activ4 - Sports travel, tours & tournaments for schools, groups & teams

France performing arts: great value with option of Disneyland or Futuroscope excursions!
Inspirational and highly experienced professional tutors are available if required

Beauville Arts Centre (SW France) - NEW

An exciting Performing Arts Centre near Toulouse providing an economic option to our destinations in Portugal and New York with a wide range of workshops in musical theatre, dance, theatre, music (classical and modern), songwriting, studio recording, hip-hop dance - to name but a few!

Accommodation: There is a choice of accommodation - students can stay in dormitory tents of 8 or 12 at "Les 2 Lacs" a family run campsite situated in a beautiful valley with two lakes (staff stay in adjacent mobile home accommodation). The Site covers 22 hectares and offers sports and games such as volleyball, tennis, table tennis, table football, a swimming lake with full time lifeguard, as well as the opportunity for boating. The site is within walking distance of the rehearsal and performance venue and Beauville village (500m).

NB. Outside the summer months groups can stay in nearby gites or hotels.

All workshops and rehearsals take place either in the Salle des Fêtes, Salle de Sport or Dance studio.

Summer School: The Performing Arts Summer School is open to anyone with a fluency in the English Language and a love of the Performing Arts, aged between 8 and 18 years. There are also places available for French speaking students who wish to develop their knowledge of English. In just one week a full-scale musical production will be prepared. Students will be expected to encourage and inspire one another in a positive yet challenging environment based upon teamwork, commitment and shared goals. Students will be split into groups to receive intensive instruction from fully qualified and experienced teachers specialised in Music, Drama, Dance and Set Design culminating in a public performance of the musical production on the Friday evening of each week. There will also be opportunities for sporting and leisure activities.

Beauville Arts is run by Claire & Jonathan Mallalieu - Jonathan studied music at Oxford University and has had a distiguished career in the world of Performing Arts and Director of Music in several schools within the UK and International sectors. He has extensive experience as a Theatrical Director, having produced over thirty shows. There are a choice of performing arts courses available:

• Performing Arts Summer Camps for children
• Rock Schools, songwriting & recording courses
• Residential music and drama courses for schools
• Weekly music tuition
• Rental of a digital recording studio
• Arrangements and music production
• Composition and production of music for TV
• Music performance and appreciation courses
• Inset training for music teachers
• Music and drama workshops for schools

There is a large performance space seating up to 300 people, a Dance Studio, Sports Hall, Digital Recording Studio and soundproofed acoustically treated recording environment.

Transport: Ideal for air groups (transfer from Toulouse airport 1hr 15mins) or for coach groups who might like to include a visit to Disneyland Paris on the way!

Evening Entertainment

• Film night or quiz night
• Batucada Percussion Workshop
• BBQ or Mechoui
• Randonee/Treasure Hunt
• Wine Tasting
• Musee de Foie Gras
• Dance Competition
• Talent Show
• Night Market

Local Excursions

• Parc Walabi - the largest theme park in SW France at Agen - 30mins away!
• Toulouse City Centre - museums, theatre, shopping
• Chateau de Bonaguil - medieval chateau - 30 mins away
• Kayaking and canoeing on the Lakes at the campsite
• Kayaking and Canoeing on the Lot River
• Pyrenees 3 hours away

Paris Excursions and sightseeing

Disneyland Paris

Disneyland Paris is divided into two parks, Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios.Disneyland Park has five themed 'lands' - Main Street USA, Frontierland, Adventureland, Fantasyland and Discoveryland - each with their own unique architecture, decoration, costumes, music and landscaped scenery. Top of the thrills at Disneyland Park are Big Thunder Mountain and the Temple of Peril!

Disneyland Park is a giant stage, with shows and parades taking place 365 days a year! Space enthusiasts will enjoy Discoveryland's futuristic attractions and should head for Space Mountain: Mission 2, Star Tours and Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast.  Other 'must see' attractions in Disneyland Park are the eerie Phantom Manor, Pirates of the Caribbean and the 3-D extravaganza - Honey, I Shrunk the Audience.

Walt Disney Studios Park is right next door to Disneyland Park where you can discover the magical world of cinema and television - 4 cinemagical 'lots' feature thrilling attractions and spectacular shows: Production Courtyard (filming, film sets, studio life, costumes - secrets of TV and cinema), Front Lot (become part of Hollywood and try your hand at lighting and special effects), Back Lot (red-hot special effects! shows how stunts are performed), Toon Studio (history and secrets of Disney animation).

35 minutes to Paris: For members of the group wishing to visit Paris - the RER A (Regional Express Train) Marne-la-Vallée Chessy terminus is just 100 metres fron the entrance to Disney, just 35 mins from Paris - with trains all day long running every 10 minutes.

Futuroscope - Poitiers

Futuroscope lets you enjoy new excitement that will amaze your group, play on their senses and involve everyone in the action as you escape into new worlds of fun, live in the future today and see this world in a new light!

Hotel du Futuroscope is a clean modern and compfortable hotel, right in the Futuroscope Park, bedrooms are designed for 1 - 5 people making them ideal for groups with TV, ensuite shower rooms and separate WC. School tour groups can enjoy traditional and tasty cuisine in the Hotel restaurant, buffet-style breakfasts with plenty of choice, and 24hr manned reception.

Poitiers

Poitiers is ideal for cultural tours and it has special sightseeing circuits for walkers - each taking around an hour to complete, taking in some of the most important historic monuments of Poitiers including the Eglise Notre Dame and the magnificent Saint Pierre Cathedral, a Gothic building dating from the 12th century.

Poitiers' most famous period of history was during the middle ages when Eleanor of Aquitaine had her marriage to Louis VII of France annulled in order to marry Henry Plantagenet (who later became King Henry II of England). Poitiers became an English town as it was part of the dowry she brought to her marriage. Continuous struggles between the English and French kings led to the Hundred Years War (1337-1453). The Battle of Poitiers was one of the great English victories of the war.