Write it out! Join a fun, creative writing for beginners

cw2018Would you like to write down your ideas and thoughts and play with story and character? Writing is such a wonderful hobby to develop, especially for those cosy, indoor afternoon and evenings in the coming months. Here are some testimonials from our previous courses.

“I went into with a good attitude and I wasn’t let down. My teacher was brilliant. He had an amazing passion for writing that he shared with all of his students. He shared good resources with us all and gave us a beginners insight into the writing world. Something that other courses don’t offer. I couldn’t recommend the course enough and I’m looking forward to doing another course with Act the Maggot.”

quote3-w

“Act the Maggot was an excellent experience and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone with an interest is developing their writing skills or adapting their knowledge to serve an alternate purpose. With a diverse group of those looking to achieve different goals and pursue various methods of writing, we each have greatly gained from the course.”

“It was excellent and our teacher was amazing.”
“This was a great experience. It stretched my abilities and gave me confidence to carry on scribbling. Thanks to the teacher for his encouragement and easy manner. Keep up the good work.”

Read about the next Creative Writing course. If you have any queries please email us at actthemaggot@gmail.com

Creative Writing delayed by one week

tootootDue to unforeseen circumstance the beginners’ creative writing class will commence a week later than advertised. It will now run from Tuesday Jan 30 to Tuesday March 7 inclusive. All classes are 7.30pm to 9.30pm. Contact us at actthemaggot@gmail.com if you would like to know more or book a place.

Happy New Year 2018

Wishing all you maggots, non-maggots and maggots-in-the-making much health and happiness for the coming year. May you entertain and be entertained.

Read fresh testimonials! Join us in 2018

IMG_2801“Act the Maggot was a wonderful addition to my week. I enjoyed every class and learned a lot as I let my creative side free. Thank you.”

“I was very satisfied with the level 1 acting course. It had what I was hoping for – taking me outside of my comfort zone, meeting fun people and having the craic.”

“Enlightening”

“It was fantastic, really well spread out and the increase in difficulty each week was great as it really took me out of my comfort zone.”

“It was brilliant. Fun and learned lots.”

“Enjoyed the experience, meeting lovely people in a playful environment.”

For more information on new beginners acting, drawing or creative writing classes in 2018, click on each hyperlink and drop us an email actthemaggot@gmail.com – Yes! There are places available. We will put on extra courses to satisfy demand. Happy Christmas one and all!

 

Act The Maggot to begin a new chapter!

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xmasAct The Maggot is thrilled to be starting a new chapter in our ever developing story! That’s right, we have found a brand new home at Chapterhouse on Middle Abbey Street, right in the heart of Dublin city centre. We look forward to opening the doors of No. 73 for our signature beginner courses in Acting, Creative Writing and Drawing all kicking off the last week of January 2018. We also plan to offer some new courses and one off workshops throughout the year. We will launch a 12-week course called The Artist’s Way and a 6-week course in Public Speaking. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and feel free to contact is at anytime with your queries. Until then, have a great festive season and a very happy new year.chapterhouse

‘Tis the season! What’s new with those maggots?

xmasCHRIMPROV: It’s all go here at Act The Maggot. The Christmas Party this year has been dubbed the ChrIMPROV!! We will host a free Improv session on Dec 7th followed by a few seasonal drinks. This is open to maggots from over the years. Come back! Say hi! Whip out your wackiest character and come have the craic with your old classmates – or meet some new maggots. There is no doubt you have all got something in common! Maggotology? Maggotiness? Maggotanaeity? Maggotificence? Whatever. Join us.
OTHER NEWS: Our current beginners’ acting class is in full swing. I hear this week they were massaging their vocal chords and rolling all over the floor in their Temple bar studio.  The things you do of Thursday, wha! SHOWCASE: Elsewhere in city centre, our Level 3 maggots are up to ninety putting the finishing touches to their scenes.  They have all been working really hard. Fourteen actors will star in seven different scenes in the Act The Maggot showcase on November 30th. Break a leg guys! That is sure to be a highly entertaining evening. And no doubt a few drinks will be had after to celebrate. CASTING INFO: There is an interesting Q&A session happening over in Smithfield on Monday night, Nov 27th with top dog casting director, Priscilla John. It’s free, so if you want to know more about the business from her point of view, get thee to eventbrite and sign up for it here. NEW COURSES: Booking has already begun on our 2018 courses, so get cracking  if you want to try your hand at beginners acting, creative writing or drawing. New Year, New You? Go for it guys. You won’t regret it. We are delivering another of our regular introduction to Mindfulness workshops in Rathmines this weekend and Act The Maggot is thrilled to announce it’s new venture with Elavon Financial Services – bringing Mindfulness to the corporate sector to their offices in Cherrywood, Dublin and Arklow. That’s all for now folks! Looking forward to a calm December!!!

