Lucy's blog

I blogged about Christmas films last week and it made me think about the central role that television plays in the UK's Christmas Day celebrations. From the Queen's speech to countless Christmas specials and ,of course, classic Christmas Day films like The Wizard of...

Two years ago, I offered my friend a free place at Perform for her son who had just turned 4 years old. She thanked me but declined saying ?He's not a performing sort of a boy but I'm sure his sister will enjoy it when she's old enough, she's really confident...

One question that my teachers and I are frequently asked by Perform parents is ?Where should my child be at this stage?? And if I'm completely honest, as a mother myself, it's a question that I find myself asking about my own children too. I guess, as parents,...

If you read my blogs regularly, you'll know that I like to talk about communication skills and how important it is that we make children confident communicators from an early age. As you might expect, this is something that we are passionate about at Perform. In fact,...

The last 3 weeks have been extremely busy for me because I've been contracting all our teachers for next term. As you can imagine, with over 200 schools and currently 208 teachers working for Perform, this is no easy task. It also demands quite a lot of concentration, so...

If you have a Halloween Party coming up then I've got some great interactive drama-based games for you to have fun with. Halloween has always been a highlight in my calendar and, at Perform, we are rushed off our feet in late October with our Magician's Chamber drama,...

I was chatting with a friend of mine today about her new job. She's now a "Play Specialist" at a Central London Hospital. The role has many different responsibilities but her major focus is on using "play" to prepare children for treatment, distract...

Darling, look at Jane when she says hello to you! Does that sound familiar to you? Have you ever said it to your own child? I know I have! I've always been passionate about helping children make eye contact, especially when they meet new people or talk to adults. I...

Because of my background as an actress, I've always mixed with people who are pretty confident speaking on their own in front of large groups of people. It wasn't until I started Perform and attended courses in Child Protection, First Aid and various other...

No, this blog post is not about the toe-curling anti-drugs eighties-fest that is the Grange Hill Just Say No video (though it's worth having a look if you fancy a nostalgia-based giggle). It's about a much more prevalent problem in primary school at least -...