Originally posted on 28/11/2017. Updated on 12/06/2019.
The idea of standing in front of an audience and speaking, let alone singing, dancing and acting, fills most adults with dread. Being at the centre of attention is not everyone’s idea of fun, but for thousands of youngsters throughout the UK, attending drama and theatre classes is the perfect pastime.
The government recognises the importance of theatre, as well as art, music and literature studies, for young people. In March 2016, the Culture White Paper was published, which pledged that all state-funded schools must offer students a wide and diverse curriculum that encourages the “spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical” development of pupils, confirming that experiencing and appreciating culture is fundamental to a balanced education.
Benefits of Theatre Studies for Children
The government has expressed a desire for young people to experience culture at an early age because it can facilitate social mobility. But what other benefits are there for children who attend drama or stage school? Well, here are just some of the skills that can be acquired when children are brave enough to step into the spotlight:
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Public Speaking: The prospect of standing up and speaking in front of a group of people can make even the most confident person quake in their boots, but being able to address a crowd is an important part of an increasing number of jobs in the modern world. Whether a child wants to be a teacher, a lawyer or a professional football player, they will need to be prepared to address an audience. Theatre education helps cultivate this skill at an early age and prevents children from becoming fearful of something that could serve them well their whole life.
Teamwork: It takes a lot of hard work to put on a show. When children are working together as part of a drama class, they’re not only applying the skills they have, but also learning new ones in the process. There is so much to get ready, from set-building to remembering lines, so if the children don’t work together, the show won’t be as good as it could be.
Self-Expression: At a time when mental health issues among young people are high on the agenda, the power of creativity to promote a sense of wellbeing should not be ignored. Theatre studies allow children to express themselves in a proactive way and make sense of their emotions in a way they feel comfortable with. This could involve speaking, singing or dancing.
Compassion: Performing arts immerse participants in different worlds and encourage them to use their imagination to build it up around them. When children are working together, there’s less emphasis on winning or losing, and more on working collaboratively to achieve a shared goal. This helps children develop qualities such as kindness, empathy and consideration, which are key to a child's development.
Take centre stage by starting a theatre education
If you’ve got a passion for the theatre and want to share this enthusiasm with the next generation of performers, one of these successful theatre education franchises could be for you.
Razzamataz
Razzamataz was founded in 2000 by Denise Hutton-Gosney, a professional dancer, choreographer and gymnast. Denise’s simple vision was to make performing arts accessible to all young people, irrespective of their background, personal circumstances or history. Nearly two decades later, this vision remains the same.
In 2007, Denise appeared on Dragons’ Den to secure funding to grow her business. Now, franchising offers other talented and passionate individuals across the country the chance to own and manage their successful business whilst benefiting from a tried and tested system. Franchisees enjoy running classes for children aged 4-18 in singing, dance and drama in their local community.
The Razzamataz franchise package is crammed full of training and support for a relatively low initial investment. The franchise fee is just £9,995, although an additional £4,000 will be needed to fund the launch marketing. Remember, it could take a while to build up your customer base, so working capital for expenses such as wages and insurance should be budgeted for in the early days.
In return for the franchise fee, you’ll receive full training in management skills, accounts and bookkeeping, marketing and PR. Once you’re up and running, you’ll have ongoing support from the head office and the regional support team. You’ll also receive uniforms, merchandise and marketing material, allowing you to stand out from the crowd.
Stagecoach
With over 30 years of experience, Stagecoach is a well-established performing arts school for children aged 4-18. Children learn to sing, dance and act in a fun environment, developing core life skills along the way. With 45,000 students attending Stagecoach classes every week, this is a great franchise opportunity for those who are creative and passionate about performing arts education.
As a Stagecoach franchisee, you will not be required to teach any classes. Instead, you’ll be responsible for the creative content of the classes and ensuring that the franchise adheres to the business’ standards. This means that a background in business may be more beneficial than a performing arts one, so don’t be put off if you can’t sing, dance or act!
When you become a Stagecoach franchisee, a regional franchise manager will work with you to understand your skillset in more detail so a training programme can be developed around your needs. As part of your induction, you’ll attend comprehensive training at head office, embark on a 28-day sales and marketing course and shadow an existing Stagecoach franchisee.
The cost of buying a Stagecoach franchise depends on whether you want to develop your own business from scratch or buy an existing franchise. If you choose to start a new franchise, the cost will be £14,995 and you’ll be able to choose the location, times of classes and teachers. If you choose the resale option, the business will have a venue, teachers and students already in place. The price of a resale franchise depends on factors such as its location, size and profitability.
Other Performing Arts Franchises
As well as franchises that enable children to take part in theatre, there are various franchises that are geared towards slightly younger children, helping to aid their development with music. Let’s take a look at some of the best musical education franchises.
Popcat's Music Time
For the relatively small investment of £6,800, you could open your very own Popcat’s Music Time franchise. This business runs a variety of music and movement classes for people of all ages. These involve singing songs, playing percussion instruments and dancing to music to improve children’s sensory development. If you joined this franchise, you would primarily be running musical development classes for babies, young children and their parents, but the business also uses musical therapy to offer sessions for older generations in care homes and sheltered accommodation.
While many musical education franchises run classes for specified age groups, Popcat’s Music Time opens all its classes up to any children up to the age of five, giving parents the freedom to choose the right class for their child or children. There are more advantages for parents too, as this franchise operates a pay-as-you-go payment structure, which doesn’t lock them in to signing up to and paying for a number of classes in one go. This will help ensure that children attend the classes they will benefit from the most.
If you like what you’ve heard and would like to get involved, head to the franchise’s profile page to find out more. To be a Popcat’s Music Time franchisee, you will need to have experience in the education sector as well as an outgoing and confident personality – and a great singing voice, of course! When you become a franchisee, the business will make sure that you have all the tools to make your franchise a success. This includes a franchisee handbook and training in social media marketing.
Music Bugs
If you’re interested in opening a children’s musical education franchise, Music Bugs is another option for you. This franchise operates a number of sensory, play-based music and song centres across the UK. Classes are run according to age, from Baby Bugs (0-crawling) and Mini Bugs (6-24 months) to Jumping Bugs (1.5-4 years) and Family Bugs (mixed ages).
If you become a Music Bugs franchisee, you will also be able to boost your revenue by hosting children’s parties at the weekends. You will also benefit from a specified territory that is home to between 10,000 and 14,000 children under the age of four. To start your franchise, you’ll need to make an investment of £6,500 and pay franchise fees of between £5,700 and £7,200.
When it comes to supporting franchisees, Music Bugs plays its part. You will be given an induction pack of over 400 props, instruments and pieces of equipment, as well as detailed class plans, songbooks and music CDs. On top of this, you will get access to a modern-looking website with a content management system and a full marketing bundle of 200 A4 posters, 5,000 A5 flyers, 3,000 reward stickers and a pack of business cards.
Alice Tuffery, Point Franchise ©
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