Making movies is no longer pie in the sky but the script is all.

typewriterSo we are in Dublin. It’s not Hollywood, Bollywood nor Nollywood – but there are tons of film and television production companies based here and even more directors and producers on the hunt for new material. And one thing we do well in this town is tell a story. People come to Dublin from all over the world to celebrate writers and storytellers and that’s not just in the bars and nightclubs! Yes, what we believe at Act The Maggot is that, with a clear focus and some work, your screen dreams can be realised. In the film world, your short film is your calling card. You can make it yourself with a bunch of friends on a shoestring budget. Hell, you can make it on your phone. You can apply for the RTE Filmbase Short Shots annual competition and if you win that, you can get it made with funding. You have to start somewhere, but you must start with a script. In six short weeks acting the maggot, you can complete your first short film script and get a feel for the whole area. There is enormous pleasure in finishing a written project. In the beginning was the word….Seriously, emerging filmmakers often make the mistake of not spending enough time on the script. The script is all. It’s the blueprint for your film. The road map. So many production details can be ironed out or solved if the script is tight and economical. If you want to read more, take a look at our website and consider signing up for our next six-week course in Temple Bar.

Sold Out!

tootootBoth Sept 14 Level 1 beginners acting class and Sept 7 Level 2 acting class are now completely full. The next Level 1 beginners acting class will run from Nov 2 to Dec 7. Contact us at actthemaggot@gmail.com to book your spot. Our Level 3 acting class will kick off Oct 19 and will finish on Nov 30. There will be another Level 2 class in March 2018. Booking is now open also for Tuesday night classes: Beginners Creative Writing (Sept 26), Beginners Drawing (Sept 26) and Beginners Screenwriting (Oct 3). Get looking and get booking maggots. Places fill fast.

See latest testimonials for Beginners’ Creative Writing

quote4-w“I went into with a good attitude and I wasn’t let down. My teacher was brilliant. He had an amazing passion for writing that he shared with all of his students. He shared good resources with us all and gave us a beginners insight into the writing world. Something that other courses don’t offer. I couldn’t recommend the course enough and I’m looking forward to doing another course with Act the Maggot.”

“Act the Maggot was an excellent experience and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone with an interest is developing their writing skills or adapting their knowledge to serve an alternate purpose. With a diverse group of those looking to achieve different goals and pursue various methods of writing, we each have greatly gained from the course.”

“It was excellent and our teacher was amazing.”

“This was a great experience. It stretched my abilities and gave me confidence to carry on scribbling. Thanks to the teacher for his encouragement and easy manner. Keep up the good work.”

Read about the next Creative Writing course. If you have any queries please email us at actthemaggot@gmail.com

If I had my life to live over again?

thisisitWorth pondering over these thoughts from 85-year old Nadine Stair when she was asked this very question.

If I had my life to live over again,
I’d dare to make more mistakes next time.
I’d relax.
I’d limber up.
I’d be sillier than I’ve been this trip.
I would take fewer things seriously.
I would take more chances,
I would eat more ice cream and less beans.
I would, perhaps, have more actual troubles but fewer imaginary ones.
you see, I’m one of those people who was sensible and sane,
hour after hour,
day after day.

Oh, I’ve had my moments.
If I had to do it over again,
I’d have more of them.
In fact, I’d try to have nothing else- just moments,
one after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day.
I’ve been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a hot-water bottle, a raincoat, and a parachute.
If I could do it again, I would travel lighter than I have.

If I had to live my life over,
I would start barefoot earlier in the spring
and stay that way later in the fall.
I would go to more dances,
I would ride more merry-go-rounds,
I would pick more daisies.

– Nadine Stair

Also worth having a read of what Mrs. Mindfulness has to say about slowing down. She thinks we all ought to hurry up and slow down!