Here you can see Zambian children, principals and teachers in action with the amazingly talented students of Lusaka.

International Drama Academy begins in Ghana in September

2010-08-22T22:11:00.000-07:00

In an exciting move, the Helen O'Grady Drama Academy will start its internationally acclaimed drama classes in Ghana in September. A select number of children were trained in Accra last week and a curtain-raiser to the fantastic show which is about to start in this great country.

The Stage is set is Ghana for the world's largest drama school

2010-08-20T10:11:00.000-07:00

The Helen O'Grady Drama Academy is off with a very strong start in Ghana. Principals, teachers and children were trained during an intensive week and the Academy has now opened its doors to the young people of this wonderful country. The Academy's international programme will help young Ghanaians to become confident speakers and excellent performers, using an ongoing an progressive syllabus. Based in Accra, the Academy aims to spread through Ghana and reach all children with these essential skills to enable Ghana to compete on the world's stage.

Helen O'Grady Drama Academy - Western Cape, South Africa: Cape Town Academy goes to Ghana to train Helen O'G...

2010-08-19T12:38:00.000-07:00

Helen O'Grady Drama Academy - Western Cape, South Africa: Cape Town Academy goes to Ghana to train Helen O'G...: "Principal of the Helen O'Grady Drama Academy in Cape Town, Duncan Rice, trained principals, teachers and youth theatre students in the Acade..."

Two boys from the Helen O'Grady Drama Academy in Africa act with the world's leading stars

2010-07-30T10:46:00.000-07:00

Two Cape Town boys, Khathu Khangala and Hishaam Ryklief, both 12 years old, who attend the Helen O’Grady Drama Academy in Cape Town are currently acting alongside some of the world’s leading actors in ‘Waiting for Godot’ at the Fugard Theatre.

Khathu Khangala and Hishaam Ryklief
Photograph: Timmy Henny

The two boys were the only South Africans chosen to act in this classic play. Internationally acclaimed director Sean Mathias said, “I am delighted we have found Khathu and Hishaam, who are both extremely natural young actors. They will be a real asset to our production.” The Academy, which is one of the largest community-based drama schools in the World with over 3,000 children attending classes each week throughout the Cape Metropole, is known for developing children and adults in natural acting skills.

Hishaam Ryklief and Khathu Khangala with Sir Ian McKellen and Director, Sean Mathias

Photograph: Timmy Henny

Both boys have attended the Academy for over 3 years and their skill and dedication to the Helen O’Grady programme has catapulted them into fame acting alongside some of the world’s finest actors including Sir Ian McKellen, famous for Gandalf in Lord of the Rings. The cast also includes Roger Rees who has been a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company for 22 years and also starred in the acclaimed The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickelby, Matthew Kelly, award-winning actor and TV presenter and Brendan O’Hea, who is a renowned Royal Shakespeare Company actor.

Hishaam Ryklief and Khathu Khangala with Sir Ian McKellen

Photograph: Timmy Henny

Principal of the Helen O’Grady Drama Academy, Duncan Rice, said ‘Our programme is about developing confidence, communication and creative skills, in a natural, nurturing environment and we are so pleased to see these humble and gentle boys achieve such outstanding success. They have always worked hard at developing and honing their theatrical skills.

“Not only will the boys be working in the Fugard Theatre, but they will also be bringing the performance to the residents of Khayelitsha who too will get a chance to watch this globally acclaimed performance. The Academy has classes for young people in areas such as Nyanga and Newlands and we are proud of the work we are doing to include all young people into our programme.”

The boys will be performing at the Fugard Theatre, Cape Town, until 14 August.

Hishaam Ryklief and Khathu Khangala, with Sir Ian McKellen

Photograph: Timmy Henny

New Ghana Franchisor, Girish Gurbani attends induction training

2010-02-26T11:00:00.000-08:00

Our new franchisor from Accra, Ghana, attended the Academy's intensive and extensive franchisor training in Cape Town. Girish already runs a highly popular mathematics education programme in this wonderful country and is well know for the work he has done in developing young minds.

International Holiday Stage School in Cape Town

2010-01-03T01:16:00.000-08:00

The Helen O'Grady Drama Academy hosted its international holiday stage school in Cape Town in December 2009. This stage school aims to offer an educational course which develops dance, singing and performance skills. This year the Academy produced a musical production in a week! It was a huge success and the Academy had visitors from as far as Nigeria attending. In fact the Helen O'Grady Drama Academy based in Lagos, Nigeria brought 20 children to participate in this year's event.

