Drama improvisation 18+
2025-01-06 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-01-20 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-02-03 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-03-03 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-03-17 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-03-31 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-04-07 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-05-19 19:00 - 21:00 (Europe/London) and 4 more dates | The Cause Music and Arts Centre, 42 The Causeway, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 3DD, United Kingdom
‘The most fun I have all week – I haven’t laughed so much in ages’
Alternate Monday’s at the Cause Arts Centre 7-9pm
Improvisation Workshops delivered by Laura.
If you’re interested but not sure what it is – just come and watch a session and have a cup of tea!
Come and join a lovely bunch of local budding thespians, who like to mess about, play games, take part in drama exercises and generally have fun while learning how to think on the spot, make up scenes and not be restricted by the script.
You’ll explore scenes, develop strong characters then improvise the content with some idea of the outcomes – Mike Leigh style. Some of our short form games are like ‘Who’s line is it anyway’ if you’re old enough to remember that!
If you have always wanted to try some drama, but are not sure that you want to commit, just pop in and do the bits that you want to, or just come and watch a session. We’d love you to join us – and can guarantee that you’ll meet some brilliant and supportive people along the way.

Basic introduction, get to know each other, ground rules for improv and how to let your brain avoid filtering (too much)
Introduction to creating characters to use in scenes – emphasis on the physical. Levels of performance style – 1-10
Further character development – using the voice to compliment the physical. Tone, pitch, accent. Introducing costume for characters.
How to respond to offers and add value to a scene. Can we develop a plot using the people that we have found?
What do we need to do to become more believable? What clues can other actors give each other when in an improvised scene?
Feedback – audience to watch. Teens invited to join us.

£65 for 5 week blocks
Block 1 – Monday January 6th and 20th, Feb 3rd, March 3rd and 17th
Block 2 – Monday April 7th, May 19th, June 2nd and 16th July 7th.
(Thursday evening Improv Slams also running at the Old Road Tavern 7.30 – 9pm £10 – drop in on second Thursday of the month if you can’t commit to blocks and want to do short form only. January 9th, Feb 13th, March 13th, April 10th, May 8th, June 12th. No booking needed)

Little Voices - Drama & Singing
2025-02-25 16:00 - 19:00, 2025-03-04 16:00 - 19:00, 2025-03-11 16:00 - 19:00, 2025-03-18 16:00 - 19:00, 2025-03-25 16:00 - 19:00, 2025-04-01 16:00 - 19:00 | Pewsham Community Centre, Lodge Road, Chippenham, SN5 3SY
We’re SO excited to be welcoming lots of new pupils, tutors, and schools to Little Voices this year – 2025 is going to be BIGGER and better than ever!
We have recently launched at Pewsham Community Centre on Tuesdays, term time and have a selection of lessons available for ages 4-18yrs (school age)
We would love to welcome you along to join us for a free trial lesson, and for us to be a big part of Pewsham community – helping children find their voices, learn new skills and make new friends, having fun along the way.
Holiday workshops may be in the offing too if weekly lessons don’t suit your current timetables.

Rag & Bone Arts CIC Stage Combat Workshop with Rebecca Osborne
2025-04-07 11:30 - 15:30 | Neeld Community & Arts Centre, The Neeld, High Street, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 3ER, United Kingdom
Come along and work with: Rebecca Osborne Actor and Stage Combat instructor.
Step Into the shoes of your heroes as you learn to punch, kick and grapple for the stage! If you want to move a bit quicker, or have tried stage combat before, this session would suit you.
Group 2 – (14-18 or improvers)11.30 – 1pm
Pizza 1 – 1.30pm
Group 1 (11-13’s/beginners) 1.30 pm – 3pm
Youth Cafe 3-4.30pm (Feel free to perform if you wish)
The founder of Brazen Steel, and a core member of the teaching team at Rebel Action, Rebecca has spent time instructing at the Royal Shakespeare Company, LAMDA and Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Rebecca is nearing the end of her stage combat instructor apprenticeship with the Academy of Performance Combat, and has helped to guide a plethora of students from their first taste of combat to daring fight scenes and everything in between. Her teaching style is patient, empathetic, and encouraging; she is committed to helping each student as an individual to grow and achieve.

Rag & Bone Arts CIC Acting Improvisation with Emile Clarke
2025-04-09 11:30 - 15:30 | Neeld Community & Arts Centre, The Neeld, High Street, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 3ER, United Kingdom
Come along and work with: Emile Clarke: actor, educator and photographer.
Group 1 (11-13’s or beginners) 11.30 – 1pm
Pizza 1 – 1.30pm
Group 2 (14-18 or improvers) : 1.30 pm – 3pm
Youth Cafe 3 – 4.30pm (Feel free to perform if you wish)
Develop your acting, improvisation and devising skills with Emile. In a playful and fun learning environment, Emile will enable you to build your performance skills whatever your level of prior experience.
Emile has worked in theatre, on stage and in film. He trained at LIPA (Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts) and he has been in award winning plays, like The Little Mermaid (Pins and Needles/The Egg) and films, such as The Cartographer (Berlin Short Film award winner). He is also a champion of equality and diversity, designing workshops for many institutions. Emile also runs a headshot photography company.

