RAPA The Ratton Academy Of Performing Arts
For many years now, Ratton School has had the reputation of being THE school for children who want to enjoy singing,
dancing, acting or being involved in Performing Arts. It is as an extension of this that, from September of this year,
we are delighted to announce the launch of the new “Ratton Academy of Performing Artsâ€. The Rattonians has been in
existence for over 25 years and in that time literally hundreds of young people have had the experience of putting on a
show in one of Eastbourne’s professional theatres. Since the formation of the Rattonian Youth Group in 2006, we have
extended that opportunity to students as young as seven. “The Ratton Academy of Performing Arts†will give not only
these youngsters, but people of all ages in the Eastbourne area, the chance to develop their interests and skills in a
wide variety of areas of the Performing Arts. These will mainly take place at Ratton School and will usually be after
school hours, evenings and weekends. Sessions will be organised by ability, interest and, in some cases, by age. I am
hoping that we will have groups for pre-school youngsters and also, at the other end of the scale, for adults of any age.
Trapdoor Theatre School, which is already based at Ratton, will become part of The Academy, and this will continue to
be run by Debbie Hackett, who started the school six years ago. Debbie will be joined by other professionally qualified
teachers in the delivery of Dance, Singing and Acting and other aspects of the Arts such as Theatre Stagecraft and Design.
As with The Rattonians, the aim of The Academy will be to involve people in activities which develop the person, their
confidence, their ability to work with and for other people, and their love of the Arts. This is an exciting new venture. Thank
you for taking the time to read this, and if you want to know whether there is something in The Academy that you could be
involved in, the answer is “YESâ€!
