Brickworks Drama School

Enrolments for 2024 Term Two Classes are now open! The theme for Term Two is Communication and all the different ways we can share our thoughts and feelings with each other – with language, sound, physical expression… A fun term of tuning in and telling stories…

Please head over to EnrolMy to register.
https://enrolmy.com/brickworks-drama-school

Thanks to the nearly 50 Brickworks students who gave such awesome performances in our 2023 play, Blame it on the Rain, last weekend! Written and directed by Natascha Diaz, Lauren Jackson, and Julian Wilson, and supported by the Creative Communities Scheme and the Te Atatū Peninsula Community Trust. We can’t wait to share Andrew Malmo’s beautiful photos with you soon!

Kia ora – Term Three is our Production Term! 

With the wonderful support of the Creative Communities Scheme, we’lll be putting together a show for the children to participate and perform in. This will involve some changes to our regular class times, except the Primary class, which remains the same. 

We will be taking new enrolments through EnrolMy from Wed 12th July. Current students will be automatically re-enrolled, so you only need to get in touch if you are not returning for Term Three.

Performance Term

Our performance this term will centre on the dramas and goings-on of a little garden in a Te Atatū back yard. It will be a comedy at heart, although we may explore the recent flooding. But don’t worry – no insects, worms, or garden gnomes will be harmed in the making of this show!

Our approach is to begin the term with an outline of the scenes, then workshop them with the kids to create the final script. This gives the kids a lovely sense of input and ownership, and results in a far more entertaining script!

Weekend Rehearsals and Shows

There will be two weekend rehearsals this term, along with a performance day. We know things come up, but we would really appreciate it, if you could prioritise classes and rehearsals this term. If your child will have to miss one, please let us know in advance so we can revise our plans. It will be a real team effort this term!

The dates are:

Sat 9th September – Rehearsal 10am – 4pm – not all children will be required all day (times TBC)

Sat 16th September – Rehearsal – 10am – 4pm (Primary class won’t be required for the full day)

Sat 23rd September – 11am show and 2pm show (Children can leave and come back between shows)

Changes to class times and length

There are some changes to the class times and length to allow for more rehearsal time. Term fees will increase from $130 to $150 to reflect that classes will be 90 min. (Please note, the Primary class hasn’t changed and fees remain $130.)

We have also combined the two Junior classes into one, and the two Intermediate classes into one, to enable us to rehearse together in a more cohesive way. An assistant will help teach the Junior class to ensure tutor – student ratios remain in their happy place!

All classes remain on Wednesday at The Chapel as follows:

Primary – 3.45 – 4.30 – Auditorium

Junior – 4.30 – 6.00 – Auditorium

Intermediate – 5.00 – 6.30 – Hall

Teens – 6.30 – 8.00 – Auditorium

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to email us: brickworksdrama@brickworksdrama

Again, we’d like to acknowledge Auckland Council’s Creative Communities Scheme for making this possible!

Ngā mihi,

Lauren and Natascha

We’re so excited for Week One of the school holidays! Thanks to the Creative Communities Scheme, we have an awesome group of tutors lined up to take our young actors through five individually themed days of fun and friendship. From cat videos to mockumentaries, throwing a birthday party for a movie, and acting our our fave movie scenes, to playing with sound effects, there is something for everyone this week! Head over here to read all about it!

Drama classes for adults!

We are excited to announce we’ll be running another term of drama classes for adults in Term Three on Thursday evenings at 7pm here in Te Atatū Peninsula.

Our students are lovely people with “day jobs”, who are interested in reconnecting with their creative side. We had a great time in Term Two, working with scripts from classic plays and films to explore acting fundamentals.

If this sounds like you or someone you know, please get in touch: brickworksdrama@gmail.com

We’d love to meet you – join our fun classes taught by industry professionals.

We hope you’ve stayed safe and well over the last few days. If there’s anything you need, please reach out so we can activate this wonderful Brickworks community for you. We look forward to seeing you at The Chapel for classes this Wednesday.

The theme for Term Four is Make Your Own Movie!

We are going to finish the year with some old Hollywood-style moviemaking. The kids will write, act, and shoot their own short, silent films in the style of the early greats – Chaplin, Pickford, and Keaton. We look forward to sharing their work in a fun Brickworks screening at the end of term!

Photo caption: Virginia Fox and Buster Keaton prop each other up in “The Electric House” (1922). (Wikimedia Commons)

In Week One of the April School Holidays we will be running our popular drama workshops again!

With the kind support of the Creative Communities Scheme, we’re offering workshops – for 6 – 9 year olds, and 10 – 14 year olds. Each workshop is a self-contained day with a central theme, finishing with a showcase by the kids at 3pm for their parents and caregivers.

The students gain confidence, enhancing their communication and teamwork skills through fun games and exercises taught by the experienced Brickworks drama tutors. Head over to our School Holiday Workshop page for more info!

Brickworks is at the beach! We’re taking January to rest and recharge after the excitement of our December movie premiere! We look forward to seeing you all back at The Chapel for Term One.

Enjoy your summer Lauren and Natascha

It’s here! We’re delighted to share Brickworks’ first movie – “Search for the Selfish Elves”! It’s our Christmas present to you We’re so grateful to live and work in a community full of film and TV professionals who helped us make this 30 min festive film!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDYxLnMijZs

Written, directed, and produced by Natascha Diaz and Lauren Jackson with the support of the Creative Communities Scheme and the Henderson-Massey Local Board.

The story…

The good people of Te Atatū Peninsula love to celebrate Christmas… but not this year. Somehow everyone’s lost the Christmas spirit, and there’s talk of cancelling all the festivities! A tip-off from a local reveals that a group of outcast elves have started a vendetta against Santa. Te Atatū’s journalists and detectives team up to launch the Search for the Selfish Elves! Can they find them before the elves destroy the Christmas spirit forever?

The making of…

In 2020 Brickworks Drama School, directed by Lauren Jackson and Natascha Diaz, embarked on an ambitious creative project. Lauren and Natascha wrote and shot a short film with all of their 50 drama students (ages 3 – 14) in Te Atatū Peninsula. Filming began in August and the film was shot on weekends and evenings – 10 shoot days in total. Production and post-production stalled several times due to ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, but the Christmas spirit has prevailed, and the film is now ready to share! “Search for the Selfish Elves” is truly a local labour of love – a beautiful Christmas story about the power of community and family. Local artists and creatives have joined forces to create this uplifting story.