Rag & Bone Arts CIC Writing for Performance Workshop with Florence Espeutt-Nickless
2025-04-15 11:30 - 15:30 | Neeld Community & Arts Centre, The Neeld, High Street, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 3ER, United Kingdom
Come along and work with: Actor and writer Florence Espeutt-Nickless
Learn how to write for stage: based on Florence’s award winning one-woman show, Destiny, this workshop will focus on how you create an engaging character who can tell the stories you want people to hear.
Group 2 (14-18 or improvers)11.30 – 1pm
Pizza 1 – 1.30pm
Group 2 : (11-13’s or beginners) 1.30 pm – 3pm
Youth Cafe 3 – 4.30pm (Feel free to perform if you wish)
Florence Espeut-Nickless is an award-winning writer and actor from Chippenham. She attended Hardenhuish School and Wiltshire College before training as an actor at Uni and Drama School. Her play DESTINY is inspired by her experiences growing up on Hill Rise in the noughties. It has won awards and toured extensively across the UK and in Denmark. She was 2024 Writer in Residence at Bristol Old Vic and has recently written plays for the National Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, Trowbridge Town Hall and Restoke.

Rag & Bone Arts CIC Lighting Design & Operation Workshop with Luke Emmett
2025-04-15 11:30 - 15:30 | Neeld Community & Arts Centre, The Neeld, High Street, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 3ER, United Kingdom
Come along and work with: Luke Emmett lighting designer
Group 1 (11-13yrs /beginners) 11.30 – 1pm
Pizza 1 – 1.30pm
Group 2 (14-18’s/Improvers) is 1.30pm – 3pm
Youth Cafe – 3-4.30pm.
In this hands-on workshop, young people will explore the fundamentals of lighting design and how it transforms theatre and live events. Through practical exercises, they’ll learn about different types of lighting, how to shape mood and atmosphere, and the role of colour, angles, and intensity. Participants will get the chance to experiment with lighting equipment, create their own lighting states, and gain an understanding of how lighting designers bring productions to life. No prior experience needed—just creativity and curiosity.
Luke John Emmett is an award-winning Lighting Designer (Wizard of Oz – 2015), freelance Technical Manager, and Event Manager based in Bath, with twenty years of experience in the live entertainment industry. He founded Theatre Bath and led the conversion of a single-decker bus into a mobile theatre, the Theatre Bath Bus.
He has worked on a variety of high-profile events, including a press launch for Alicia Keys, a global conference for Pinterest, and live streams for English Heritage and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (UK Parliament). Locally, he Production Managed Theatre on the Downs for the Wardrobe Ensemble and Produced Forest of Imagination for two years.

Rag & Bone Arts CIC Make-Up For Stage Workshop with Anna Randall
2025-04-16 11:30 - 15:30 | Neeld Community & Arts Centre, The Neeld, High Street, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 3ER, United Kingdom
Come along and work with: Anna Randall – Film and TV make-up artist
Come and learn how to create realistic bruises. (Content warning – will use photographs of real life bruising for reference)
Group 1 (11-13’s or beginners – bruises) 11.30 – 1pm
Pizza 1 – 1.30pm
Group 2 (14-18 or improvers – bruising and wounds) : 1.30 pm – 3pm
Youth Cafe 3 – 4.30pm (Feel free to perform if you wish)
Anna is a Hair And Makeup Effects Artist, with a Masters Degree in prosthetic effects. She has worked in TV and Film industry for over seven years, on films, commercials, music videos, feature films and short films, and her work has led to nominations and awards for Best FX.

Shooting Roots Youth Folk Arts Workshops
2025-05-24 13:00 - 20:00 | Masonic Hall, Emery Lane, Chippenham, SN15 3AU, United Kingdom
Across Chippenham Folk Festival weekend, nationally-renowned youth folk arts organisation Shooting Roots are offering a series of workshops, which are heavily discounted for local young people.
There are workshops in singing and theatre, with evening folk arts activities, and a chance to perform on the festival’s main community stage on Monday.
Expect songs, harmonies, devising ridiculous plots, tableaus, games, music, and a chance to meet new friends. All take place at the Masonic Hall in Emery Lane, the YOUTH HUB for the festival weekend.
Local (all SN postcodes, plus BA14 and BA15) 11-17 year olds can access each Shooting Roots workshop for just £3 on the door. Or £20 for all sessions if a wristband is purchased from Chippenham Folk Festival box office.
More details here

Stagecoach presents Into the Woods Jr
2025-06-22 18:00 - 19:00 | The Neeld
Stagecoach Chippenham and Melksham students follow Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Jack and his Beanstalk, and the Witch and journey ‘into the woods’…
Students from Stagecoach Theatre Arts Chippenham & Melksham will offer the audience an amusingly different way to think about everyone’s favourite fairy tale characters in this production. The show features 15 of their Further Stages students (aged 14-18).
From the first rehearsal, the students have collaborated to gain a new perspective on these fairy tales and the ethical issues they present. The tutors hope you will join them in applauding the unique ways in which each student has contributed to the show, including: performing; designing props, lights and scenery; assistant directing; and working backstage.
Tickets: Standard £11 | Concession £8 (over 60s or under 5s)
Age Restrictions: None
Please contact the venue for any access requirements.
Tickets are also available through our Box Office on 01249 446699, from the Neeld Box Office or at the Town Hall.
Tickets are non-refundable unless this event is cancelled or postponed.

