What a year it has been. From devastating
bush fires in Australia, Prince Harry leaving the Royal Family; to the panic of
containing the Corona virus which has affected so many of us. Indeed, things
have changed very quickly. It is during these uncertain times we have found
ourselves in the position where we need to balance our desire for social
cohesion with the safety of the vulnerable in our society. As the months have
dragged into the second half of the year we have further come to the
realisation that our future is unpredictable and now more then ever we need to
work together to ensure we leave a sustainable planet for our children.
At Helen O’ Grady we have based the onus of
our program on the development of confidence and speech through the dramatic
arts. The award-winning, international methodology and techniques have given those that are extroverted
the tools to express themselves in a confident and articulate manner and those
that are introverted a sense of belonging and a safe space to develop their
communication skills. These learnt skills our students will carry into their
daily lives long after they have left the academy. The importance of effective
face to face communication has long been understood to be the cornerstone of
successful interviews, business practice and networking. But times are changing,
and this year will be remembered for a complete overhaul in everything we
viewed as normal and of course ZOOM.
By quickly identifying the need for an
online course, the Helen O’ Grady Drama Academy drew from the expertise of our
principals across borders to take our entire course online and later to give
live lessons to our loyal students through Zoom. We cannot wait to reconnect with our students
in-class, but as we slowly and carefully reopen studios during this unprecedented
time we have come to the realisation that this is the beginning of a “new
normal”. A certainty of what the future will hold in a myriad of speculation will be the importance of online communication skills.
We have seen the memes and understand that
too many in person meetings and interviews are often time consuming and could
have been done online. That along with an ever-increasing movement towards globalisation is why working remotely will provide a broader web of skills for employers and be
kinder to the environment. We are moving into a time where you can apply for a
job in your hometown or anywhere else in the world your imagination and
qualification can take you. Most importantly it is now more than ever that
being able to conduct yourself in a confident and articulate manner online is
an undeniable advantage for the future job market.
Although not ideal as we prefer a hands-on
approach, the current circumstances have presented us with an opportunity to
broaden our student skill set. Through Zoom lessons we are arming our students
with the tools to express themselves in an online group environment and too
have the confidence to ace that important interview! We believe all our
students have the potential to make an impact anywhere in the world and as
always, we are excited to help them get there.
Yours Sincerely,
Nastassja Potgieter
