What is LAMDA?
LAMDA is one of the oldest and most respected awarding bodies in the UK, offering practical examinations in communication and performance for over 130 years. Over time this qualification has helped hundreds of thousands of candidates of all ages and abilities to develop lifelong skills.
The LAMDA examinations are well known across the world for enabling the performer opportunities to work within a vast array of styles, allowing their natural talents to shine through. LAMDA’s varied speeches and scenes ensure that there is always something for everyone who wishes to have the opportunity to realise their full artistic performing abilities. The examinations cover a wide range of areas from prose and poetry, monologues and duologues as well as larger group pieces. Young as well as old can benefit from beginning at Entry Level and then working their way up to Grade 8/ Gold Level which is the equivalent to the well-known music exams at Grade 8.
There is an ever-changing eclectic choice of material available to suit all ages, containing many strong roles and reflecting the diversity taking place within the arts and theatre, such as gender-neutral roles. The performer is given a bridge from themselves to another period, gender, age, background or race. When we perform in front of an audience, however small, we are including them in the experience and can help them to better understand the person we are playing. This in itself can help to eliminate social prejudices or rifts in society or at least open dialogues in dealing with such issues.
Classes in both Drama and Public Speaking provide students with the necessary skills in the art of developing a rounded understanding of creating a character, exploring a text, discovering the exciting world of the stage, finding the power of one’s own voice as well as building self-confidence both on and off stage. For those young people who are naturally shy these chosen speeches can be the way to greater confidence and self-belief. When we hear ourselves speak confidently and fluently and how it affects others around us we too will feel its affects. For many it provides the platform where others stop and listen, sit up and take notice, laugh or cry.
LAMDA is designed for pupils of all abilities; those who have an existing passion for acting, those who would like to give it a try and those who would benefit from developing their speaking, listening and memory skills further.
The weekly sessions at Rose Hill School are run by Rebecca Crinnion, a highly qualified and experienced tutor. She is a professional stage and radio actor whose expertise shines through in her teaching techniques and adaptability. The School is also a registered examination centre which enables all of our LAMDA pupils to sit their exams on site with their tutor and LAMDA Centre Coordinator, close at hand. Pupils are provided with regular opportunities to demonstrate their skill through individual performances in assembly to whole department productions throughout their time at Rose Hill School.