Frequently
Asked Questions

Growth Guarantee

We are committed to “Growing Greatness” in every child we work with. In fact, we are so confident that this is the best drama education program available, that we are the only company in the world to offer a “Growth Guarantee”. Your child grows or it’s free. That means there is no risk to you! If your child does not grow through their participation in this program and they’ve participated in every class, then you’ll get your money back. It’s as simple as that.

What do you mean by GROWTH?

You get to decide! Most people have a really good idea of what they want from the program from the start. And we bet you do too. It could be that you would like your child to be more confident. Maybe they are incredibly “out there” already but you’d like to find a way to channel this energy and give them greater focus. Maybe you’d like them to build new friendships, learn new group skills and learn how to think creatively. Maybe you’d just like to see them having a great time. Maybe your child is already a natural performer and you would like to see them given the best possible start in the industry. No matter what your reason for joining us we can guarantee their growth. We bet even your child’s school doesn’t guarantee that!

How?

During the enrolment process, we work this out with you and your child before we even start in the workshop space. You tell us what you want to achieve through the classes. We tell you how we’re going to achieve it. And then we get started. Along the way it will be a three way communication where we all work together to achieve the outcome.

Is it really for my child?

Goat Track Kids is for every child. Sure, not everyone wants to be a performer, we understand that. Everyone joins our program for different reasons. Confidence and self-belief are important in any profession, whatever they choose to do with their life. So too are group skills and the ability to be a creative problem solver. Focus. Healthy Risk-taking. Communication Skills. Leadership Skills. These are all the gifts that we need no matter what our future aspirations might be. The only prerequisite is that your child wants to come to join the class. If they want to be working with us, we want to be working with them.

I’m not sure if they will like it. Can we try it out?

You sure can. Not only that, but we are so confident they will have a great time that we will offer you a FREE TRIAL to get started. Again, absolutely no risk to you! If your child attends the first lesson and decides it is not for them, it will cost you nothing.

How can you do this?

Because we believe we have the very best drama and acting classes for children and young people out there. Our program has been created with input from industry experts and qualified teachers who work with children of primary school age every day. All of this personal growth sounds amazing but what if my child really wants to be a performer or work in the industry when they are older? Will your program prepare them for this? If your child studies our program from the beginning until the end of their primary school education, they will cover units in puppetry, mask, acting for stage, acting for film, circus, street theatre, improvisation, pantomime, play-building, physical theatre, ritual, story telling, clowning, performance poetry, Brecht, Commedia Dell’Arte … even Shakespeare. Some high school drama programs don’t offer as much program depth and variety. Do you think your child would be getting a pretty good start if they could do all of these things while still at primary school? So do we. And we know it to be true because Goat Track Theatre is run by industry professionals who are currently working as actors, writers and directors. We believe that a grounding in the industry is a critical way to ground our practice. BUT, if we’re going to be teaching your children you don’t just want someone who can DO it, you want someone who can TEACH it. You want a real educational program, written by qualified teachers. That is what we offer! In fact our practice in primary drama school drama teaching is so well respected we are paid by primary schools to not only run drama workshops for their children but also to in-service primary school teachers in the use of drama in their classrooms.

I’d like to shop around for the best drama program. What should I ask?

We think that’s a really responsible thing to do. Remember: not all drama classes are created equal. Before deciding on your drama school ask them some questions.

Do you have professional educational qualifications?

A Bachelor of Education or Graduate Diploma in Education is a minimum international qualification. Our Goat Track Theatre Teacher Artists have these as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Theatre. All our staff have Blue Cards of course AND we have a registered Child Protection Policy in place, most “hobbiest” won’t have this and it’s placing your child in danger.

Has the program had the input of industry professionals?

If so, ask who and what they have done. Our program is not only designed by drama teachers with a combined experience of over 40 years, but also by current ‘practising’ industry professionals. Your children will be able to say that their teachers are in current shows or working as part of a creative team. Our team are touring artists and perform at international festivals and are called on to train other industry professionals. It’s important to note that just because they are an international theatre actor doesn’t mean they are equipped with working with young people in an appropriate way, hence why we insist on a degree that shows a capability to work with children and young people.

Do you guarantee that my child will learn or just that you will teach them?

