We offer a wide range of workshops and events for young people from Key Stage 1 right through to Undergraduate level. We also offer CPD sessions throughout the year and can provide bespoke sessions for your school or college if required.
Our workshops offer practical opportunities to inspire creativity in young people and their teachers, using techniques from our rehearsal rooms to help develop an individual’s productivity and innovation.
To book for any of these workshops please contact our Creative Engagement team at [email protected]
“The children loved it! All children have made progress with their confidence, including SEND children. The workshops were run to a high standard and all children were engaged, learning and having fun.”
– Harwich Community Primary School and Nursery
Workshops
Bring your set text to life through creative drama!
Our Literacy Through Drama workshop offers a unique and sustained opportunity to bring literature to life for your English students in an exciting and creative way.
Through a series of inventive once a week workshops led by a Mercury teaching artist, this workshop introduces students to drama techniques that support literacy skills and encourage creative learning.
Collaborating closely with teachers, our creative programme is designed to embed creative learning throughout the term. Alongside drama and literacy skills pupils will develop their communication, co-operation and confidence, supporting wider learning.
Focus: History & English
For: EYS, KS1-KS4
Duration: Weekly 1 Hour sessions
Location: School
Capacity: Maximum of 30 students per group
Cost: Single Classroom Booking
6 week: Half termly booking £650 + VAT
12 week: Termly booking £1,230 + VAT
This workshop is also available for students with SEND.
Our playful Shakespeare Workshop is designed to encourage young people to be excited by Shakespeare’s stories.
This lively session will break down some of the barriers around the language and relate it to the universal human condition. We explore insults, heartbreak, deceit, death and disguise as students explore the world and characters from the greatest playwright of all time!
Make sense of these classic plays in a fun, supportive and inclusive environment. Who knows there might also be a wig or two!
Let us know if you are studying a particular text and we can design the workshop to fit this.
For: KS1-KS4
Cost: £165 + VAT for up to 30 students
Characters in the classroom!
A historical or fictional character will come in and lead a one hour workshop. We are constantly looking to expand this offer, so if there is a character you would like your students to meet, please do get in touch. Recent workshops have included The Fairy Godmother and Guy Fawkes!
Focus: English, Storytelling and Literacy
For: KS1-KS3
Cost: £220 + VAT for up to 30 students
An Audience With…
These magical experiences will immerse your little ones in a world created by a highly skilled professional actor with a character or theme of your choice. Our most popular character for this age group is the classic pantomime narrator, The Fairy Godmother.
With a wave of her wand, the Fairy Godmother transports your children to the land of make-believe. Each session will include songs, dancing, games, sensory activities and story-time. These will all be linked by and overarching workshop theme, which is adaptable to the topics currently being explored by the school/setting.
To discuss other characters please get in touch so that we can explore the possibility of a bespoke offer.
Focus: Literacy
For: Pre-school and EYFS
Cost: £220 + VAT
Become a Playmaker for the day and treat your school to a unique theatre experience based on a story of your choosing.
Led by a Mercury teaching artist, this workshop gives students a first-hand experience of a rehearsal and performance process packed into one fun filled day!
Utilising drama games and activities that introduce your students to tried and tested storytelling techniques, the group will create an entire play, from concept to performance.
Each pupil will get a speaking part as a character or narrator and all participants will be actively involved in the creation of the story.
Play in a day is a workshop and performance opportunity for students from KS1 to KS3 and we are happy to tailor the story to fit you your curriculum needs.
This a great activity for students to creatively socialise and build their skills in ensemble, communication and performance techniques.
Focus: English, Storytelling and Literacy
For: KS2-KS3
Duration: 1 full day / 5 hours
Location: School
Cost: £370 + VAT up to 30 students
This workshop is also available for students with SEND.
Working with a Mercury teaching artist, this project gives students a first-hand experience of a rehearsal and performance process.
Utilising drama games and activities that introduce your students to tried and tested storytelling techniques, the group will create an entire play, from concept to performance.
