CANVAS BAG DRAMA
We have classes available at our Merivale Campus, our Bromley Reserve Campus and our Halswell Campus.
To sign up, please email us and tell us the name and age of your child and your choice of class.
We try to respond within 24 hours and let you know availability.
We acknowledge that parents may need, for ease of transport, to have two children of different ages in the same class. Where individual ages of children are spread across two classes we generally can accommodate this by putting them both in the older class. This only works between classes one step up. Talk to us and we can offer suggestions, or trial a combination that works.
Canvas Bag Drama School offers a non-obligation one class trial. Please ring or email to book your space and complete an enrolment form upon arrival. We appreciate your courtesy in confirming a permanent enrolment or not, within 24 hours of the trial class.
For more detailed information about our conditions of attendance and policies, please review the Parent Information.
Our terms are usually 9 weeks. We are closed on statutory holidays.
Canvas Bag Drama school run 2-3 day holidays workshops in collaboration with the Isaac Theatre Royal.
Workshops are age ranked: 7-9 years, 10-12 years and 13-17 years.
These workshops are designed to challenge children and teenagers with new ideas about acting and performance. Students will immerse themselves in a fun social environment and learn improvisation skills through a selection of high energy and fun games. They will dabble in musical theatre including voice work and contemporary choreography in the beautiful surroundings of the majestic Isaac Theatre Royal.
The workshop will take place over three days culminating in a showcase of what the students have been working on, performed on the Isaac Theatre Royal stage!
Students need to supply energy, a willingness to learn, and bundles of imagination!
Details of all workshops are on the Isaac Theatre Royal webpage approximately four weeks ahead of the workshop and online bookings can be made directly from the web page.
Harry is an actor, director and playwright who has been in performing arts circles by the time he could talk. Originally from Swansea (Wales), Harry has been involved in a wide variety on theatre disciplines including musical theatre, improvisation, physical theatre and puppetry and has toured with Creature Encounter, an internationally acclaimed street theatre puppetry group. Since moving to Christchurch, Harry founded and continues to run the Hwyl Theatre Company (circa 2019) with his partner Emma which provides original theatrical productions across the South Island.
Harry's fundamental approach to teaching is that it must always be led with joy. Young actors spark the real creatives in themselves when they shed off the weight of doubt and self-consciousness and embrace deliberate expression, foolishness and joy. While performing is a discipline and requires discipline, joy is what inspires children and young people to grow in confidence, personal expression and belief in their own ideas and creativity. No matter what age each student arrives at when they join Canvas Bag, Harry and all our tutors see the growth and journey each child can take with us. The pedagogy of Canvas Bag Drama is thinking about growth the long term, action in the short term, and begins with sparking the joy of theatre into everyone.
After founding and running the drama school for over 30 years, Felicity is delighted to continue to offer her experience and expertise to the current owner and director. Felicity believes that imaginative games are the catalyst for the intellectual and emotional growth of children and Canvas Bag Drama School is living proof of this amazing pedagogy. She considers drama to be a privileged joyful interplay, and loves to see children, through the dramatic play the school provides, move effortlessly between a real world and an imagined one.
Andrew has a keen interest in improvisation, and encourages imagination and quick thinking within conventional storytelling structure, and improvisation itself. As a deep appreciator of storytelling, Andrew encourages his students to find the patterns within all stories, and to understand the rules of regular storytelling so that they may be broken in interesting ways!
Currently pursuing a Masters in Child and Family Psychology, Andrew's focus is on the students; their growth, learning and fun. But Andrew is no slouch in the performing arts; as a classically trained singer with many plays and musicals under his belt, he is ready to impart his knowledge effectively. His teaching is characterised by empathy and humour.
Caitlyn has a Bachelor of Science majoring in psychology with a minor in statistics from the University of Canterbury. She began her theatre training with Harlequin Players, and later joined Riccarton Players, appearing on stage in a variety of roles. As an accomplished singer, she was part of the specialist music programme at Burnside where she sang in the Bel Canto choir and performed in several Showbiz productions. She has worked as a director for Canterbury University groups Musoc and Dramasoc, and led improvisation workshops with SayWhat.
Caitlyn enjoys weaving technical knowledge of the voice and body with artistic endeavours. She believes that improvisation has played a key role in her development as not just a performer but a person, and is passionate about making this form of play available to anyone wanting to flourish.
Josiah is a writer and performer based in Ĺtautahi Christchurch. He holds a degree in English, Anthropology & History, connecting his wide interests in people. As a performer, he has worked across Aotearoa and in Australia in cutting-edge black-box independent work. He is an experienced storyteller and deviser, having written five books, most recently "i'm still growing", released by Dead Bird Books in 2024. When teaching drama, Josiah focuses on a people-first approach, identifying what makes the class tick and building ensemble before moving on to a wide range of teaching, including in his specialty area, physical theatre.
Khalil Qualls has been teaching drama to children for over a decade. He has experience working with a wide range of ages and backgrounds, and he has a passion for theatre that demands to be shared. Khalil believes that theatre is an important part of collaborative storytelling, requiring people to contribute many different skills to this storytelling. Working on putting together a play teaches important values: teamwork, communication, bravery, autonomy, respect and responsibility; values that apply to almost every sphere of life. Khalil works to create an inclusive, accepting teaching environment, where everyone can be safe, be themselves and be creative.
When he isn't teaching drama, Khalil is an actor and director. He directed JMO Theatric's 2024 retelling of Julius Caesar, and assistant directed/managed props for Hwyl theatre's 2024 production of Under Milk Wood. Khalil is also a visual artist and writer. He is excited for another year with Canvas Bag!
Will is a native of Otautahi who has been working in the theatre scene since 2017. Although primarily an actor, Will has gained a wide range of experience across all aspects of theatre life, working as a director, producer, stage manager, tech, crew, and more. Over his life Will has had many teachers in the world of drama, and is excited to pass on the passion for creation, performance, and joy that they have instilled in him to a new generation of actors.