The Helen O'Grady Drama Academy operates in 19 locations throughout Africa and has over 60,000 children worldwide attending. The Academy appoints lively, vibrant people as Principals to run its Academy's around the world. People who are interested in running their own drama school, should contact the Africa office for vacancies. It is a wonderful opportunity filled with many rewards, but the most important is seeing the difference drama can make in young lives.

Nigerian Children and Staff at Cape Town International Airport depart after a fantastic Helen O'Grady Holiday Programme

2009-12-21T11:54:00.000-08:00

The Helen O'Grady Drama Academy based in North Lagos, under the direction of Adeola Badru, attended the Cape Town Academy's Holiday Programme and worked on a musical in a week, based on the life of Martin Luther King. Here you can see Cape Town Principal, Duncan Rice, Bursar, Gavin Pollock with the Football World Cup Mascot, Zakumi.

Winner of the African Franchisee of the Year Award - Adeola Badru, North Lagos, Nigeria - Helen O'Grady Drama Academy

2009-12-18T04:40:00.000-08:00

The Helen O'Grady Drama Academy proudly announced the 2009 winner of the African Franchisee of the Year Award to Adeola Badru, North Lagos in Nigeria for her exceptional work at developing drama throughout Nigeria but particularly in Lagos. Under sometimes difficult circumstances, Adeola, has raised the important educational and development skills taught by the Helen O'Grady's award-winning, international programme. She has also taken many Nigerian children on a drama tour to South Africa for two successive years. This uniting of countries and cultures has brought much to her children and those living in South Africa, and we applaud her for this. The Award was presented back stage at the Helen O'Grady Drama Academy's Holiday Stage School at the Theatre in the District.

Egyptian Drama Class a huge Halloween Success

2009-10-30T23:42:00.000-07:00

Students from the Helen O'Grady Drama Academy in Cairo dressed up for Halloween this week. The Academy runs its international drama programme throughout Cairo in schools and private studios and is a huge success under the direction of Maija Lamu and Gina Elzoheiry. One of the Academy's teachers from the Head Office in Cape Town, Bernadette Van Wyk, is working in the Cairo Academy. Here you can see Maija and Bernadette having great fun with the children.

Cairo Productions a huge success

2009-10-30T23:28:00.001-07:00

Throughout the world, the Helen O'Grady Drama Academy, the world's largest drama school, runs productions at the end of the year. This is a culmination of the work covered in the Academy and is always a huge showpiece for parents and friends. Here you can see our students from the Cairo Academy in Action. The Egyptian Academy is a vibrant, warm and exciting organistation under the direction of Maija Lamu and Gina Elzoheiry.

Principal Training in Cape Town

2009-09-13T11:49:00.001-07:00

Principals, Wabei Siyolwe and Felix Millowa, from Namibia and Malawi, attended training at the Helen O'Grady Drama Academy's Head Office in Cape Town. The Helen O'Grady Drama Academy is the world's largest drama school and is highly successful in Africa. These two talented Principals will really enhance the presence in Africa further with their excellent performance arts skills and teaching ability. The Academy will run in Windhoek, Walvis Bay, Swakhopmund in Namibia and Blantyre and Lilongwe in Malawi. These countries, like the many already having experienced the programme such as Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, well know what a difference the international curriculum can make in the lives of young people and adults. Drama Schools are still available in Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, Angola and Zimbabwe.

Run your own drama school!

2009-08-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

The Helen O'Grady Drama Academy is one of the largest schools of its kind in the world. The Academy seeks people who are creative and imaginative, with a passion for working with young children, to run their own successful drama school.In Africa, the Academy is actively seeking Principals to develop and run Academies in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia. Other African regions are also available. The Academy already has Franchisees running successful Academies in 14 of Africa's major cities and centres. Franchisees receive a full training and ongoing development, as part of a programme to develop a vibrant business. For further information, please go to our website: www.dramaafrica.com

A fantastic letter of recommendation for our Lagos Principal in Nigeria

2009-07-29T07:20:00.000-07:00

Adeola Badru is in the dark blue dress with white circles at the United Kingdom Seminar, July 2009.

Drama at Basil Schools

Drama was introduced in our School as a subject in January 2009. The classes are run by the Helen O’Grady Drama Academy led by Mrs Badru.

