These include The Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham, the Winter Garden, Eastbourne, The Arts Theatre, Darlington, The Exmouth Pavilion and The Fairfield Halls, Croydon.

Two summer schools are offered: for children aged 8 to 12 and teenagers aged 13 to 18. There is no pre-audition process and places are offered on a first come first served basis. On the first day all participants are given the opportunity to show any skills they have in acting, singing and dancing and are helped by professional directors to develop these throughout the week. Original musicals are always used, which are specially written for the Summer Schools to ensure that all participants are fully involved.

The musicals being used for children this year are The Forest about a Princess who cannot dance and The Fortune Teller about a young man who pretends to predict the future. Their teenage musical is Just Wanna Be Heard about a gang of teenagers, one of whom is arrested for doing graffiti but with very strange consequences! On the final afternoon of the summer school the participants perform the musical fully costumed in the theatre in front of an invited audience. In 2009 at The Fairfield Halls, Croydon, CBBC watched the participants rehearse and interviewed them with the view to giving them the opportunity to appear on children's television.

More info: www.edustage.co.uk or contact Jeffrey Whitton on 020 8673 1864 or [email protected]