WHAT IS SHOWMAKERS?
Showmakers is a musical theatre school for children aged 4-18 located in the vibrant town of Peterborough/Nogojiwanong. Founded by dance-theatre artist Dreda Blow and musician/composer Bruno Merz, Showmakers is more than a place of learning- it’s a community. It’s a place where kids can be completely themselves, where we honour our uniqueness, and celebrate the weird, wild, and wonderful in all of us!
We are SUPER passionate about theatre and believe in the powerful way live performance brings people together. Theatre training cultivates confidence, empathy, and communication skills, while offering an outlet for creativity and self-expression. And our process of collaborative creation fosters lasting friendships in a beautiful and unique way. At Showmakers, we aren't just training students in the craft of theatre-making, we are nourishing innovative, compassionate, and brave young humans who will bring positive change to the world.
WHAT DO WE OFFER?
We currently offer two types of programs: the original Showmakers creation programs in which students develop their own unique piece of theatre, and Showmakers Presents... where students mount a famous play or musical on the stage.
We offer Showmakers Creation programs to a wide range of ages from 4-18. Alongside drama, dance, and vocal training, students are led through a process of brainstorming, creative play, script writing, and rehearsal resulting in an original piece of theatre. Creating a show together requires a huge amount of dedication and teamwork! It's incredibly thrilling to bring something new into the world that features each student's unique gifts and contributions. Students end up with a special kind of ownership over the creation that brings immense pride and joy to all of us.
More recently, we have started offering new Showmakers Presents... programs for ages 10+ as an alternative to our Creation programs. Ideal for students who are ready for the process of auditioning, script analysis, and more complex vocal work and choreography, Showmakers Presents involves mounting existing plays and musicals. There is so much to learn through the process of bringing a full production to life! And of course, we maintain the Showmakers spirit of innovation and collaboration as we approach these famous shows.
WHEN DO PROGRAMS RUN?
Typically we offer after-school and weekend programming for two terms each year: a short Fall Term culminating in a Variety Show Fundraiser for a local charity, and a long Winter/Spring term that ends with a performance on stage at the Peterborough Theatre Guild.
For our young performers aged 4-6, we normally run 3 short terms- Fall, Winter, Spring- each culminating in a final show in our little home theatre at St. Luke's.
We also offer weeklong Summer Camps (full days for ages 7-18, half days for ages 4-6) for a range of ages, each culminating in a performance at our home stage in St. Luke's.
HOW CAN WE JOIN?
We are grateful for the overwhelming amount of interest in Showmakers we have received from the community since opening 5 years ago. Although we have been exploring ways of accommodating more young performers, there is still a lengthy waiting list for many of our programs, particularly for students aged 4-12. We apologise to all families who have been waiting for a long time to join our programs. We look forward to welcoming your theatre-makers as soon as possible!
IF YOU'D LIKE TO REGISTER YOUR CHILD FOR A PROGRAM OUR BEST ADVICE IS TO JOIN THE WAITING LIST RIGHT AWAY!
Registration for our Fall Term programs opens in June, and for Winter/Spring programs in December. We open registration to current students first and then fill any remaining spaces with students on the waiting list.
If we offer a brand new program, we will normally send a newsletter to all of our subscribers welcoming anyone to join, regardless of whether they are on the waiting list or not.
Summer camp registration works differently. Each January, we open registration to everyone at the same time, and will spread the word in a newsletter to all subscribers, waitlisters, and current students. Registration opens in January and is first come/ first serve.
Please subscribe so we can keep you in the loop!