About Dramawerkz
Founded in 2006 by Lisa Collins, Dramawerkz provides performing arts programs and training for 8-25 year olds. Our programs, workshops and events build young people’s self confidence, initiative and collaborative skills through creativity, spontaneity and use of imagination. For over a decade, Dramawerkz has provided an inclusive environment in which students can gain confidence as both performers and devisers: grounding an imaginative and play-filled process in technical and theoretical concepts.
Students have the opportunity to explore the creative process both in class and through a variety of performing opportunities including:
– Performances of original and previously published plays and musicals
– Participation in community events
– Annual Drama Camps
– Preparation for Trinity College, London, Speech & Drama exams.
Led by 3 young artists who were once students of the organisation, Dramawerkz is designed to be the space we needed in the west when we were young, and in that vain, has become a haven for a diverse group of young people who want room for self expression, connection and accessible arts education. Our core values of Community, Character, Creativity, Collaboration and Communicationare all actively represented in our organisation: which is as much about helping young performers shine as it is about building confidence and self worth for young people, generating a sense of community, and creating room for creative self expression.
Dramawerkz is based in Altona at the Louis Joel Arts and Community Centre, which serves as the Neighbourhood House for the local area. Alongside programs that train young people in performing arts and public speaking skills, we offer numerous activities to promote wellbeing and community connection for young people in the area: through camps, workshops, leadership opportunities and mentorship. Our programs operate with large age ranges, building mentorship and role-modelling into the fabric of the organisation, and encouraging positive connections across peer groups in the area. Our facilitators are trained across various sectors and disciplines: from the arts and music, to teaching, mental health and design.
Since 2006, Dramawerkz has worked with hundreds of young people in the area, many of whom are now thriving, driven adults in the community. Our approach - one that centres creative expression and self worth as central to promoting wellbeing - is what makes our spaces, peer groups and programs a positive “third place” for young people in the area.
Dramawerkz Theatre Inc is a not-for-profit organisation, with every cent going to create positive and meaningful theatre experiences for young people. You can read our Rules of Incorporation here.
To hear about our classes, click here!
Meet the Team
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Mia Boonen
CEO
Mia Boonen is an educator, theatre maker, writer and performer with a degree in theatre from the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA). She began as a student at Dramawerkz in 2007 and under the guidance of Dramawerkz’s founder, Lisa Collins, she trained in Drama and Speech with Trinity College, London. Alongside her drama training, she is a qualified sound engineer (Cert III in Music Technical Production) and an experienced educator, with over a decade of facilitation experience. As a director, their credits include numerous regional tours of works, programming in Melbourne Fringe and Stratford Shakespeare Festival, and over a dozen works created by and for young people. As a performer, Mia’s recent credits include Peacemongers by The People (Darebin Arts Speakeasy), B**CH by Water Closet Co (VCA) and performance roles in domestic violence training videos for youth workers and educators. Mia’s work has also taken them into the mental health sector, working with young people across the state to consult on reform initiatives led by the 2021 Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, as well as in acute settings. . In 2023, Mia was named Young Citizen of the Year for Hobson’s Bay.
Find out more about the classes that Mia teaches by clicking here.
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Christopher Rothwell
DIRECTOR OF MUSIC
Christopher Rothwell is a Dramawerkz alumnus with a Grade 8 certificate in Acting with Trinity College, London. He has a double degree in Music and Education at Monash University and outside of Dramawerkz, works as a schoolteacher. With over a decade of performance experience, including regional tours and sold-out concerts, Chris combines his immense musical ability as a singer and pianist with his experience as an actor and love of British panel shows to provide well-rounded and exciting lesson plans for our students.
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Scarlett Rose
DIRECTOR OF DESIGN
Scarlett Rose is a Dramawerkz alumnus who has gone on to work in Marketing, Design and Photography. They have experience both onstage as well as behind the scenes, acting as our in-house photographer and content creator so that the world can see how awesome our shows and classes are. Scarlett combines her skills as a designer with a wealth of knowledge about live performance to help bring young people’s ideas to life in exciting, innovative ways.
Scarlett is also a freelance social media manager, photographer and designer, local to the Western Suburbs.
“Youth doing amazing things; always thrilled to attend their performances. Still gives me chills thinking back to Acknowledgement of Country the group start a show with a couple of years ago. Wow.
Going from strength to strength under leadership of Mia.”
“Our granddaughter has blossomed and has become a confident young woman thanks to her involvement with Dramawerkz.”
“Mia is inclusive and has adapted to my sons needs and medical condition.
Over the years, Mia successfully incorporated her own tools which kept my son engaged and focused, in addition to recommendations from my his specialist reports. The skills learnt from Mia has transferred to his academic studies at high school where he’s also achieving great results.”
“My daughter loves the program.
It’s her favourite day of the week.”
“I love it because we can express ourselves and not worry about being judged.”
“Having our own space every week to have fun, learn new things, and make new friends while doing what I loved was so indescribably life changing for me and is something I believe every young person should have.”