Going solo: Dramabuds

Back in the summer of 2008, I was sitting in my back garden watching my daughter telling a story in her favourite princess outfit. I never thought this would be the first step towards creating a successful business that's now expanding to become a country-wide franchise – but for Dramabuds it kind of makes sense!

That's because Dramabuds is all about the power of play – our drama classes for 2–13-year-olds give kids an environment where they can have fun while learning how to be creative and express their imagination. As the founder and director of Dramabuds, I've spent 13 years working on creating children's programmes for all ages. I've been through ups and downs and learned so much – but it's reinforced to me the power that drama has to change children's lives for the better.

The creation of Dramabuds

Before Dramabuds, I'd led drama, theatre and education projects for companies and schools across London. This work had taught me how drama can really make people think about a change in their lives and help silence that inner critic – the one constantly telling you that you aren't good enough.

When I had kids, I found it difficult to spend time with them and keep up with such a full-on job. At the same time, I'd noticed there were very few drama classes for very young kids. That's when it hit me: what if I could combine my love of drama with a career that would make a real difference and let me spend as much time with my kids as possible? That's when Dramabuds was born.

When I first started out, it was with friends with kids at the same early age as mine.

Soon the business was growing organically, and I'd moved from workshops in my back garden to collaborating with nurseries and schools. I had good partnerships with the local council, which gave me the funding to carry out even more workshops. Before I knew it, Dramabuds was running classes in church halls, libraries, and children centres, and I had a team of talented Dramabuds teachers leading classes and parties for me.

Early education that lasts a lifetime

Part of what makes Dramabuds special and different is its ethos. It's not all about trying to get kids on the West End stage. It's about opening up the benefits of drama to everyone and helping young kids to express themselves and develop themselves – their learning, imagination and creativity – in a fun way.

In our classes, we're always trying to pose a problem that the kids have to solve so that they can come up with their own ideas and act them out. Our classes build imagination and creativity in kids alongside teaching them to solve problems in order to help them get over that fear of making mistakes that hold so many people back.

Qualifications and grades are important in life, but what really sets you apart is creativity; when the first five years of a child's life pass by so quickly, achieving the highest quality of learning and development is critical. The problem is that kids today are exposed to so many screens that it's difficult to bring that confidence, development, and imagination to the forefront. That's why we want to give kids an outlet to express themselves, not just because it's fun but because it builds their confidence so they can overcome challenges in all walks of life.

Growing the Dramabuds family

After so many years developing the Dramabuds brand, writing stories, investing in branding, creating songs and so on, it just felt like a waste to stay on a local level. So, I thought: what if there are other people like me who love drama and want to use it to inspire a powerful change in their lives, while having the same flexibility?

One of the things I'm most proud of is getting to work with other Dramabuds practitioners, who tell me how the brand is such a big part of their lives. That's why I'm so pleased that Dramabuds is extending its reach even further across the UK.

Dramabuds franchisees get the chance to run exciting drama classes, tell creative stories and host parties that allow children's imagination to shine through. They effectively run their own business, meaning they can choose their own hours to match their schedule and do as much or as little as they want. We provide our franchisees with a full training programme as well as ongoing support and resources, giving them the confidence to run their classes and market their businesses effectively.

We're looking for franchisees with loads of energy, creativity, and the desire to work with children. But they also need to have that business acumen, that get-up-and-go to get their business off the ground and spread the Dramabuds message throughout their local community.

Taking kids' drama to the next level

When I think back to myself in that garden, I never would have believed Dramabuds would get to the point where we have entertained over 10,000 children. I never thought that we would be nominated for 3 awards by What's On 4 Little Ones, including Best Local Activity for Children, Best Children's Party Entertainment and Most Outstanding Activity Leader for under 5's.

No doubt there have been challenges along the way – a shifting market, learning how to become a boss, and of course the Covid-19 pandemic, to name a few. But Dramabuds has only got stronger as a result of these challenges, and I've learned so much from the whole experience. Now, I can't wait to give people an easier route into a flexible, dynamic, and rewarding career that gives the confidence to tackle whatever comes their way.

For more information on Dramabuds head to www.dramabuds.co.uk