Small Change, BIG DIFFERENCE!
Founded in 2014 by Kate O’Connor, Starburst School of Speech & Drama offers fun, expert-led classes that help children find their voice and shine on stage and in life.
Our Classes
Interactive Speech & Drama sessions where pre-school children build confidence
(Pre-School - 6th Class)
Students develop confident communication skills, strong stage presence and clear expression through: Poetry, Improvisation, Public Speaking, Prose and Drama
Classes become progressively more challenging each year, ensuring children are continually stretched and supported at an age appropriate level.
Students also have the opportunity to complete a recognised exam annually, giving them a meaningful goal and a chance to celebrate their progress and achievements.
VIEW UPCOMING CLASSES
Join Starburst for a fun-filled Multi-Activity Easter Camp packed with drama, games, creativity and confidence-building activities.
This camp is suitable for children from ECCE 2 to 4th Class and is designed to keep children active, engaged and entertained in a supportive environment.
BOOK NOW
Public Speaking Coaching - offering 1:1 coaching or workplace workshops.
Mediation Services - specialising in couples, family and workplace mediation.
Head over to - Kate McGrath Communications
to learn more about these services
What we offer
Creative Drama:
Improvisation, character work, storytelling and puppetry, freedom to imagine.
Speech Skills:
Breathing, clarity, projection, poetry & prose, confidence in speaking.
Performance Prep:
Group work, process drama and exam preparation with the Irish Board of Speech & Drama.
Voice & Presentation:
Stagecraft, audition technique — practical skills to perform with confidence.
What age group are your classes for?
We have classes for children from ECCE1 (3.5 years) right up to 6th Year Secondary School Students.
Where can I find the class timetable?
We have lots of classes available. Some classes run alongside each other so siblings can attend at similar times.
Is there a mix of girls & boys in the classes?
Absolutely. We have a great mix of girls and boys in all our classes.
Our classes are designed to create equal opportunities for all students.
What format do the Speech & Drama classes take?
Traditional Speech & Drama classes consisted of a lot of theory and sitting down waiting your turn to speak.
Rest assured, our format is very different to this! Your child is engaged and active for the full lesson - either through whole class activities or games, small group work or pair work.
What does a typical class involve?
Throughout a term of classes we explore every part of Speech & Drama. This includes mime, puppetry, storytelling, diction work, improvisation, character work, acting, confidence building, public speaking, poetry, prose and movement to music.
There is great variety in every class and each class is highly interactive.
My child is very quiet and shy.Would they be able for these classes?
Absolutely. Over our many years at Starburst, we have supported the least confident child to the most confident.
In our classes, each child is given equal opportunity to perform and grow, at their own pace.
Whether your child tends to hide in the background or likes to be front and centre, we cater for all.
Do children complete an exam each year?
Children from Junior Infants complete a speech and drama exam each year.
Starburst School of Speech and Drama are affiliated with The Irish Board of Speech & Drama.
Children also have the opportuntiy to compete in Féis’ each year.
We also often get casting calls and children may engage in auditions, if they so wish.
Do you have a show at the end of term?
We do not hold shows or performances, as we are not a stage school.
Instead, our focus is on helping every child build confidence in performing, acting and public speaking.
Children are individually recognised and rewarded based on their own personal progress, by completing the Spring exam.
What Parents Say
I sought for support with my daughter who is 7 struggling with confidence in big groups and in school. She started with Kate in September and their hard work was evident so quickly. My daughter went from a girl unable to put her hand up in class to singing solo to the whole school in 3 months! Its the one activity she loves going to and is buzzing with excitement when she leaves.
My little girl started last year! She was always super shy, all I can say is that by the end of the year she had so much confidence and made some really lovely friends! She looks forward to class every week and loves her teacher! She cannot wait to start back this term!
My daughter started late into last year and she loves it. So good for her confidence. Kate is so patient with her and she can’t wait to get back to the new term.
My 4 girls have attended Starburst. It has been wonderful for their confidence within a group. Kate and all the teachers are fantastic with the kids. The girls gain a wonderful sense of achievement each year after the fly through their exams.
My girls love starburst speech and drama. It has helped the girls confidence and social skills. They look forward to class everyweek.
All three of my children have attended Starburst classes and love them. They love the variety of the classes, and has really brought on their confidence. The teachers are all fantastic, and are so enthusiastic.
Meet Kate, Our Founder
The heart behind Starburst Drama
A lifelong passion for confidence-building
As a child and teenager, Kate swam competitively, played violin and piano, danced, and attended Speech & Drama classes for years — experiences that shaped her own confidence and communication skills. She went on to spend five years teaching in Dublin primary schools, then qualified as a play therapist in 2012, supporting children with low self-esteem and confidence.
Starburst is born
In 2013, Kate moved to Kilkenny and qualified as a Speech & Drama teacher. A year later, she took the leap and started her own drama school with just eight students in St. Patrick's Parish Centre. That small beginning grew term by term, through word of mouth, into a full teaching team across multiple venues.
Where we are today
We now run Speech & Drama classes for preschoolers through to secondary school students, alongside Easter camps and Public Speaking classes for teenagers — created in response to the Junior Cycle CBAs many students find daunting. We help children and adults speak clearly, confidently and authentically, when it matters most.
