Perform

Perform began in 2000 with the idea that the performing arts can help children build confidence and social skills. Its founders, Will Barnett and Lucy Quick, started with two schools in Primrose Hill and Islington. The organization says it now offers hundreds of weekly classes at more than 350 venues, mainly across London and southern and western England.

The program combines drama, dance, and singing in one class. Instead of focusing on repeating a technique in pursuit of a perfect performance, Perform builds sessions around drama games, exercises, songs, movement, and imaginative stories. Its activities are organized around four goals it calls the 4 Cs: confidence, concentration, communication, and coordination.

Groups are divided into two age ranges: 4–7 and 7–12. Activities change with age; sessions for younger children mix songs, games, and stories, while older students work on acting, improvisation, movement, and voice. No prior experience is needed, and families can try a free class before enrolling.

Classes are kept small to support individual attention. Perform writes songs and scripts tied to each term’s themes, and its teachers are selected and trained directly by the organization; it does not operate as a franchise. A shared structure is intended to keep the experience consistent across venues, while each group and teacher brings its own energy.

During the school term, classes meet weekly and are usually booked in blocks of 10 or 20 sessions. The site says classes run for 60 or 90 minutes, depending on the group, with drama, dance, and singing divided within the session. Each term brings new activities and ends with a showcase where children can share what they learned with family and friends.

During school breaks, Perform schedules three-, four-, or five-day holiday courses for children ages 4–10. They bring together drama, dance, singing, games, and crafts around a story and end with a performance. The organization also brings workshops to primary schools through Perform for Schools and offers online group LAMDA sessions in acting and public speaking.

Communication with families is part of the service: each group’s producer shares what the children worked on each week, and Perform says it sends written progress feedback every 10 sessions. Its contact office is in London, while classes take place at community centers and partner venues; the administrative address is not necessarily a class location. The official search tool lets families find venues and check times.