An online theatre course for children aged between eight and 15 is being offered free-of-charge, to provide them with an immersive introduction to theatre during the COVID-19 pandemic. With schools and theatres closed around the world, Disney Theatrical Productions has made The Lion King Experience program available to be used at home.
The arts education program introduces students and their parents to many aspects of theatre-making through the lens of The Lion King. Although this program is traditionally facilitated in a classroom setting, all 45-minute sessions have been unlocked for parents and children to explore at home or for teachers to facilitate remotely. To assist this, tools are provided to support the teaching. There are two versions of the curriculum, which is usually taught in schools to accompany their own in-house production of the show.
The 11 sessions of the “Kids Experience” are aimed at primary school pupils aged between eight and 11, and the 18 sessions of the "Jr Experience” are for secondary school students aged between 12 and 15. Each session is introduced in a video by Jelani Remy and Syndee Winters, who played Simba and Nala in the North American production of the live theatre show. Children are encouraged to create a related project, and they can share their work with people in their home and reflect on their progress in a journal. They receive a completion certificate at the end of the course.
You can download the materials from The Lion King Experience here.
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