Wollongong kids enjoy a little drama
Erin Bubb (left), pictured with Wollongong corps officer Captain Phil Inglis, hold the Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child boxes that will go to children in need.
School kids in Wollongong had fun exploring their creative side in two drama workshops over the spring school holidays.
Erin Bubb, a primary school teacher and Salvationist at the Wollongong Corps, led the classes, which ran on each Wednesday during the holidays.
The workshops were offered to students from the Wollongong area including those in lower-income areas and families involved the corps’ First Floor program. They were also open to those who wouldn’t normally be able to afford regular drama lessons.
“I came across a lot of kids who loved drama and asked for lessons, but their parents couldn’t afford it and they didn’t have the time. So I wanted to make some workshops that were accessible to those kids in the holidays,” says Ms Bubb.
“I really wanted to reach those children and parents who really needed this experience – so they could come along and have some stress-free times and fun.”
The workshops were open to primary school age kids, who took part in drama games, activities and creative arts projects. The kids creatively expressed themselves through movement, improvisation, creating character masks, or writing a story. The session concluded with the children working together to prepare the Christmas boxes to be sent overseas.
Attendees were charged a small fee with the money going towards sending boxes with gifts to children in need through the Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child charity. The boxes were filed with small toys and items such as clothing, underwear and toothpaste.
“It was a nice way for the kids to learn that it’s important to do things for others,” says Ms Bubb.
After the success of the program over the school holidays, Ms Bubb hopes the drama workshops can become a regular program for the kids.
“It’s great for helping kids to integrate and mingle with others and drama is a great way to do it,” says Ms Bubb.
The classes were held at the Wollongong Corps building, with each two-and-a-half hour workshop attracting around 30 students.
Erin is a primary school teacher with the Department of Education and runs a business called Acting Up Drama Academy, offering speech and drama classes to people aged five to 25. A devoted Salvationist, Erin has taught drama for many years at Salvation Army music camps in Sydney, Queensland and New Zealand, and has been involved in Red Shield kids camps for more than 10 years.
“My real mission, my real heart, is to create an environment where kids, whatever their background, can learn and be engaged in a fun, safe environment,” she says.
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