SCHOOL HOLIDAYS AT THE MILL: January 2024

MILL THEATRE SCHOOL HOLIDAY COURSES 

The new Holidays at the Mill program is a flexible way for kids and parents to enjoy high level acting games and performances during the 2024 school holidays. You can come for one day, three days or each week! These courses are particularly good for Canberra kids who feel ‘why doesn’t Canberra have anything for me?’ It does and it's at Dairy Road. Each course is about exploring the next level of the acting journey. Every participant will be learning a particular element of the acting craft during each day or week. The work will be fun, specific, bespoke and empowering. There is nothing like learning about the craft of acting! Those with a deep passion for acting are encouraged to apply.

Please note that these courses are designed to provide maximum flexibility. We don't always have time to learn everything in one go or attend every single event out there! Participants can attend one day, two days, one week or parts of each week. With a maximum of ten participants everything is structured and created to learn on the day and play throughout the weeks. 

8 – 12 January Acting bootcamp

15 – 19 January Play each day

22 – 25 January Shakespeare intensive

AGES: 8 to 14 years

COST: $85 per day

DATES: Select individual days between 8 - 25 January School Holidays 

TIMES: 9am-3.30pm each day 

VENUE: Mill Theatre at Dairy Road, Building 3.3, 1 Dairy Road, Fyshwick. 

WHAT TO BRING: A packed morning tea and lunch for each day and a water bottle. All materials will be provided and no preparation before each day or week is required. 

If you have any questions please email Lexi at hello@milltheatreatdairyroad.com  

If you require additional time before 9am or after 3.30pm please chat with Lexi and we can make something work out the best arrangement for your family. Please note there may be an additional fee. 

8 – 12 January Acting bootcamp

Each day of week one participants will learn a different acting technique. Every day starts fresh with new games, activities and skills development so participation in the whole week is not essential. The end of the week will be a focus on voice work. There’s a lot more to learning about voice than just projection - although that part of it is very important. Throughout each day participants will do a myriad of exercises to learn everything about their body and voices and to use them on the stage. Cold readings, working with a microphone, public speaking, poetry and other heightened text, voice for screen, how to warm up and why will all be covered. 

15 – 19 January Play each day

Week two moves into performance mode with rehearsals for scenes and different plays over the week. Getting ready for a performance demands focus, technique and teamwork! Plays to work on include: devised pieces created during the day; murder mystery plays; American comedy (including accent work); Australian history; Australian fantasy. Each day starts fresh with a different play to build and create together as a company so participation in the whole week is not essential. How to approach character, bringing text to life, working with your company members, movement and voice for acting will all be covered. 

22 – 25 January Shakespeare intensive

Over four days participants will conquer heightened text and learn all the skills to tackle this poetic form! Shakespeare is like the Olympics of theatre and acting. It’s so wonderfully demanding and there’s no way you can appreciate it sitting down in English class. Participants will learn how to get ‘under the text’ by learning: how to understand metre; how to find the thoughts; how to breathe in order to handle this text; what punctuation can reveal about the structure; and how you can make acting choices to bring these forms and structures to life. Packed full of exercises and activities this course is wonderful if you already like Shakespeare but even better if you hate it! 

Please note that the Friday 26 January Public Holiday will not have any activities running

TUTOR

Lexi graduated from Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Bachelor of Acting. She runs the Mill Theatre at Dairy Road as Creative Producer. Before the Mill, Lexi performed in London, Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra on stage and screen and worked extensively as a voice-over artist for novels and commercials. Lexi has coached voice and acting privately and in group settings for a number of years and has a working with vulnerable people card and a valid police check.

LOCATION

The Mill Theatre is in Building 3.3, the Screencraft and KeepCo building which is a short walk from Capital Brewing. There are two easy ways to approach the Theatre:

PARK in P3 at the back of the precinct. From there you will see building 3.3 which has a large Screencraft sign. The public entrance is just up from that sign (not underneath it!). Once inside, walk about 5 metres and the theatre is to the right, next to Mojo Guitars.

WALK from Capital Brewing or the Less sculpture into the KeepCo building, pass Ramen Daddy and at the end of the corridor we are on the left. 

PARKING

All parking in the precinct is free with several accessible parking spots in all the parking locations. The best spot to park is P3 at the back of the precinct. If you park elsewhere please be warned that signage and way-finding around the precinct is extremely difficult. Arrive in plenty of time to possibly get lost, possibly be in a bad mood!