There’s an exciting new challenge soon for members of our Parkhead Resource Centre for adults with learning difficulties in Ashington.
Emma Leigh of the Milly Performance Academy is launching Parkhead’s new musical theatre group on 6 February 2013. Emma already teaches a popular Just Jhoom class at the Centre, mixing Indian dance with salsa and dashes of hip-hop, jive and jazz to give our members a great fitness workout.
Now she is going to help her students to tackle the demands of staging a musical too. Emma says the sessions will use “all aspects of musical theatre such as singing, movement and acting to boost confidence in those who need it and encourage social interaction within the group and the community as a whole”.
The sessions will require a bit more room for movement than the Parkhead centre has available however, so the local Scout Group has kindly offered to let our members hold their classes in the nearby scout hut.
We should be able to look forward to the theatre group’s first production before too long according to Emma: “The group will put together a performance incorporating everything learned in the sessions. They will learn lines and music, which helps with memory, and will exercise with the movement and dancing.”
Parkhead Day Centre is a partnership between St Cuthbert’s Care and Northumberland Care Trust. It offers stimulating educational activities for adults with learning difficulties and helps improve self-esteem and confidence. Membership requires a referral from the Care Trust.
If you would like more information about Parkhead, or any of St Cuthbert’s Care’s services for adults with learning disabilities, please contact Gill Ennis on 0191 228 0111.