“It has been the best decision to send my children to Ariel Drama Academies”
“My son has had the time of his life since joining Ariel, making such a varied group of friends which has helped him so much, not just to relying on school friends”
“Not only do Ariel provide first class theatrical training, but they instil such great skills that their students can pull on in later life”
“Ariel has given my daughter so many opportunities that she would have not received normally.”
“The quality of the teaching is outstanding and in particular the LAMDA training”
“Thanks to all the tutors my child has improved at school and the increase in confidence has been noted by all the teachers”
“The difference with Ariel is that it really stretches my son, and hives him what he wants - high quality lessons with creative and exciting teachers.”
“My teenage daughter was bored, bored, bored, bored at him on Saturdays and wanted to be ‘doing’ something. So, after some enquiries, we opted for Ariel which fitted in with my busy work schedule too. She now feels she;s learning something new every week, has made another, wider circle of friends. The Principal’s and administrators are friendly and approachable and the class teachers are skilled, professional and diverse. Thank you Ariel!”
My daughter has no problem getting up early on a Saturday to go to Ariel. She loves it! It’s well organised, the team are enthusiastic, energetic and motivational.”
“The whole Ariel experience has had a significant and positive impact on my daughter. As well as exposing and embellishing her acting and tinging skills, her self-confidence, social and team work skills have developed in a very pleasing way. Her involvement with Ariel has opened many new doors for her and she absolutely loves her Saturday mornings.”
“Ariel Company Theatre has allowed my son to fill 3 hours every week with 3 of his favourite passions and allowed him the freedom of self expression he can’t get at school.”
"Our son has been a member of Ariel Company Theatre for almost two and a half years now. I can’t speak highly enough about everyone at Ariel. They are fantastic. My son has made some very strong and lasting friendships and has so many brilliant experiences and opportunities at Ariel. The tutors are very professional and encourage each and every one of their pupils. He absolutely loves his time there, whether that’s his Saturday mornings, during the holiday workshops or at his academy showcase. He’d go to Ariel 7 days a week if he could.”
“Ariel Company Theatre has allowed my son to fill 3 hours every week with 3 of his favourite passions and allowed him the freedom of self expression he can’t get at school.”
“My son has found his niche in life since joining Ariel. His confidence has developed. Ariel has been key to his development and we look forward to the showcase and future productions."
“My daughter loves the arts so much , it seems to be her “go to place” for the feel good factor and when she needs re energising or relaxing it’s her default. Thank you for all you do, the arts are the heart, soul and spirit that we all need and are valued and needed by so many. You have our support and just know how important you are in shaping young lives and giving so much joy."
“I can’t speak highly enough of Ariel as a company and it’s teaching staff. I am a mother of four and a teacher myself and know how precious time is, but it amazes me the amount go time and energy all the staff put it.”
“Othello’s is not just the name of a drama group, it is synonymous with excellence. Ever since our son first attended Othello’s, he cannot wait for each Saturday morning to come around. The whole ethos of the group, and the supportive and patient attitude shown by the leasers, only brings out the best in the pupils attending. This has certainly proved to be the case for our son. With the help of his ‘buddies’ 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. Seeing the change in him is a privilege to witness.”
“The Othello’s has rightly grown in reputation because it offers a very high standard of dramatic arts education for students with special needs and disabilities in a unique and totally inclusive environment. The mainstream ‘buddies’ 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. The tutors have realistically high expectations of the Othello group and thanks to the understanding and support of the buddies and tutors, they are able to access the class at their own level. My son loves the Othellos. This is an invaluable experience and it has boosted his confidence and self esteem greatly and enhanced his social skills beyond our expectation. In short, Ariel Othello’s and the whole team at Ariel has transformed his life.”
“I was really struggling to find a drama school that was well disciplined, fun but also one that really challenged young actors. I heard of Ariel through doing Les Miserables and from the moment I joined, I knew I was going to love it! The signing and dancing was so much fun and the drama was AMAZING! I’ve learnt so much about all three disciplines and have loved the training I’ve received. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming, but most of all, I have made friends for life.”
We had such an amazing time at the showcase yesterday.
I just wanted to send a private note to acknowledge the quality of the planning, the choreography and the directing of those thought-provoking pieces. It was on a completely different level from what people might expect from a “children’s drama academy” - from the zoom-screen backed opening to the joy-filled Sgt. Pepper finale I was in turn enthralled and challenged by the production. I feel no shame in admitting I had a lump in my throat more than once, from the high-school shootings version of What About Us?, through the “This Girl Can” backdrop for Speechless to the tenderness amid the poverty and pain in Rent. My wife and I had our breath taken away by gentle leadership of the Tempests as they worked with the Othellos - the joy on all the faces told the story clearly enough.
In the two years since the last showcase the development in these cohorts of students is incredible to see - through Facebook Live dance sessions, home-recorded WeTransfer performances and Zoom LAMDA lessons and far fewer actual face-to-face sessions than anyone would have liked. Obviously my eyes were on our daughter but there are so many faces on the stage I recognise and the change in confidence, the musicality, the timing and those beautiful, beautiful voices - what an achievement by your teaching team.
You are stars, all of you - thank you for what you do for our children,
“I never studied drama academically at school, so Ariel has been my outlet for singing, dancing and drama. From being part of a number of their shows, showcases and workshopsI have established a love for the performing arts and have been able to develop determination and confidence. I will always be grateful for the amazing opportunities Ariel has provided me with, a notable experience was performing on CBBC’s Sports Relief Does Glee Club, with many of the incredible people I have been lucky enough to meet through the company. I feel one of the biggest achievements with Ariel has been working with the Othellos, a drama group for children and young adults with special needs. The independence I have gained from this group has been astonishing and since winning the West Sussex Community Award for bed volunteer group, the Othellos have continued to be one of the highlights of my time at Ariel.”
What can I say! I’m so so impressed. Thank you for everything you have done, such an awesome show and so lovely to see what our son has been learning. He is already talking about next years show 😃
I have seen such a change in him since joining Ariel.
I am so glad we found you guys.
What our parents said during lockdown in response to our Digital Academy
“Huge thanks and my never ending awe for how you’ve pulled so much content production together so quickly.”
"We are having so much fun doing this. Ariel are doing such an incredible job for the kids (and their parents!). So thank you again”
"Very impressed indeed, we only joined 6 months ago, our son adores the classes and for a company to act so quickly under these circumstances is to be commended.”
"Massive shut out to all the Ariel tutors, giving up their time to give these lessons, they are so much fun."
“Thank you for all the online lessons. Emily is still 'going to Ariel ' on Saturday and as always loving it.”
"Olive is loving very minute of the online classes - Thank you so much for keeping my budding actor/singer/dancer dreams alive with these lessons!”
"It's given my daughter something to look forward to each Saturday and without prompting she's choosing the one she wants to do most. A little nugget of 'normality' amidst this chaos.”
