Children gain a multitude of important benefits when involved in performing arts, including improved self-confidence and communication skills, learning about cooperation, creativity and more. If you have a budding actor on your hands who aspires for the bright lights of the theatre, send them to these centres with great classes for kids.

The Actors Studio Academy
If you have a young actor on your hands, where better to send them than to the country’s unofficial performing arts centre. klpac’s education arm is The Actors Studio Academy, which offers various courses for kids to adults. For the young ones, programmes include Preschool Drama (3-6 years old) and Speech & Drama (7-18 years old), which are taught by qualified and experienced facilitators and teachers. The classes make use of theatre activities and theatre games There’s also the occasional workshop and masterclass by TAS’s roster of visiting actors and instructors. At the end of each semester the students will put on a presentation, and the older kids will also stage a full-fledged ticketed year-end production. 

Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre,
Sentul Park, Jalan Strachan
off Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah,
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03 4047 9063
www.klpac.org/tas-academy-klpac

British Academy of Performing Arts
The British Academy of Performing Arts (BAPA) is a fully integrated performing arts academy that offers a variety of classes ranging from vocals and instruments to dancing and musical theatre. The teachers and instructors are performers themselves who’ve graduated from international institutions. BAPA classes take a performance-based approach with no compulsory exams, which makes it more practical and fun, and encourages the students to develop at their own pace and enjoy lessons. There are one-to-one lessons and group classes, and students will get to show off what they’ve learnt through regular concerts, recitals and productions. 

A01-10 Sunway Nexis Mall,
1, Jalan PJU 5/1, Kota Damansara,
Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03 7624 4740 / 03 7624 4739
bapa.asia

Enfiniti Academy of Performing Arts
The Enfiniti Academy of Performing Arts is run by the same people behind the highly acclaimed stage productions of ‘Puteri Gunung Ledang – The Musical’, ‘P Ramlee – The Musical’ and more recently, ‘OlaBola – The Musical’. Under the direction of award-winning actor and director Joanna Bessey, Enfiniti offers students a chance to learn from the industry’s best. Through acting and speech & drama classes, young ones (3-6 years old) will learn about drama, song and movement through fun stories and sessions; children (7-11 years old) will develop important skills like self-confidence, teamwork and communication through the basics of acting; and teens (13-16 years old) will learn how to be engaging performers through improvisation.    

28-1, Jalan PJU5/20D
The Encorp Strand, PJU 5
Kota Damansara
Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03 6142 8115
enfinitiacademy.com

PJ Speech & Drama Centre
The PJ Speech & Drama Centre was established in 1982 and has since seen many students pass through its doors. There are a variety of courses offered here, including musical theatre and drama classes. Drama for Teens includes physical theatre, voice training, script work, improvisation and even mime; while the young ones (4-6 years old) start with basic drama and movement lessons. The centre also offers reading and public speaking classes as well to ensure students have a firm foundation in English and to teach them to communicate and express themselves effectively, which will further build confidence on stage.  

21, Jalan 19/29
Section 19
Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03 7957 8908
Facebook: PJ-Speech-Drama-Centre
 

Broadway Academy
At the Broadway Academy, aspiring actors get their first taste of what it’s like to train in a professional musical theatre setting. Students go through disciplined training and are provided opportunities to perform regularly on stage at recitals, musicals, events and more. A team of experienced creative staff and a panel of academicians have created the programmes and courses on offer, which include show choir, musical theatre, speech & drama and Broadway ensemble (which covers the trifecta of acting, singing and dancing). The academy’s collaboration with the Broadway Theatre Society of Malaysia sees the occasional specialised workshop by instructors from all over the world.

B-3-27 Dataran Cascades,
13A, Jalan PJU5/1
Kota Damansara PJU5
Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03 7610 0879 / 017 291 6160
broadwayacademy.com.my