Giant Leaps Speech NZ I Ican Academy®

Giant Leaps ICAN Academy®

We celebrate INCLUSIVE and DIVERSE involvement in the performing arts.

ICAN Academy® is our bespoke performing arts programme for people with physical and intellectual disabilities. With the help of the very best industry professionals, we empower each other to break down barriers, say ICAN, get on the stage, and shine! Weekly classes focus on acting, singing and dance. ICAN Academy® engages individuals and communities - without changing what is unique. Classes are designed to be inclusive for ALL abilities.

Enquire Register here

Sing.

ICAN ACADEMY® encompasses singing and instruments to celebrate the love of music and its universal capacity to reach everyone. The accessible and interactive nature of music makes it a fun and effective teaching tool. Music can make the difference between withdrawal and awareness, between isolation and interaction. Lyrical melodies, rhythms and harmonies can elicit a response in individuals that stimulates learning, promotes responsiveness, encourages communication and fosters growth.

Dance.

ICAN ACADEMY® is about engaging and encouraging connections through dance. Our dance classes celebrate connections, relationships, musicality and movement, without changing anything that is unique. The ICAN dance academy is an exchange of teaching and learning. Everyone has an equal role in that exchange.

Act.

We foster unique and creative expression through acting and drama. Together we empower each other to break down barriers, say ICAN, get on the stage, and shine! Weekly classes focus on drama, mime and movement, voice work, improvisation, devising performance and dress-up. At the end of every year an annual production it put on for the community. ICAN Act engages individuals and communities.

Our classes.

ICAN ACADEMY® classes are specifically designed to encourage individuals of ALL abilities to understand, respond to and use performance in a wide range of situations. Students will learn to use verbal and nonverbal language appropriate to different situations, while building confidence and working in a team. We foster a fun and non-judgmental environment to learn and develop new skills. ICAN ACADEMY® gives everyone involved the chance to experience the buzz and thrill of performing. Within each group you can be assured that each performer will receive the individual attention they need. The class is one hour in duration and occurs on a weekly basis over the year.

Our Tutors.

Anna Keno is the founder of GIANT LEAPS Speech Company. As a Speech & Language Therapist and a Speech & Drama Teacher she identified the need for a quality performing arts programme people with physical and intellectual disabilities. She has over 20 years’ experience as a Speech Therapist and teaching Speech and Drama to individuals of all ages and abilities. Anna is passionate about working with young people and adults to develop confidence, creativity and most importantly communication skills for life. The belief behind Anna's work is simple - That every individual can achieve their communication and performance potential - whatever that may be!

ICAN ACADEMY® is a bespoke performing arts programme for people with physical and intellectual disabilities. With the help of industry professionals, we empower each other to break down barriers, say ICAN, get on the stage, and shine! Weekly classes focus on acting, singing, & dance.. Be empowered to achieve your potential - whatever that may be!

Enquire Register

Join the ICAN ACADEMY team.

The ICAN Academy is an exchange of teaching and learning. Everyone has an equal role in that exchange. What you learn very quickly when we work as a community is that we can all teach each other and we can all learn from each other. Get in touch if you want to JOIN US! We have a role for everyone! We need teachers, learners, singers, actors, dancers, volunteers, we want children, adults and leaders… we want a community celebrating our differences together.