Month: February 2025

Jigsaw Stevenage Summer Camp! Monday 29^th July – Friday 2^nd August 2024

Jigsaw Performing Arts School Stevenage welcomes you to their Summer Camp! A week packed full of Singing, Games, Dance, Drama, Arts & Crafts and Dance. Taking place during the school Holidays this Summer. Students aged 5 – 16 are divided into age appropriate groups for their classes, but do join together for our breaks in the sunshine and arty/creative activities!

All of our students have input to help create the show / performance for our Jigsaw friends and families on the last day of the Summer Camp, with lights and costumes! The show is a great opportunity for our students to showcase to everyone a snippet of what they have been up to during their busy week, the skills they have learnt, and the friendships they have made.

Our students gain so much from their week of Summer fun with us! From our littlest ones up to our oldest, every child leaves Jigsaw Stevenage Summer Camp with great memories of their week. This summer, find a way for your children to keep fit, express themselves in their creative projects, perform, make new friendships, learn new skills within the performing arts, and grow even bigger confidence in themselves!

Summer Camp 2024 details –

Monday 29^th July – Friday 2^nd August 2024

Ages 3-5 Years – £80 for the Week (£70 for siblings) 9:30am-11:30am

Ages 5-16 years – £175 for the Week (£150 for siblings) 9am-3:30pm

Free wrap around care from 8:30am-9am and 3:30pm-4pm!

Join us this Summer for a week not to be missed! Book today!

Website: https://www.jigsaw-arts.co.uk/performing-arts-school/stevenage/

Facebook: @JigsawStevenage

Instagram: @jigsaw_stevenage

Call/Whatsapp: 01438 518336

Email: stevenage@jigsaw-arts.co.uk

Learn more about the classes at Jigsaw Stevenage here.

As parents, we have seen the change in the way we live our lives. We worry about how much time our children spend playing video games, watching YouTube and messaging friends. The more time they spend online the more distracted they become and they experience less true connections.

True connections are human experiences where we interact with people on a personal level. Combine these interactions with movement and creativity for a healthy combination that really feeds our mind, body and spirit. Dance, Drama and Singing classes really provide these interactions for our children when they are encouraged to collaborate with their peers to create a performance. It is such a positive environment for young people to be in.

Jigsaw Students laugh together in a drama class.

There are lots of activities that provide these connections for our children, many sports, youth clubs, music school, language school, they are all healthy environments for our children but performing arts really does tick all the boxes.

You don’t have to have aspirations to become a West End or film star to enjoy the very basic benefits of performing arts classes.

To stay connected in the human sense, give performing arts a try.

Search for a Jigsaw School near you here.

Thinking about Starting New? We can choose to start new at any time. Whether it be starting a new journey in a new field, exploring a new hobby, or perhaps revisiting an old one that we thought we no longer had time for. To start new, it is important to overcome any worries and take the first step.

The initial thought of starting new can be daunting for some. However, more often than not, trying out a new job role, hobby, or activity can be beneficial for us in many different ways. When we start new we spark energy within that unlocks hidden potential, vanishes our fears, and expands our minds.

At Jigsaw Arts, it is the start of our Summer Term and we have been overjoyed to welcome lots of new Students and Teachers to the Jigsaw Family. Starting new at Jigsaw is a welcoming experience. Our weekend classes are led by brilliant teachers who gently encourage our students to learn more about themselves and their abilities!

What are some of the benefits of starting new?

Improves brain function while we learn new information.

Meet new friends and boost morale.

Feel good about yourself and your new skill.

Become involved in a community.

The Jigsaw Ethos highlights the importance of finding your ‘Place To Belong’. We strongly believe in the benefits of our students meeting new friends in a place where they can truly be themselves and express themselves freely.

Each week at Jigsaw we see our students’ skills progress in each subject and their confidence grow as they step out of their comfort zone to try new things. From experimenting with new styles of dance, singing a solo for the first time, or exploring a new character in their drama class, there are lots of opportunities to start new at Jigsaw.

Why not start new and give our interactive performing arts classes a go? We offer a two-week trial to new students so that you can decide if your child has found their place to belong at Jigsaw Arts!

Find a Jigsaw School near you by entering your postcode into our venue finder here.