It has been a wonderful experience for the students and pupils. We have noticed a tremendous improvement in their confidence, speech and movement; and all this in a short space of time! The Helen O’Grady curriculum is absolutely ‘spot on’. It’s interesting, relevant, educational and exciting. The children love it. Mrs Badru and her team coached the children to put on our first Drama production on the ‘Life and Times of Madam Efunporoye Tinubu’. It was a great success. I would recommend Helen O’Grady Drama Academy to any School to run Drama classes or Clubs.

Well done! And thank you, Mrs Badru.

Abimbola Biobaku (Mrs)
Head of Schools

Lagos Drama Productions a huge success

2009-07-22T00:38:00.000-07:00

The Helen O'Grady Drama Academy in North Lagos performed Macbeth at their annual end of year productions under the direction of Adeola Badru, the Principal. The play was a huge success and gave the students the opportunity to perform Shakespeare's most acted play themselves. The Helen O'Grady Drama Academy is an educational programme developing confidence, self-esteem, communication skills and performance skills.

International Helen O'Grady Franchisors Conference

2009-07-21T16:09:00.000-07:00

Vicky Stroud, South African Franchisor, and Duncan Rice, African Franchisor are currently attending the International Franchisors Conference in Bristol, United Kingdom. The Helen O'Grady Drama Academy is the world's largest drama school and operates many very successful Academies throughout Africa. This photo shows Vicky and Duncan with the Lord Mayor of Bristol.

Aussie donor lends a dramatic hand to Ocean View children!

2009-05-21T05:20:00.000-07:00

Leading businessman, Peter Mattick, Joint Managing Director of Salmat Limited of Australia will be sponsorsoring children to attend the Helen O'Grady Drama Academy at Kleinberg Primary in Ocean View in Cape Town, South Africa. His generous donation includes all the teaching for a year, and sponsorship of a bus to take the children and their parents to the Academy's end-of-year performance at the Theatre in the District in Cape Town.

Peter Mattick has contributed to the lives of many people round the world, including Soweto, Indonesia, and an Aboriginee community in Australia by offering sponsorship and donations.

It is more important than ever to give children from disadvantaged backgrounds these opportunities that they would never have had before. It is the Academy's aim to reach out to less fortunate children in the communities of Africa and this incredible donation will give these children a wonderful head start, using the Academy's acclaimed international curriculum, which develops confidence, self-esteem and communication skills in young people.

The Helen O'Grady Drama Academy would like to thank Peter Mattick for his amazing generosity and the past teacher of this class, Barbara Harvey, their former drama teacher for facilitating this.

Stellenbosch drama classes alive with action

2009-05-04T11:21:00.001-07:00

The Stellenbosch studio, under the direction of Jennifer Witts, is having a fantastic time in the Aan de Braak Theatre, which is right next to the Winelands Municipality in the centre of Stellenbosch.

Many of the students in this Academy have achieved great things in their performance careers. Some of our students have been presenters as well as actors on television, and many have performed in film.

We are really proud of these students and their achievements in the performance arts.

Teacher Training Seminars

2009-04-15T04:03:00.000-07:00

The Helen O'Grady Drama Academy always chooses a high calibre of teaching staff with experience either in performance arts or qualified teachers. Before every term, our Principals run a training day to develop our teacher's full potential for the term to come. During this time our teachers workshop the curriculum and learn new to techniques to bring out the full potential of our teachers.

As an educational organisation, at the forefront of children's development, we believe strongly in our extensive and varied curriculum which quickly brings children on in confidence, self-esteem and communication skills, but it is important that we also develop our own staff to deliver the best possible results from the young people in our care.

Likewise, our Principals also attend our annual Seminar which is held in Johannesburg during December. The first photo is Adeola Badru, our North Lagos, Nigeria, Principal and Kerry Holbrook, our Johannesburg South Africa Principal engaged in dramatic action.

Many of our Principals run staff training and staff development sessions in Schools around the world. The Academy can tailor-make a programme for your corporate or staff development because one of the things we do exceptionally well is develop excellent public speaking, presentation and performance skills.

South Africa - Pebbles Project

2009-04-01T10:23:00.000-07:00

As part of a programme run for young farm children from the winelands in Stellenbosch, South Africa, the Helen O'Grady Drama Academy runs drama lessons in conjunction with the Pebbles Project. This is a very worthy cause helping children from the farms to achieve such success in life. Please go to the Pebbles Project website http://www.pebblesproject.co.za/ for further information about this fantastic programme of after school clubs for children. Here are the Academy's students in dramatic form, with their teachers Bernadette and Jennifer. The Cape Town Academy in South Africa has many such projects and the results have been hugely successful.