Make your own musical - (14-18's) with Emily Malcolm
2025-08-12 10:00 - 15:00 | Central Methodist Church, Monkton Hill, Chippenham, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 1EP, United Kingdom
Come along and work with: Emily Malcolm – musical theatre writer and performer.
Emily is the Founder and Creative Director of Yesterday’s Story CIC, an organisation that brings history to life through creative projects.
Learn about what makes a musical and how to devise your own from scratch.
Session 1: 10 – 12pm
Pizza 12 – 1pm
Session 2: 1-3pm
Do you love musical theatre? Ever dreamed of creating your own show? Now’s your chance! Join us for a fun, fast-paced day where you’ll work as a team to create your very own jukebox musical. You’ll shape the plot, develop characters, choose music, and add movement to bring it all to life. Whether you’re a performer, musician, choreographer, or budding director, there’s a role for everyone in this collaborative, creative experience. No experience needed – just bring your ideas and energy!

Writing (and performing?) your words - (11-14's) with Saili Katebe
2025-08-12 10:00 - 15:00 | Central Methodist Church, Monkton Hill, Chippenham, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 1EP, United Kingdom
Come along and work with: Saili Katebe – professional actor/writer/poet
In this session you will learn how to express yourself through spoken words even if you think that writing poetry or rap is an impossible dream. This could be traditional poetry, performance poetry, lyrical poetry/rap or any other medium you can think of, all through an engaging and creative workshop where the only limit is your own creativity.
If you’re keen to write but don’t want to perform, that’s fine too.
Come along and have a go with Saili – he’ll find a way of getting the best out of you.
Session 1: 10 – 12pm
Pizza: 12 – 1pm
Session 2: 1-3pm
Saili Katebe is a writer, performer and workshop facilitator. Born in Zambia and now based in the South West of England, his work celebrates the musicality of language, the possibilities of performance and the power of storytelling.

Make-up for stage - (14-18's) with Anna Randall
2025-08-14 10:00 - 15:00 | Central Methodist Church, Monkton Hill, Chippenham, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 1EP, United Kingdom
Come along and work with: Anna Randall – Film and TV make-up artist
Come and learn how to safely sever your finger with latex moulding and bruise yourself up with the magic of makeup.
In this session you will go behind the scenes for both stage and screen and what it takes to make someone look a bit battered and beaten up. Get completely hands on with a variety of bruises and burns as well as textured cuts and even severed digits.
Session 1: 10 – 12pm
Pizza (provided): 12 – 1pm
Session 2: 1-3pm
Anna is a Hair And Makeup Effects Artist, with a Masters Degree in prosthetic effects. She has worked in TV and Film industry for over seven years, on films, commercials, music videos, feature films and short films, and her work has led to nominations and awards for Best FX.

Dance - (11-14's) with Aisha Sanyang-Meek
2025-08-14 10:00 - 15:00 | Central Methodist Church, Monkton Hill, Chippenham, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 1EP, United Kingdom
Creative dance session that will include some basic contemporary & hip hop dance technique suitable for anyone, regardless of previous experience. There will also be an opportunity to create your own movement and try out your own creative ideas.
Aisha is a multi-disciplinary artist who uses dance, physical theatre and writing to create work and connections. She has worked on professional dance works and created her own work for film and community performance spaces. She enjoys creating fun and energised experiences for people where they can feel connected to themselves and each other. Her class will be fun & creative.
Session 1: 10 – 12pm
Pizza (provided) 12 – 1pm
Session 2: 1-3pm

Acting improvisation and stage combat - (14-18's) with Rebecca Osborne
2025-08-19 10:00 - 15:00 | Central Methodist Church, Monkton Hill, Chippenham, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 1EP, United Kingdom
Come along and work with: Rebecca Osborne – Actor, improvisor and stage combat instructor
Come and learn the secrets to great improvising and stage combat skills through a wide variety of games and activities aimed at improving your improvising. In this session you will learn through a variety of fun, accessible and constructively challenging games and activities with the addition of professionally trained stage combat skills and techniques for anyone to master.
Session 1: 10 – 12pm
Pizza (provided) from: 12 – 1pm
Session 2: 1-3pm
The founder of Brazen Steel, and a core member of the teaching team at Rebel Action, Rebecca has spent time instructing at the Royal Shakespeare Company, LAMDA and Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Rebecca is nearing the end of her stage combat instructor apprenticeship with the Academy of Performance Combat, and has helped to guide a plethora of students from their first taste of combat to daring fight scenes and everything in between.