What are you working on this term at Jigsaw Harrow?

At the moment we are exploring dance, drama and singing through an ‘Under The Sea theme’. Having a theme really helps to engage the imagination of the group and gives us a focus for the term.

What do you think are the benefits of the performing arts?

The benefits of performing arts are endless, no matter your age or level of ability! The performing arts give us an increase in confidence, help with communication skills, improves our focus and brings us a sense of joy too!

As a Performing Arts teacher what do you hope to inspire in your young students?

Firstly, I would love to leave students with a sense of confidence, secondly a lifelong passion to continue with the performing arts I think, as I believe it to be so beneficial for our wellbeing. 

What is the thing you most enjoy about teaching this age group?

I love the imagination of the 3-4s, they have an incredible perspective on life and come up with ideas I never could have thought of! I love their energy and enthusiasm too!

As well as being a teacher for Jigsaw you are also an actor. What first inspired you to act?

I was a very shy child and acting gave me a chance to come out of my shell. I studied drama at college and then went on to study at East 15 to allow me to pursue acting professionally.

Can you tell us a little bit about the show you are in at the moment?

I start rehearsals for Robinson Crusoe in a couple of weeks’ time, which is a pantomime touring the Essex area and surrounds. It’s going to be fun (and loads of hard work) but I’m very excited!

What would your advice be to a young person who is keen to join a drama, dance or singing class but doesn’t know where to start?

I would to say to just go for it! Attending a new class can be scary but stepping out of your comfort zone will be well worthwhile. Find your local Jigsaw School! Jigsaw schools are all run by professional performers, but everyone is really friendly, and it is a place where every single student is valued for their unique contribution.

Jigsaw Performing Arts is dedicated to developing performance skills, promoting self-expression and building confidence. We offer performing arts classes for children aged between 3 – 18. Find your nearest school by entering your postcode into the search on our home page. 

Spotlight on New Jigsaw Students

“Before attending Jigsaw, my confidence was extremely low. Now it has helped me to gradually overcome my shyness and I feel I can achieve anything that I put my mind to.” 

Lashay lives in Islington, she is 13 years old and has 4 sisters and 5 brothers. She decided to come to Jigsaw to improve her confidence and for her love of singing and acting in particular. These are her favourite subjects at Jigsaw and she is inspired by the likes of singer Ariana Grande and her favourite actors Jessica Alba and Eddie Murphy, whose careers she admires. Lashay tells us that her Jigsaw teachers are lots of fun and very friendly whilst helping her to learn new skills and to apply herself as she considers herself be a hard worker. She also enjoys the aspect of helping others feel more comfortable in class. This is something she feels she can now achieve due to feeling more confident in her own ability.

Lashay hopes to be a singer or an actress one day. When we asked her “If you had a film of your life, who would you choose to play you?” she answered “Beyonce”. Watch this space!

“It was that workshop that changed my life. Only by a bit, but a bit is all that it takes to make your day. I know that Jigsaw can help me to become what I want to be.”

Natasha is 11 years old and is from Muswell Hill. She first became a Jigsaw student by attending one of our Summer Schools. She realised that a lot of the students attended every weekend so she decided to nag her mum to let her join as she had made lots of new friends and had enjoyed her new experience. Natasha said she couldn’t believe it when she was awarded a half scholarship as she didn’t ever think she would be so lucky.

She tells us: “I knew that people believed in my voice and my experience has proven that I can be something and that small things can help you do something huge.” When we interviewed Natasha to find out more about her, she told us that singing is her favourite subject at Jigsaw because it is so much fun and she is now confident enough to sing solo. We wanted to find out what she feels she has gained from being at Jigsaw and she explained that she enjoys being taught something new every week, the people are all lovely and she is able to come to Jigsaw and believe in herself. The highlight of the weekend for Natasha is “playing the Eastenders game” in drama and her favourite actors are Jennifer Lawrence and Theo James.

If someone was to play Natasha in a film of her life, she said it would have to be “someone that can show all of the features that I have”. Quite right!

Jigsaw Performing Arts is dedicated to developing performance skills, promoting self-expression and building confidence. We offer performing arts classes for children aged between 3 – 18. Find your nearest school by entering your postcode into the search on our home page.