There’s a huge difference! We don’t just guarantee your child entry – anyone can do that. We guarantee your child will grow. Taking their enrolment is one thing, probably the easiest part, but we promise to work with you and communicate regularly to provide feedback and updates.

How long have you been doing what you are doing?

If people are good at it, they can continue to do it for a long time. We’ve been doing it for over 10 years and we’ve been teaching children and young people for well over 40 years. Good news is, we don’t see the finish line either – we plan to be here for a long time doing what we love!

Is this your job or a hobby?

We take our “job” very seriously – it’s not a hobby. AND we love it. Our team of Teacher Artists don’t just turn up to the class for an hour or two and then go home or to another job that pays the bills, they work a full day with follow up in the office devoted to planning, preparing and communicating with our community.

Is your program developmental or do you simply repeat a couple of the same units year after year?

It’s okay if they are doing the same subject but changing the focus e.g. Puppetry: Year 1 students might be using finger and hand puppets. Year 4 students might be using shadow puppetry while Year 6 students are integrating life size puppets into a mask piece. Just make sure you’re not paying for exactly the same unit – year after year after year. We have 28 units to offer our primary school students AND we are constantly updating, revising and reviewing our units. Sometimes we even add new ones.

How long do your classes run for?

Our classes are run weekly for an hour. We also have school holiday programs, some of which are extra costs unless you are an annual member in which case they are included in your membership.

Do my kids take away any kind of certification from the program?

Goat Track Kids have a student of the week program plus an end of term and end of year awards program. We hand out certificates to our students whenever they complete their unit.

Growth Guarantee

We are committed to “Growing Greatness” in every young person we work with. In fact, we are so confident that this is the best Youth Ensemble and drama training program available, that we are the only company in the world to offer a “Growth Guarantee”. Your young person grows or it’s free. That means there is no risk to you! If your young person does not grow through their participation in this program and they’ve participated in every class, then you’ll get your money back. It’s as simple as that.

What do you mean by GROWTH?

You get to decide! Most people have a really good idea of what they want from the program from the start. And we bet you do too. It could be that you would like your young person to be more confident. Maybe they are incredibly “out there” already but you’d like to find a way to channel this energy and give them greater focus. Maybe you’d like them to build new friendships, learn new group skills and learn how to think creatively. Maybe you’d just like to see them having a great time. Maybe your child is already a natural performer and you would like to see them given the best possible start in the industry. No matter what your reason for joining us we can guarantee their growth. We bet even your young person’s school doesn’t guarantee that!

How?

During the enrolment process, we work this out with you and your young before we even start in the workshop space. You tell us what you want to achieve through the classes. We tell you how we’re going to achieve it. And then we get started. Along the way it will be a three way communication where we all work together to achieve the outcome.

Is it really for my YOUNG PERSON?

Our Fast Track Youth Ensemble isn’t for everyone, and that’s ok. However lots of people join our program for different reasons. Confidence and self-belief, building a portfolio of work for a profession career, some even join just to have fun and make new friends. The only prerequisite is that your young person wants to come to join the class. If they want to be working with us, then we want to be working with them.

HOW IS THE PROGRAM STRUCTURED?

Our Fast Track Youth Ensemble is broken up into two semester long projects which total 6 months each. They will focus in on a specific genre of theatre and prepare a production for showcase. These performances are normally shown alongside all of our ensembles and are presented festival style across a week. In the course of 1 year they can be expected to be in two productions and perform to public audiences. Our weekly classes run for 1.5 hours and towards the end of the rehearsal process there are always a couple of full day rehearsals in order to be performance ready.

HOW ARE THE FEES STRUCTURED?

Speak to our Client Concierge directly for a full fee disclosure. It’s important to note that our fees are all costs inclusive. There are no hidden props, staging or costume levies. When you sign up you will sign up for a semester though as it is important to show a commitment to the group and the process. Once roles and casting has been assigned you need to see the process through to the end in order to not cause too much disruption to the creative process. Goat Track Theatre does offer a variety of payment terms which we can talk you through.

I’m not sure if they will like it. Can we try it out?

You sure can. Not only that, but we are so confident they will have a great time that we will offer you a FREE TRIAL to get started. Again, absolutely no risk to you! If your young person attends the first lesson and decides it is not for them, it will cost you nothing.

How can you do this?

