Art Umbrella School of Performing Arts 11-13 President Avenue, Caringbah, New South Wales 2229

"It is a privilege to have my child attend this drama academy. The level of artistic and pedagogical experience offered by the managers is second to none. The value of having the opportunity to participate in productions of extremely well-written, relevant and engaging original plays twice a year as part of the standard course is beyond measure! I am most appreciative."

"Nice. Great teaching, friendly teachers."

"I just wanted to give a little (big) shout out to Michelle, Rob, James, Tomi and everyoune at the Art Umbrella. My daughter first came to the Art Umbrella with a friend from school when she was in Year 4. She hadn’t showed any interest in drama but was happy to come along for a weekly “play date’. Being an a primary school teacher myself, I knew the benefits of the dramatic arts, incorporated drama games into my lessons and even participated in a Public School Arts initiative each year. However as a parent, I really didn’t consider drama lessons in our busy out of school schedule of homework, various sports and music. What a terrible disservice I nearly gave my child! The confidence and skills Micah has gained through her experience at the Art Umbrella have been incredible. Her performance skills have developed to the point of auditioning and being accepted into the 2019 Sydney Public School Combined Drama Ensemble which culminated in a performance at The Sydney Drama Festival. However, it is the increase in her ability in other areas is what has been truly amazing since starting at the Art Umbrella. Her recall and memorisation skills have increased exponentially as has her ability to infer meaning from information presented to her. This is a direct result of remembering and interpreting the lines and mood of a scene. This has resulted in better school results and increased comprehension levels. The improvement in her confidence and skill in public speaking has been immense, which was a definite factor in her success securing a senior leadership position in Year Six this year. The benefits of Drama are definitely not limited to performance but are varied and so beneficial to a child’s holistic development. Needless to say my sporty 9 year old boy has just started at the Art Umbrella and although a little “apprehensive” before the first class, he came home loving it! While I’m not sure that he will pursue the performance path, he will still gain all the benefits that we have happily watched his sister accrue while ‘having fun”. Thank you Art Umbrella for the incredible gifts you have given our children!"

"The school and its teachers were an absolutely essential component of my higher education and beyond, and their skill and dedication to the craft of drama is evident from the first interaction - would wholeheartedly recommend"

"Great experience for aspiring actors and performers. Dedicated staff who really focus on the development of the kids."