The Academy throughout Africa is always looking for worthy causes and sponsorship to empower young people throughout this diverse continent.

Northern Nambia

2009-03-31T09:21:00.000-07:00

The Helen O'Grady Drama Academy is running really successful classes in Northern Namibia, thanks to the Principal, Abraham Nambinga. Abraham has brought many fantastic innovations to this area, not to mention the fact that he is pioneering our international curriculum with the deaf community in Oshakati. The photo above shows Abraham, in the yellow t-shirt teaching adult students at the college of eduction.

The Northern Namibia Academy recently performed their end of year productions at the Sam Nuyoma MPC in Ongwediva Northern Namibia. It involved two studios Ongwediva Sam Nujoma MPC (LP/UP) and Eluwa Special School for Deaf Youth Theatre also entertained the audience. The studio was filled with fun and laughter. Bringing the Deaf and hearing actors together.

The student’s excellent performance encouraged many new young stars to join.

Botswana Principal attends training in South Africa

2009-03-30T12:15:00.001-07:00

Jon Wilson, the new Botswana Principal of the Helen O'Grady Drama Academy attended training in South Africa this week. All the Academy's Principals are fully trained in the techniques to run a successful drama school. Our Botswana Academy is based in Gaborone but operates throughout Botswana. For further details, you can go to our website: http://www.dramaafrica.com/

Here you can see Jon with the iconic Table Mountain behind him on the way back from the Cape Town studio in the suburb of Milnerton.

Cairo Drama Academy Holiday Camps

2009-03-25T01:49:00.000-07:00

We run a summer camp which was very special compared to the regular camps we have in Cairo. We offer the children a unique chance to unleash their true creative potential and express their ideas, feelings and inner talents by combining drama, art, music and dance.

Last year, we chose our favorite story, Circus Capers, as a play we would work on during the camp. The kids got involved in directing the play, did songs and dances and music in the story and not only that but also designed, and painted the stage, the set, the props, etc. On top of that they did design and made all the costumes and accessories needed for the story. At the end of the camp, they celebrated the joy of achievement and proudly presented to their family and friends all their work in the form of a theatrical drama production they acted out. The costumes and accessories they wore, the set, the paintings, decorations were all their own making. The camp was a huge success as the whole idea was to help kids feel the achievement of creating a whole program by themselves. We let the students take all the props and costumes home at the end of the camp As the summer vacation ended, they all wanted to enroll in our classes and are continuously spreading good word all over Cairo of our Helen O’Grady Drama Academy!

Helen O'Grady North Lagos Academy visits Cape Town

2009-03-24T03:05:00.000-07:00

Dreams! Dreams! Dreams! Dreams come and dreams go. But it is mostly left in the hands of the dreamer to make a dream come true.

Mine was a dream come true when I found 17 of my students, 3 officials and myself at the airport on the 7th of December, 2008 on our way to South Africa for a ‘’Drama Tour’’. It has always been my desire to give my students an all-round exposure to enable them fit into any environment, which is essential to the formation of a well-rounded person.

It started like a child’s play. Children were asking me questions about Helen O’ Grady; they want to know more about her. I simply told them there is still ample time to plan a visit to Helen O’ Grady but we can always go to South Africa where the African Headquarters of the Academy is situated. There, we will meet other students of Helen O’ Grady Drama Academy, attend classes with them and also see Duncan Rice, our Director for African Development.

It was indeed beautiful scenery. The students were all in Helen O’ Grady T shirt with a blazer over it. I looked at all of them, and I said in my mind, ‘this is the beginning of good things to come’.

Classes were fun and educative. The students were afforded the opportunity of learning more of our life skills programmes under other vibrant teachers. They also had great fun interacting with Helen O’ Grady students in Cape Town.

The tour was not only about drama classes, we were offered cultural excursions to experience the vibrancy of South Africa first hand.

The climax of the tour was the performance of ‘SLAVE’, a collaborative production developed by teachers and students through improvisation.

The musical, traces the sad tale of a young girl from India who was brought to Cape Town as a slave in the eighteenth century. She was severed from her family at a tender age of 5. The play brought together, Indian and African culture in fusion of dance, singing and acting. It was an unforgettable experience! A big thank you to Duncan for his support.

The success of the tour is immeasurable. Back home, the news filtered into the air and it became the talk of the town.

Consequent upon this, parents have started giving their words concerning the next trip. The programme has tremendously helped to strengthen the Academy in North Lagos.

Adeola, North Lagos Principal and West African Manager