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Opening Doors for the Hard of Hearing

Think someone who can’t hear can’t appreciate the theatre? Think again! At The Joan, we provide theatre training for people with disabilities, through the affiliated Q Theatre Company. For this reason, we were recently included in Connect Hearing’s list of ‘Get Involved with Courses for the Hard of Hearing’.

 

The Joan is a venue presenting the best in music, theatre and dance and is also home to our teaching facility the Penrith Conservatorium of Music, which provides quality music education for students of all ages and abilities. More recently, the Q Theatre Company (formerly Railway Street Theatre Company and originally the Q) moved to The Joan. Building on the substantial legacy of the Q Theatre Company, we now provide theatre training to young people aged 5-18, and people with a disability, as well as making innovative and community-focused performances.

 

‘Student-focussed,’ says Connect Hearing of the Access Ensemble program, ‘everyone gets the most out of the training based on their individual needs.’ Our Access Ensemble performing arts course is ideal for anyone who is hard of hearing or deaf. We offer the chance to experience the thrill of the theatre – and to develop your skills in performance arts – in a professional environment. But the best part about the course is the tutors.They are the kind-hearted, compassionate, and professional teaching artists that know how to make the theatre come alive – they make learning acting, movement, and expression as fun as it should be.

 

Participants in Access Ensemble gain and develop:

 

– Theatre skills and experience in a professional theatre environment;

 

– Confidence in their own voice, body and expression;

 

– Friendships with exciting new people;

 

– New forms of expression;

 

– Confidence through engaging with wider audiences.

 

At the end of the course, students get to perform in front of the public in our state-of-the-art theatre. This gives everyone who becomes a cherished part of The Joan an experience to remember forever.

 

Access Ensemble builds the classes around the participants. For anyone who signs up, no matter what their ability, we tailor each session around them. We’ve had lots of students of all ages with a hearing loss and have created a perfect space in which to make new friends, build confidence and have some fun.

 

Come try it out and see what The Joan is about. You’ve got nothing to lose, and the theatre to gain.