SUMMER SCHOOL: Adventurer Academyat Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds

Feeling adventurous?  Like problem-solving?  Don’t want to be bored this summer?  Theatre Royal Adventurer Academy needs you!

An unforgettable week of imagination, mystery, puzzles, teamwork, and adventure.

Adventurer Academy is not a traditional drama programme and it’s not a simple arts-and-crafts week. It’s a collaborative storytelling adventure where participants become explorers, creators, problem-solvers, and heroes inside a world that evolves throughout the week. Think Indiana Jones, in an escape room, with a dash of drama and collaborative storytelling thrown in.

At the beginning of the week, participants are presented with the first clues to a mysterious world filled with secrets, challenges, locations, characters and unanswered questions. As the week unfolds, the world grows and changes based on the decisions the group makes. Participants don’t simply follow a story, they help shape it.

What skills are involved?  

This week is much more about imagination, collaboration, communication, storytelling and creative thinking than artistic ability.

Participants may:

Create maps and locations

Invent characters and cultures

Solve puzzles and challenges

Work in teams

Develop storytelling skills

Make creative decisions

Present ideas and discoveries

At the end of the week, families are invited to experience the world their young adventurers have created.

FAQS

Do participants create the world themselves?  

Both yes and no. The facilitators provide the framework, mystery and initial quest that launches the adventure. Participants then collaborate to expand the world through their own ideas, discoveries, choices, and creative problem-solving.

Are they players or creators?  

They are both. Participants become active characters within the story while simultaneously helping design the world around them.

What skills are involved?  

This week is much more about imagination, collaboration, communication, storytelling and creative thinking than artistic ability.

Participants may:

Create maps and locations

Invent characters and cultures

Solve puzzles and challenges

Work in teams

Develop storytelling skills

Make creative decisions

Present ideas and discoveries

Is it like an escape room?  

Many children who enjoy escape rooms, adventure games, fantasy stories, role-playing games, mysteries, treasure hunts, or immersive experiences will absolutely love Adventurer Academy.

The difference is that instead of solving a pre-designed puzzle experience, participants help build the world and story themselves.

How does the week progress?  

Each day introduces new mysteries, discoveries and challenges. Participants gradually uncover more of the world’s secrets while adding their own ideas and contributions. By the end of the week, they will have helped create a rich and detailed adventure world that didn’t exist when they arrived on Monday.

Sharing with Families  

At the end of the week, families are invited to experience the world their young adventurers have created.

Rather than a traditional theatre performance, participants present the story, discoveries, maps, characters, locations and adventures they have developed throughout the week. Families get a guided glimpse into the incredible world-building journey that unfolded over five days.

Is this right for my child?  

This programme is perfect for:

Fans of adventure games and escape rooms

Children who love fantasy, mystery, quests and storytelling

Creative thinkers who enjoy inventing ideas

Young people who prefer collaboration over performing

It’s particularly wonderful for children who may not see themselves as performers. If your child enjoys imagination, problem-solving, creating stories, exploring fictional worlds, or working with others to solve challenges, Adventurer Academy may become their favourite week of the summer.

Dates and times:

Monday 10th August – Friday 14th August

10am – 4pm

Please wear comfortable clothing and bring a water bottle, snacks and lunch.