Mission:

Original Kids Theatre Company enriches and celebrates the lives of young people through the arts, providing them with opportunities to mature and to learn positive values through a variety of theatre experiences in a safe and challenging environment.

Philosophy:

Original Kids Theatre Company is a performing arts organization where young people can grow and flourish without the fear that taking a risk is wrong or dangerous. It’s a total theatre experience where our youth can blossom as performers. The learning extends further than that. Original Kids is an attitude of support and a standard of behavior. It is an environment in which kids can feel safe expressing themselves without fear of ridicule. After all, they’re among friends. Our carefully chosen artistic staff has found a way to produce fine results on the stage, while maintaining the natural spontaneity of the child. They nurture a love of the arts by sharing their knowledge and passion with anyone who will learn and listen.Original Kids Theatre was not formed to create stars. Each child already shines in his or her own special way. It is hoped that through exposure to the arts, youth will more easily share in the joy of life with a heightened appreciation for themselves and those around them.

Our Creative Staff's Priorities

1. Participation
We do whatever we can (within each production) to make every child important and busy.

2. Excitement and Fun
If we are going to take a big piece of a kid's weekend, we should replace it with the anticipation, the friendship, the teamwork, the personal ownership and the general feeling of "going big time", "aiming high", "shooting for the stars", "making the big stretch" that real theatre is about for all of us.

3. Artistic Excellence
This is really important but we want to arrive at it through the first and second priorities and through solid, well organized and motivated rehearsals and thorough pre-production planning.

Our Programs:

Main Cast Company

The Main Cast of Original Kids is an ensemble of over 300 Kids between the ages of 8 and 18. In the Main Cast we produce up to 22 productions a year, most take place in our own Spriet Family Theatre in the Covent Garden Market. We also perform one or two shows a year in the Wolf Perfomance Hall and one in the Rotary Reading Garden both at London's Central Public Library. Our season starts in September (after Labour Day weekend) and continues until the Kids finish their second project with us which is some time between March Break and August depending where their project falls into our schedule. During their first year, one of the two projects the Kids do will be a workshop series program called T.A.G. which trains the young actor in skills essential to stage work. During the other half of the year they work on a production that will perform for the public. Rehearsals for both types of projects are at least twice each week - one or two time slots during the week in the evening and one time slot on the weekend. They are with us between 5 and 9 hours per week during rehearsals and of course more during a performance week.

Summer Camp Program

Camp OK is a safe and nurturing environment where young people can grow and flourish. It is a total theatre experience where children can blossom as performers. But theatre is not the only aspect of Camp OK… We also offer lunchtime games, sports activities, water events and lots of whole camp fun. Camp OK is an attitude - an atmosphere of support. It is an environment in which kids and young adults can express themselves openly. After all, they’re among friends. Original Kids Summer Camp is for campers aged 7 and up and has four different sessions accepting up to 200 kids per session. We have different shows targeting several age groups. Our four sessions at camp run every summer with alternating sessions which will allow campers to attend consecutive sessions and do different shows. Camp availability is on a first-come first-served basis. Online registration makes it easy to sign up for an exciting summer at Camp OK.

Kidlets Program

Kidlets is an introductory theatre program, developed to encourage 5 – 8 year olds (Summer KAMP KIDLETS ages: 5-7) to explore their self-expression and creativity through music, movement, drama, art, fun and friendship. Family and friends are invited to a gala performance the last day of the program. The Kidlets program allows children who are not yet old enough for Main Cast or Summer Camp to be involved in theatre. Kidlets has three 8 week sessions in the fall and winter, along with two March Break sessions ( morning and afternoon) and four 2 week sessions of half day summer camps (morning and afternoon).