World Book Day is the perfect moment to celebrate something we treasure at PQA: the power of stories. Whether a child is stepping into their very first Comedy & Drama class, singing their heart out in Musical Theatre, or discovering the magic of filmmaking, every journey begins with a story, and at PQA, we bring them to life.
If you’ve browsed our website, you may have come across the term project‑based learning. It might sound formal, but in practice it’s playful, immersive, and wonderfully creative. It’s how we help young people build confidence, communication skills, and imagination, while also nurturing a love of reading.
In a world full of doom‑scrolling and digital noise, books offer something children crave: space to imagine, explore, and create. Our project‑based learning framework invites young people to step inside stories, understand characters, and bring narratives to life across all three PQA classes.
Across our three core classes, they develop skills including:
And when these skills are paired with iconic authors like Roald Dahl, Lewis Carroll, and Shakespeare, the learning becomes even richer. Children momentarily live in these worlds.
Our Stage & Screen team designs projects that are inclusive, diverse, and accessible for all abilities, ensuring every child has the chance to perform, no matter their experience or confidence level.
Twisted Tales – Inspired by Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl’s mischievous characters and playful language are perfect for young performers. In this project, young people explore cabaret-style delivery, monologues, duologues, and scenes, learning how to unlock text and build bold, imaginative characters from his book. It’s a brilliant way for children to see how written stories transform into performance.
Alice’s Adventures – Inspired by Lewis Carroll
This immersive Comedy & Drama project invites young people to tumble straight into Wonderland. They break the “fourth wall”, experiment with physical theatre, and dive into script work, discovering how Carroll’s whimsical world can be recreated through performance.
Across both projects, children often end up wanting to read (or reread!) the books behind the work, because they’ve lived inside the story.
Books don’t just inspire stage work; they spark incredible creativity on screen, too. In Film & TV, young people learn how to adapt stories, build scenes, and bring characters to life through filmmaking. Some recent favourites include:
Magic Book – PQA Ipswich
Two friends fall into a book and find themselves on an unexpected adventure. A charming short film about the joy of reading.
The Land That Children Forgot – PQA Bromley
A magical story about saving forgotten tales, celebrated at the 2024 Film Festival and winner of Film of the Month in March 2025.
Macbeth: The Witches – PQA Wirral East
A playful, atmospheric reimagining of Shakespeare’s witches, also celebrated at the 2024 Film Festival and winner of Film of the Month in April 2025.
These films show how storytelling, filmmaking, and literature blend seamlessly at PQA.
Poppets is a nurturing, playful space where our youngest students explore themselves and the world around them. Through structured activities rooted in communication, imagination, independence, teamwork, and listening, Poppets (children aged between 4 and 6) begin building early literacy skills without even realising it.
Many of our Poppets projects are written by celebrated authors such as Laura Dockrill, whose works Cake, Let It Out, The Box, and Where We Live have been adapted into rich 14‑week projects full of stories, games, and performance.
We also work with playwright Alison Chaplin, whose original play ‘The War of the Vegetables’ has been adapted and renamed to ‘Garden Giggles’ especially for PQA Poppets.
For many children, this is the moment storytelling becomes something they feel part of, not just something they’re told.
To deepen our students’ connection with literature, we partner with organisations that share our passion for creativity and reading.
“What You Will” - Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation
Originally written in collaboration with CSSF, this nationwide competition (now internal for PQA students) invites young people to create their own speech for a Shakespeare character. Young people can write, perform, or film their entry, exploring Shakespeare’s language in a way that feels modern, fun, and accessible.
Monologue Slam
A favourite across PQA, Monologue Slam encourages young people to choose a monologue, develop it over several weeks, and perform it to their peers. Through these opportunities, they learn to:
To ensure every child or young person can participate, we offer inclusive options such as performing through mime, acting to an audio recording, or using trestle masks, making the project accessible to dyslexic people, those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), and those with different confidence levels or learning preferences.
World Book Day isn’t just about dressing up; it’s about helping children discover the joy of reading. At PQA, we use stories to:
Most importantly, we help children fall in love with stories and books in a way that feels fun, expressive, and full of possibility. If you’d like your child to experience the magic of storytelling through performing arts, PQA is the perfect place to begin.
Yes! Every academy offers one free trial session, as long as there is space available in the age group. If the group is currently full, you can join the waiting list, and we’ll contact you as soon as a place becomes available.
PQA runs for 41 weeks throughout the school year. You can find the full list of term dates on each academy’s webpage, just search for your local academy and visit its web page.
PQA provides performing arts training for children and teens aged 4–18. Our Main Academy (ages 6–18) includes three core classes:
Some academies also offer Poppets (ages 4–6), an energetic 90-minute class introducing young children to singing, dancing and acting.
PQA welcomes all children, whether they’re complete beginners or already confident performers. There’s no audition needed to join.
At PQA students in Main Academy are grouped by age, learning with other children and young people at similar stages.
This depends on where you feel your child will be happiest. Some 6-year olds are ready to join the 6-9 age group in Main Academy, others will feel more comfortable starting in Poppets.
Your always welcome to discuss what’s best for your child with your local Principal before booking your free session.