Ariel Company Theatre - Drama Academy & Production Company

I am a mother of 4 and a teacher myself and know how precious time is, but it amazes me the amount of time and energy all the staff put in.

Jxxxxx and Mxxxxx have been attending Ariel for about a year now and last weekend were as enthusiastic about the morning as they were when they first started. Michael has found his niche in life and feels he is being accepted for what he his (not a football player). Jasmine has developed a confidence that she didn't know she had and her recent Juliet in the Warden Park school show moved me to tears, (I understand her recent monologue in Ariel was equally powerful). Ariel has been key to the development of my children and we look eagerly forward to the show case and future productions. Many thanks to you and all your team.

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ARIEL OTHELLO'S

'Othello’s is not just the name of a drama group, it is synonymous with excellence. Ever since our son Jxx first attended Othello’s he cannot wait for each Saturday morning to come round. And if we are on holiday, or through other family commitments he is unable to attend, his disappointment is palpable.
The whole ethos of the group, and the supportive and patient attitude shown by the leaders, only brings out the best in the pupils attending. This has certainly proved to be the case for Jxx With the help of his 'buddies' at Ariel Othello’s he has managed to learn complex routines and take stage direction, allowing him to perform on stage
confidently and with others of all ages and abilities.  Thank you for allowing Jxx to be part of that process, and for ourselves the privilege of witnessing it.'

J and A Mxxxxx. 6th May 2009.
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I felt so privileged on Saturday 2 May 2009 to have finally been able to come along and see for myself the outstanding work carried out by the group of young people who assist in the Othello’s section of Arial Drama Plus. I have been aware for some time that there are a number of young people with special needs who you support through drama to help them develop as confident and independent members of our communities. I was also aware of the fact that five or six teenagers, who do not have such needs, come along regularly to help that group.  What I don’t think I fully understood, and was certainly not prepared for, was the outstanding way that those with special needs and those without were essentially one group.
I saw them rehearse a highly amusing “Superheroes” comedy medley and start to rehearse a signed number from the Lion King which they will perform publicly in a month’s time.  It was very clear to me that the group of young helpers were completely committed to making those with special needs feel at ease, valued and as much part of one group as they  were themselves. The young people with special needs seemed to relate to all of the helpers as good friends, and certainly in the pieces of drama that I saw, both groups had equally prominent parts and were brilliantly integrated. The young helpers themselves, clearly had no prejudices against working with young people with special needs and they were not in the slightest bit patronising, nor did they  treat them any differently from their fellow helpers. I often hear the public denigrate our youth by blaming them for all ills of society. Often, people don’t see the huge strengths and contributions  that young people can bring to their communities, they only highlight the wrongs of a very small minority.
GB
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My son Rxxx has been attending Othello’s since it started three years ago. He is fourteen years old, has Downs Syndrome and has a passion for singing, dancing and acting.  When Sue Jay, with the support of ACT, started the group in 2006, its membership consisted of a handful of special needs students, three adults and one or two mainstream students from ADP who were interested in helping out. The rest, as they say, is history. The group has grown in reputation and consequently size because it offers a very  high standard of dramatic arts education for students with special needs, in a quite unique supportive and totally inclusive environment. The mainstream ‘buddies’ as they have become affectionately known give up their time, very early, on a Saturday morning to support and more importantly encourage the students  that attend the class. All students work together as a team bouncing ideas off each other and developing their performances as a whole group. So effective is the buddy system  that the adults (apart from Sxx, of course) are almost becoming excess to requirements!!!  The support given by the buddies has been so successful that it has enabled the special needs students to confidently take part in the mainstream ADP morning, consisting of an hour each of drama, singing and dance. The tutors have realistically high expectations of the Othello students and thanks to the understanding and support of students, particularly the buddies, and adults around them, they are able to access the classes at their own level. Rxxxx loves Othello’s. He has made special friends with his buddies and he socialises with some of them outside ADP hours. This is an invaluable experience for him as it has boosted his confidence and self esteem greatly and enhanced his social skills beyond our expectations. In short Othello’s and the whole ADP family has transformed his life.
Thank you.
J F

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