Each pupil will get a speaking part as a character or narrator and all participants will be actively involved in the creation of the story. We are happy to tailor the story to fit you your curriculum needs.
Focus: Literacy and Drama
For: KS1-KS4
Cost: Varies depending on content, hours per session, etc. Please contact us for more details.
This half day visit to the theatre gives students the opportunity to hear from a range of creative professionals about their jobs and to be inspired to pursue a future in the creative industries.
This includes a backstage tour of the theatre, a practical workshop and an interactive Q&A with the Mercury team.
Our Industry Day provides a unique insight into careers in the theatre and the wider creative and cultural sector, it’s also a lot of fun!
For: KS1-KS5
Capacity: 30 per group
Length: 2.5 hours
Cost: £220 + VAT for up to 30 students. 20% off discount for Mercury Teacher’s Network members.
“It was pitched excellently. It was great how the Mercury team made links to the curriculum and different career paths within different departments of the theatre. We would definitely recommend this to another schools/colleague, it was brilliant!” – Colchester Royal Grammar School
A 6-12 week project for a class sized group to focus on our of our performing arts topics, including theatre, dance, singing, costume design and podcasting & digital recording.
This bespoke series, led by industry professionals, offers participating young people the opportunity to learn new skills, explore creative expression, improve their communication and negotiating skills and work together as a team. We encourage the development of vocabulary, speaking & listening, presentation skills, all through self-expression and imaginative play. The project culminates in a sharing of ideas or a short performance at school for family and friends.
Our After School clubs can be offered as an ongoing after school club for your students. We can help you address a particular issue in your school or develop something for an end of term sharing on a particular topic or theme. Ideal for young people who wouldn’t necessarily be able to attend creative provision outside of school.
For: KS1-KS4
Clubs can run with a maximum of 30 participants at one time (there is no minimum) and we must have a member of school staff present throughout when delivering activity in a school setting. Please see below for further details.
Cost: Varies depending on content, number of weeks, etc. Please contact us for more details.
We pride ourselves on offering safe and inclusive activities for young people. Our promise to you is to provide a practitioner who will plan and deliver high quality sessions. By booking us for an after school club, we expect the school to safeguard their own students during clubs delivered by us. This includes being in the room for the duration of each session, registration at the start of each session and dismissal at the end of each session, and acting as a point of contact for our practitioner as needed. Our practitioners also cannot administer first aid. If you would like to discuss this further, please get in touch.
Make your school’s visit to the Mercury panto even more enriching with our fun workshop exploring character archetypes, fairy tales and conventional storylines.
This practical storytelling workshop is the perfect Christmas treat for a class-sized group before or after they’ve seen the show.
The workshop can take place either at school or at the theatre, and we can adjust the duration to fit with your lesson timetable.
For: KS1+
Cost: £200 +VAT
Commedia started in 16th century Venice, but its characters and style are easily recognisable in TV and film today.
We offer one-off two hour workshops and 6 week projects, exploring the history of the form, the “commedia family” and their physicality and characteristics. Working with a trained Commedia practitioner, students will develop scenes and practice clowning and slapstick.
Focus: English, Storytelling and Drama
For: KS1-KS4
Cost: 1 week – £165 + VAT for up to 30 students
6 weeks – £650 + VAT for up to 30 students
It’s not what you say, it’s the way that you say it…
In the session, students will work with one of our creative practitioners to improve their skills and confidence in public speaking. We will explore projection, tone, stance and body language. They will learn to articulate their ideas and opinions in an articulate and structured manner, as well as actively listening to their peers.
Focus: Literacy and Drama
For: KS3-KS4
Cost: £150 + VAT for up to 30 students
You tell us the theme, text or subject area, and we will develop a workshop or series of sessions using performing arts to bring your chosen topic to life!
Perhaps you would like to explore the history of theatre through a Commedia Dell Arte workshop, or maybe you would like to explore a STEM concept using a practical activity?
Get in touch to ask us. We really love a creative challenge!
For: KS1-KS3
Cost: From £200 + VAT