Dress-Up Week at the Youth Academy

October 31, 2025

Dress-Up Week at the Youth Academy was filled with incredible costumes and spooky surprises!

Thank you to all of our students, parents, and instructors for filling the Academy with the spirit of Halloween for the week! We loved seeing everyone’s incredible costumes, there was so much creativity in all of them!

The week wrapped up with our free DEYA Teens event, Costume Karaoke, where everyone showed up in their best Halloween looks and took the stage to sing along to their favourite songs. It was an unforgettable evening filled with music, laughter, and plenty of Halloween fun, a perfect way to close out a week of imagination and community at the Academy!

Testimonials

This environment is free of judgment and full of love. Thank you for always pushing us and reminding us how important, valued and powerful we all are.

I can’t thank you enough for the courage, independence and kindness you help to instil in my kids.

Although my Dad never spoke of it to Evan or me, he was a little hesitant with the dance stuff and then theatre stuff… but then he came out of the Panto that Evan was in crying, so happy that Evan had found a place where he felt like he belonged.

As parents we got to ride this high with our son. We got to see him, for the first time, totally come into himself, for the first time, pure happiness. Something changed, he has changed….thank you.

This was the most amazing theatre experience I’ve had to date, and I’ve had a LOT! It’s the first time I’ve felt like I really belonged because you made such an inclusive environment.

Thank you! She walked away with more confidence about body image, an even deeper love of everything “theatre” and huge love and respect for her community!

The patience David shows to the children is perfect! As a teacher I recognize that this man was made to work with kids!! The way he speaks to kids makes them believe they can do anything!!!

This is where I want to be. I get to learn from Broadway performers who are performing at a theatre right next door but more importantly, I’ve made lifelong friends. Even the audition process is awesome. Drayton has helped me grow not only as a performer, but as a person.

My son has done lots of programs and I think he felt the most at home here. The children and staff were the most inclusive of any I’ve encountered.

Each and every day he arrived at Huron Country Playhouse, he knew he was stepping into a place where his passions and dreams were going to be honoured, respected and encouraged.

Kids (and even adults!) really have fun and learn skills, responsibility, and teamwork here. David Connolly (Director of Education) is a fantastic leader.

The two musical theatre classes I attended were a lot of fun and I enjoyed them tremendously.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the adult classes at DEYA. It is a great opportunity to get creative with like-minded peers in a judgment-free environment: singing, dancing, acting and even improv! I love that Drayton is giving us adults a chance to live the theatre dream and learn new skills from talented instructors.

The staff involved had an incredible ability to push the kids outside of their comfort zones to try new things and take risks. Most of all, they were able to teach kids to embrace differences and that it’s okay to be different.

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Dress-Up Week at the Youth Academy

Testimonials