Because we believe we have the very best Youth Ensemble for young people out there and that is why we are one of Australia’s biggest and fastest growing ensembles for young people. Our program has been created with input from industry experts and qualified teachers who work with young people AND professionals every day. We’ve been in business for over a decide since 2009 and we have worked with thousands of young people so we know HOW to work with them and also what sorts of things keep them excited and engaged.

I’d like to shop around for the best drama program. What should I ask?

We think that’s a really responsible thing to do. Remember: not all drama classes are created equal. Before deciding on your drama school ask them some questions.

Do you have professional educational qualifications?

A Bachelor of Education or Graduate Diploma in Education is a minimum international qualification. Our Goat Track Theatre Teacher Artists have these as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Theatre. All our staff have Blue Cards of course AND we have a registered Child Protection Policy in place, most “hobbiest” won’t have this and it’s placing your young person in danger.

Has the program had the input of industry professionals?

If so, ask who and what they have done. Our program is not only designed by drama teachers with a combined experience of over 40 years, but also by current ‘practising’ industry professionals. Your young person will be able to say that their teachers are in current shows or working as part of a creative team. Our team are touring artists and perform at international festivals and are called on to train other industry professionals. It’s important to note that just because they are an international theatre actor doesn’t mean they are equipped with working with young people in an appropriate way, hence why we insist on a degree that shows a capability to work with children and young people.

Do you guarantee that my YOUNG PERSON will learn or just that you will teach them?

There’s a huge difference! We don’t just guarantee your young person entry – anyone can do that. We guarantee your young person will grow. Taking their enrolment is one thing, probably the easiest part, but we promise to work with you and communicate regularly to provide feedback and updates. This is above all else a TRAINING PROGRAM where your young person will be guided through the creative process and learn performance skills along the way. We always say, you learn more on the journey to the stage than in the performance on opening night.

How long have you been doing what you are doing?

If people are good at it, they can continue to do it for a long time. We’ve been doing it for over 10 years and we’ve been teaching children and young people for well over 40 years. Good news is, we don’t see the finish line either – we plan to be here for a long time doing what we love!

Is this your job or a hobby?

We take our “job” very seriously – it’s not a hobby. AND we love it. Our team of Teacher Artists don’t just turn up to the class for an hour or two and then go home or to another job that pays the bills, they work a full day with follow up in the office devoted to planning, preparing and communicating with our community.

Does my young person take away any kind of certification from the program?

On completion of the production, your young person will have access to the film production, photographic footage as well as a completion certificate showing their involvement.

We also have a Goat Track Kids (Grade 4-6) & Fast Track Program can also be delivered via our online program.

HOW DO YOU DELIVER YOUR ONLINE PROGRAM?

We use ZOOM as our preferred online platform as it offers a variety of safety features that are constantly updated and the built in features of ZOOM suit our requirements of rehearsing and sharing content with our students.

How can you teach drama via zoom in an online context?

You’ll be surprised how much you can teach via ZOOM. We focus on actor training techniques and skill development throughout these classes which enables the students to hone their craft. Students are still able to do small group work in their rehearsal rooms and students have even performed on ZOOM in a virtual event! The important thing to note is that you can’t just do a normal studio class on ZOOM. The teacher artist has to carefully devise a ZOOM lesson that is suitable for the context that encourages the student to interact with the technology as well as their peers in the class. Our ZOOM lessons are very active and creative.

what will we need from our end to make it work?

Preferably a laptop or a computer. Whilst you can access ZOOM from a tablet or phone, you do minimise the user experience by using them and we strongly advise a laptop or computer. You will need to ensure good lighting that lights up the face and a place to put the computer where it is possible for your child to stand up. These are active lessons and we even dance and move around so sitting down is not really the best option. Our teacher artists are standing the entire time! You will need at least 2m x 2m of free space to move around in, preferably in a quiet space that isn’t being interrupted by little sisters, pets or loud noises by other family members. We don’t encourage headsets as this can limit movability.

how do you ensure safety online?

Goat Track Theatre only passes codes out to parents in a private capacity and we only let enrolled students into our ZOOM rooms. Non-Video participants must be identified upon entry and registered immediately in order to verify all participants. We frequently update all of our cyber security. All of our online classes are also covered by our T&Cs and Insurances.

can we try it first?

As per our studio classes we always allow students to have access to a FREE TRIAL first.