1 November 2021
Birmingham Ormiston Academy is celebrating a decade of success as it marks its 10th anniversary.
26 January 2021
25 November 2020
Birmingham Ormiston Academy (BOA) has announced that an exclusive recording of The Snow Queen, first performed at The Old Rep in December 2019, will be made available to school children across the region this Christmas.
An exclusive recording of Birmingham Ormiston Academy’s The Snow Queen production will be shared with local school children this Christmas
First performed at The Old Rep theatre in December 2019, the special recording will be made available to primary and secondary schools across the West Midlands
The show was produced, performed and filmed by young students at BOA, sister academy to BOA Stage & Screen which is now open for applications
Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy tale, the show was produced, performed and filmed by talented young students at BOA alongside leading industry professionals.
With the current Covid-19 pandemic causing many theatres to close their doors this winter, an exclusive recording of the show will now be shared with local primary and secondary schools.
The recording will be available to view from Tuesday 1 December, so pupils across the region can be united in experiencing the fun and festivity of a Christmas theatre production.
Gaynor Cheshire, CEO of the BOA Group, comments: “We’re delighted that young people at schools across the region have the opportunity to enjoy this exclusive recording of The Snow Queen. We know that Christmas will feel a little different this year but we’re so excited to bring people together to watch a traditional Christmas production - it’s what makes this time of year so special! This film truly captures the magic of live theatre and we can’t wait to bring a little theatrical sparkle into the classroom.”
BOA is part of the BOA Group and a sister school to BOA Stage & Screen, a brand-new academy opening in September 2021. Located in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, BOA Stage & Screen will be a state-funded academy for 16-19 year olds specialising in technical theatre, film and broadcast production.
Gaynor Cheshire continues: “The Snow Queen production is a fantastic insight into the unique experience that BOA students can enjoy and what future pupils at BOA Stage & Screen can look forward to. We pride ourselves on giving talented young people an exceptional education as well as exciting opportunities to gain real-life, on-the-ground industry experience. It’s never been more important to invest in the next generation of creative talent and The Snow Queen is a wonderful example of what our gifted students can achieve.”
Gary Stevens, General Manager and Operations Director at The Old Rep, comments: “We were thrilled to work with students at BOA on this production of The Snow Queen. Our mission is to engage, educate and entertain the next generation of artists and theatre lovers and it’s so rewarding to work with up-and-coming talent - both on the stage and behind-the-scenes. Our doors may currently be closed, but it’s fantastic to see that the skill, passion and enthusiasm of young creative talent is still very much on show.”
The recording will be provided to primary and secondary schools free of charge, and will also be available for families to view at home. Participating schools are being asked to share photos of their special ‘Snow Queen Screenings’ on social media using the hashtag #SnowQueenChristmas.
To enjoy the exclusive recording of The Snow Queen, visit https://www.youtube.com/user/imagineBOA from Tuesday 1 December 2020.
Applications to BOA Stage & Screen are open now. For more information and to download an application form, visit www.boa-stageandscreen.co.uk
Press enquiries
Please contact Ruth Pipkin or Rachel Worthing at Rewired PR on:
Ruth: ruth@rewiredpr.com / 07894 556614
Rachel: rachel@rewiredpr.com / 07545 993137
13 November 2020
20 March 2020
Birmingham Ormiston Academy is one of the
highest performers in England, winning national
awards
15 April 2024
Our inaugural group of Year 10 and 11 DofE students set out on their Bronze Qualifying and Silver Practice expeditions amidst the breathtaking landscapes of the Long Mynd in Shropshire. Over the Easter break, these young adventurers braved the elements, pushing their limits and stepping well and truly out of their comfort zones with a challenging three-day hike, covering approx. 50km.
Despite facing some of Britain's most relentless spring weather conditions – rain, wind, sleet, and even a touch of snow – the students rose to the challenge with solid determination. Their two (very cold) nights of wild camping became a test of endurance, resilience and spirit. However, teamwork emerged as the basis of their success - as, unified by a common goal, the students supported one another every step of the way; sharing lots of snacks, stories, and a few songs to keep morale high.
Having completed their Bronze Qualifying and Silver Practice expeditions, our students now turn their attention to the next phase of their DofE journey. For our Bronze award participants, this includes completion of their Skills, Physical, and Volunteering sections. Meanwhile, our Silver award group eagerly anticipates their next challenge – the qualifying expedition in the heart of North Wales this July (where we cross our fingers for drier weather!).
12 April 2024
BOA take on the Big Apple!
70 year 13 students across all pathways visited New York City and what a trip it was. We focused on visiting the main attractions and seeing what Broadway has to offer. This includes seeing The Book of Mormon and Six the Musical. The students even got to take part in a Broadway workshop where they got to meet some of the original cast of Hamilton, who complimented them on their professionalism and inspiring energy.
More highlights were visiting Time Square, Central Park, 5th Avenue, 911 Memorial and experiencing a Knicks' basketball game at the world-famous Madison Square Garden.
The academy is delighted to have been able to offer this trip to our students. We want to thank them for representing BOA in such a brilliant way.
12 April 2024
Year 11 Acting students recently performed the verbatim play 'Game Over' by Mark Wheeler, which followed the harrowing story of Breck Bednar, a teenager who was groomed over the internet and brutally murdered on 17 February 2014. The play was deeply powerful, and the Acting students worked extremely hard to create touching and thought-provoking performances. We are very proud of their sensitive and mature approach to the text and continually surprised by their talent and focus.
12 April 2024
'A huge well done to our Key Stage 5 Acting Company for performing 'On the Shore of the Wide World' by Simon Stephens this term. The play focuses on three generations of the Holmes family in Stockport, England, examining the persistent dreams and struggles facing each generation. Our amazing group of actors created a beautiful performance, using movement and characterisation to display this heartfelt story to the highest level'.
10 April 2024
Spring Term 2024 saw the launch of BOA's 2nd SUPER SATURDAY SCHOOL. This year with the wonderful addition of workshops in DJ-Ing and Music production. We saw the local community children of Birmingham enjoying and learning skills in Performing Arts Education fully funded thanks by The Ormiston Trust. The children learned skills in Dance, Singing and Acting and are now preparing for an exciting performance on May 4th called the "Festival of Sharing." We at BOA are so proud that we can offer this enrichment in the wake of 100% Arts funding cuts to Birmingham. Boa has engaged with 3,400 children from ages 4 - 16 through our Social Action Work with peer on peer learning, mentoring, training in teaching skills and leadership for our current student Social Ambassadors.
10 April 2024
5 staff and 45 geography students from years 11,12 and 13 embarked on an epic adventure across Morocco and into the Sahara Desert. We started in the bustling city of Marrakesh before travelling into the Atlas Mountains across spectacular gorges and valleys. We visited farms, local businesses and explored the arid environments and the opportunities that exist there. The highlight of our trip was a camel trek through the Sahara to our campsite, set amongst huge sand dunes. We climbed the dunes for sunset and sunrise the next morning. It was a truly magical experience and the stars at night were breathtaking! We stopped off at the Atlas film studios on our way back to Marrakesh and students made their own short films as well as seeing the sets of some of the biggest blockbuster Hollywood movies such as Cleopatra and The Mummy. It was a pleasure to take the BOA students on this geographical journey.