I remember reading the Annabel Karmel recipe books for cooking inspiration when my children were young.

One of the pasta sauce recipes she recommended was great because the vegetables were disguised, resulting in a delicious pasta sauce filled with vitamins and goodness which my children loved – and I loved because there were no battles getting greens into them.  It was also a very effective way to introduce new vegetables which they had not tried before and which they now enjoy all the time.

"Invisible goodness wrapped up in a fun hour of games, role-play, dance routines and songs."

Why am I telling you this? Well, in a nutshell, I see Perform as a bit like the pasta sauce – invisible goodness wrapped up in a fun hour of games, role-play, dance routines and songs. The children think they are simply enjoying an hour of fun, however, they are actually being equipped with essential social skills building confidence. And if children get those skills at a young age, they’ll have them for life.

Lots of parents worry about their children being shy or reticent but I've always believed that confidence should be taught in the same way we teach times tables. You learn them when you’re young and you remember them forever. Becoming a confident and communicative person is exactly the same and if you can do it from an early age; it’s transformational for everything that follows.

We all want our children to be happy, to feel confident enough to try new things and interact well with their peers and adults. Taking part in regular drama activities really helps children with all of this. It encourages confident and fluent speaking, boosts reading and writing abilities. It enhances coordination and spatial awareness. Rescuing a mermaid from a pirate ship might seem like a fun and imaginative improvisation for 6 year olds, but it's teaching problem-solving and team-work too.

"Being exposed to drama, dance and singing lessons changed my life."

I have lost count of how many parents say to me “If only I’d done Perform when I was young, it would have really helped me”.

I think it’s safe to say that I’m a confident person. I’m not an extrovert but I am able to handle myself confidently in most situations. But aged 5, I really wasn’t.  Being exposed to drama, dance and singing lessons from an early age changed my life and that was the reason I decided to start Perform. Not to create just another drama school, but to deliver classes which have a specific focus on developing a child’s confidence and social skills.

Come and try a free class at your nearest venue and see whether your child has a taste for it.