Workshops and Projects

First Floor is West Yorkshire Playhouse's venue for you if you are aged 11 to 19 (14 to 25 with a learning disability). Whether you want to try something new or develop your skills, there are lots of different music, drama and art activities on offer.

ff_purple_hat.jpgWeekly Sessions

Pay as you go

For these sessions you don't have to book in advance or come every week. You just have to arrive in time for the start of the session and pay £1.50 each time you come.

Friday Night Music
Fridays from 20 January to 27 April (5-7pm)

(There will be no session on 6 April.)

Come and try our friendly, informalLivin' Vocallysinging group and develop skills in harmonising, improvising, song writing and performance. You are welcome to bring a friend, an instrument if you play one - or just yourself! This term the group will be working towards a public performance on 28 April as part of theLeeds CanvasOlympic celebrations. Everyone is welcome - no experience necessary.

Saturday Sessions
11am-12.30pm (doors open 10.30am)

These are informal and fun, with something different on offer each week and a mixture of art, music and drama based activities across the term. Below is a list of this term's Sessions; if you want to know more about any of them please get in touch. (All materials and equipment provided).

T-Shirt Painting 21 January
Rubbish Percussion 28 January
Confidence Through Performance 4 February
How to be Funny! 11 February
Costume Design 18 February
Songwriting 25 February
Silent Movie Acting 3 March
Special FX Theatre Make-Up 10 March
Stage Management Tricks of the Trade 17 March
Glee Mash Ups 24 March

Projects

ff_girls.jpgFor these projects you need to come each week for a few weeks (or for a few days if it's during school holidays), you must book in advance and be able to come for all the dates listed. Contact the Playhouse Box Office to book (see back of leaflet).

Breeze Arts Foundation:  Drama

This drama course is for you if you are 15 to 19 years old and not attending regular education, training or employment. You will learn a range of performance skills, find out about different jobs in the arts, devise and perform your own scenes and gain an Arts Award qualification.

Wednesdays & Thursdays 18 January to 29 March, 9.30am-3pm

Age:  15 to 19

Cost:  free (contact us to find out more)

Soundscape: Music

You will explore the sounds of your city using rubbish, percussion, your voice and anything else you can find! Focussing on Leeds landmarks, from Briggate to the Town Hall, you will develop your performance techniques and create your own original music. (See above for the related Saturday Session on 28 January!).

Saturdays 4, 11, 18 & 25 February, 3 & 10 March, 1pm - 3pm

Celebration Event 31 March, afternoon

Age:   11 to 19 (up to 25 with a learning disability)

Cost: £10

Raw Flow: Poetry & Performance Techniques

Working with First Floor, Leeds Young Authors and Phoenix Dance Theatre, you will use poetry, body percussion, theatre and dance techniques to create original poems and performance, which will explore identity, culture and the changing trends of Leeds. Your public performance in Leeds city centre and West Yorkshire Playhouse will reflect your views of Leeds and its people, united through the power of words.

Tuesdays 28 February, 6, 13, 20 & 27 March, 3 April, 5.30pm - 7.30pm

Saturdays, 21 April, 3pm - 6pm

28 April afternoon (times to follow)

Age                13 to 19

Cost               £10

Angus, Thongs and Even More Snogging

Drama & Storytelling
Half-term project

Explore the lives, loves and laughs that are the world of Angus, Thongs and Even More Snogging! You will have the chance to play with scrapbooking, storyboarding, graphic novel, drama and other storytelling techniques to create a world like Georgia Nicholson's. (Writing skills not necessary).

Thu 16 to Fri 17 February, 10am - 3pm

Sat 18 February, 1.30pm (Theatre Trip)                                 

Age:   11 to 19 (up to 25 with a learning disability)

Cost:  £16 (includes ticket to see Angus, Thongs and Even More Snogging)

P.S. Keep an eye out for Bad Drama Competition projects in Leeds…

Urban Arts: Art, Music & Drama
Easter holiday project

This vibrant project is your opportunity to develop or hone your skills in a range of urban arts including DJing, beatboxing, MCing and graffiti. You will work with specialist artists to produce performances and artwork that showcase your take on urban culture.

Tue 3 to Thu 5 April, 10am - 3pm

Age:  11 to 19 (up to 25 with a learning disability)

Cost:  £15

Projects For Young People With Learning Disabilites

These work just the same as other projects at First Floor but are designed especially for young people with learning disabilities. If you are new to First Floor please call us on 0113 245 5252 for an informal chat about access.

Chinese New Year Art
2012 is the Year of the Dragon. Join us for this one-off workshop to make vivid and beautiful artwork inspired by Chinese New Year.

Saturday 21 January, 1pm - 3pm

Cost: £1.50

Music Making
Come and make music with us on three afternoons in January. You will be working with two artists to try out singing and percussion and creating your own piece of music.

Saturdays January 28, February 4 & 11, 1pm - 3pm 

Cost: £5

Swallows and Amazons
Working with a drama tutor you will explore the story of Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome, looking at the themes of friendship, adventure and even pirates to find ways of telling the story through different drama techniques.

This series of four workshops is for young people who already have some experience of drama through college, school or First Floor. You will also get the chance to go and see Swallows and Amazons at the West Yorkshire Playhouse with the drama group.

Fridays March 9, 16, 23 & 30, 5pm - 7pm

Cost: £16 (includes ticket to see the show)

Get Caught Reading!
We will be launching a First Floor Book Crossing point at the Open Day on 14 January.  We also have plans for book borrowing and discussion sessions - look out for more info at First Floor!

Arts Awards

First Floor is an Arts Award Welcome Centre and all First Floor activities can contribute towards Arts Award qualifications. You can book in to one of our 'surgeries' for help or to find out more. Please contact us to make an appointment.

Saturday 28 January, 1.30 - 2.30pm
Saturday 18 February, 1.30 - 2.30pm
Saturday 17 March, 1.30 - 2.30pm

Age:   11 to 19 (up to 25 with a learning disability)

Cost: free

End of Term Celebration


Make sure you put this date onto your calendar!This is your chance to see/perform again for friends and family and celebrate each other's achievements at First Floor. More details will follow nearer the time. Open to everyone - bring your friends and family!

Saturday 31 March, 2pm - 4pm

Cost: free

Open Day

Drop in any time to find out about new projects, join in one of the free workshops or just have a look around! Open to everyone - all welcome!

Saturday 21 April, 11am - 3pm

Cost:  free

On Stage Soon

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Liked it last year, still love it now, can’t wait to get back to Livin’ Vocally and try some new Saturday sessions!
Participant

At the Playhouse

The Playhouse provides one of the country's most comprehensive arts education programmes alongside performances that engage and excite young people.  First Floor, a new space dedicated to working with anyone aged 11 to 19, or 14 to 25 with a learning disability, was opened in January 2009, and its eclectic range of activities and projects continue to attact young people to try something new or develop their skills with different music, drama and art activities on offer in fully accessible, light and airy studios on Quarry Hill.promo_wyp_night.jpg
A number of tickets are available for performances at no cost  as part of the Under26 Scheme, and young people can help spread the word about how great theatre and the arts can be by signing up as a Young Ambassador.