Birmingham theatre students make DIY drama classes

Hollie Westwood, from Melton Mowbray, and Jack Hanley, from Solihull, have created a range of teaching resources aimed at parents and their children affected by school closures under the Theatremakers company moniker.

Each day, the Theatremakers team will be highlighting a different activity via social media and encouraging families to take part in their own homes.

DIY Drama Class is designed for parents to undertake drama games and exercises with their children around a new theme each Sunday from their home.

Hollie Westwood said: "Our motivation to start the project was making high-quality drama education accessible to more young people and the same can be said of The 'DIY' Drama Class, except now we're not only including kids, but their parents too.

"We want families to be able to have a break from 'academic' home schooling by using our resources to learn through play. Hopefully, for many families, The 'DIY' Drama Class will bring some lightness in difficult times."

Each week (on a Sunday evening) Hollie and Jack will be releasing a new pack of activities, games and ideas centred around a new theme – to include a resource pack full of drama games and activities “to get children’s brains and bodies working”.

The project began earlier this year as an outreach project for Birmingham City University and the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire with the aim of encourage more young people to pursue performing arts in higher education, and to teach skills in empathy and communication.