Community
Explore community-led classes, workshops and activities happening at your local theatre.
We are proud to have a varied creative and exciting programme running across the Cliffs Pavilion and Palace Theatre, and we would love for you to get involved.
What we do
Storytelling
Join us once a month for storytelling at the Cliffs Pavilion.
Our stories are suitable for pre-school children upwards, together with their families. We will cover a variety of topics and themes, including some of the children’s shows we have coming up at the theatres.
Backstage tours
Backstage tours are run at both the Palace Theatre and Cliffs Pavilion, and are available for everyone - whether you are a school, community group or simply theatre enthusiasts.
Workshops
We are delighted to provide drama, singing, acting, dancing or musical theatre workshops that bring learning to life, through the magic of theatre, movement, sound and much more! Workshops can be delivered at the Cliffs Pavilion, Palace Theatre or we can come directly to your school or organisation.
Our workshops can be themed to a topic of your choosing. For example, we can offer workshops around heroes and villains, fairytales, mental health and wellbeing, a certain show, play or musical or something relative to your curriculum. Not only is a theatre workshop something different and fun, but also, they can help to aid young people’s critical thinking, creative problem solving and confidence.
Workshops must be booked via our Creative Learning Manager. Workshop costs vary depending on location, duration, and content.
For more information contact Emma on emmawa@southendtheatres.org.uk
Tea & Tales
Professional oral storytellers Hannah Brailsford and Peter Optical invite you to listen and engage with folk tales, fairy stories, wonder tales and myths both from our own shores and around the world, whilst enjoying a cup of tea/coffee and a slice of cake.
Education Resources
Many of our touring productions have workshops and/or teacher packs linked to the shows.
Relaxed Cinema Screenings
Our Relaxed Cinema Screenings are particularly suitable for people affected by dementia, their partners, family members and people who care for them professionally. We also offer these screenings appropriate for early years.
Palace Parent & Toddler Drama Group
Our Parent & Toddler drama classes at the Palace Theatre meet every Monday from 1.30pm to 2.30pm during term time. The class is suitable for children aged 2½ to 4 years old and is a great way for young people to explore their imaginations through song, music, movement and storytelling.
The class costs £5 a week.
Or call Emma on 01702 390472 to find out more.
Mini Musicians
These magical music classes are the first step in your child's musical development.
Weekly classes
At Southend Theatres we have seven Youth Theatre Groups. Tiny Palace for 4- to 7-year-olds, Little Palace for 7- to 11-year-olds, Young Palace for 11- to 16-year-olds. Palace Youth Company for 16- to 19-year-olds and a Technical Youth Company for 14- to 19-year-olds. Southend Theatres is proud to offer two youth theatre groups, known as Total Palace, for children and young people who may identify as neuro diverse or have additional needs. Total Palace has two classes. Our junior group is for 8–11-year-olds and our senior group is for 12-15 year olds.
Our Youth Theatres' work together to perform an annual show in the summer term at The Palace Theatre, which are always fantastic and original productions devised by the Youth Theatre's themselves.
The Technical Youth Company take part in three masterclasses per term and work on the technical side of the annual Youth Theatres production. To find out more or to enquire about joining one of our Youth Theatre Groups, please contact Emma on emmawa@southendtheatres.org.uk