Theatre and Dance

Maralyn is co-founder and joint principal of the Bradford Stage and Theatre School which meets every Saturday morning during term time at the city's Priestley Centre. The School's main aim is to provide a safe and comfortable space where its students can act and interact.

Maralyn says: "We started this off really because we wanted to give disadvantaged children the opportunity to come to drama and express themselves, and it's worked really well."

Ten years ago Maralyn tried to get her own son into a stage school: "My son, who has Downs Syndrome, desperately wanted to do drama and acting (as he called it) and he was very good at it anyway. I tried lots and lots of places in Bradford and I couldn't find anything." Her son was accepted by The Priestley but found himself in class of 36.

Maralyn

Maralyn adds: "Because of his attention span it just wasn't working but he did, nevertheless, seem to enjoy himself. I spoke to the Director of Education down there and I said, 'I've got another five people who want to do this, all with learning disabilities.'  Maralyn was given the go-ahead to start her own class for young people with disabilities and, when The Priestley's Director of Education left, she took over the running of all the drama classes. At that time the theatre's House Manger, Geri Diamond, also became involved and is now the School's co-Principal.

The future of the drama classes seemed uncertain when, in 2003, The Priestley Centre went dark due to financial difficulties. Maralyn and Geri had to keep the classes going on their own and the Bradford Stage and Theatre Group was born. Now new life has come back to The Priestley and Maralyn is pleased the school has been able to return to its old home: "It's a wonderful little place and it serves us well. We are very lucky to have it because it's one of the only small theatres in Bradford to have a proscenium arch and our young people really like that."

Bradford Stage and Theatre School is a not-for-profit organisation but it does charge fees. Maralyn explains: "We have a fee so we can pay tutors. The one thing I do want is very good tutors and for very good tutors you have to pay..."

Just one production!

Above all students get the chance to tread the boards but it certainly doesn't stop there. Those who want to can study for exams and there are also opportunities to find out about such things as lighting and sound, how to costume a show or be a stage manager. Maralyn says: "If they want it they can have it, but we don't push it. That goes for everything. We listen to what young people want, we don't push them into what we want them to do. That's the difference with us. A lot of drama and theatre schools I've been to seem to be quite pushy but we ask young people what they want and point them in the right direction."

One new venture this year is musical theatre which will culminate in a show involving the whole school just before Christmas. Maralyn is keen to stress this will not be a musical. And the school does not intend to stand still: "Really we want to just move with the times and give the young people as much experience in the way of drama, of music, of excitement, as we can. Whatever's out there, we will try and provide it to the best of our ability."

But, above all, what Maralyn wants to do is share the enjoyment she has got from theatre with anyone coming along to The Priestley Centre on a Saturday morning. She says: "I just wanted to extend this to other young people so they can experience what I have experienced, and get the same joy out of it as I have."

[Bradford Stage and Theatre School is based at The Priestley in Chapel Street Bradford. For more details take a look at their website at www.bradfordstage.co.uk]