Going Solo: Stagecoach Performing Arts

Performing Arts has been my passion since I was three years old. Throughout my career as both a performer and a teacher, I have experienced first-hand the fantastic impact it has on young people, their confidence, their education, and development.

After studying for a Creative Studies and English Literature degree, I performed professionally in a number of touring productions. I went on to work with the Children's Theatre Company and for a time I worked with a Theatre in Education company in Holland. During this time, I discovered how fulfilling it was to work with young people and teach the performing arts. I joined the Stagecoach Head Office team as a franchise manager in 2005.

A big part of this role was to work directly with performing arts schools and support franchisees. When the opportunity arose to buy my own franchise in 2009, I jumped at it – even though I was heavily pregnant at the time! I wanted to be able to contribute personally to the lives of young people; helping them to build their confidence and resilience; allowing them opportunities and the skills to express themselves and have fun at the same time.

Humble beginnings

In September of this year, I celebrated my 10th anniversary as principal of Stagecoach Fulham. Over the last decade I have seen hundreds of students rise through stages and take their moments in the spotlight. It's difficult to summarise how rewarding it has been!

When I took over the Fulham branch, we had just 17 students attending one afternoon ‘Main Stages’ class, for students aged 6–18 years, and one ‘Early Stages’ class, for children aged 4–6 years. We now have over 220 students across Main Stages and five Early Stages classes, plus an ever-growing waiting list.

Every week I see students growing in confidence, skill, and ability. It is so satisfying to watch a shy child slowly come out of their shell, or a confident and skilled performer hone their craft and achieve more. Last year, long-standing student Chris Dunkley landed the role of ‘Nick the Sweep’ in the Sainsbury's Christmas Advert. Many students have either gone on to enroll in prestigious performing arts colleges or attain scholarships for high achieving academic schools.

We love to perform regularly for the local community and have been lucky enough to perform in professional venues, such as Her Majesty's Theatre and Birmingham Symphony Hall. My favourite venue we've performed in has to be Disneyland Paris in 2016. There was such a sense of electricity in the park. We were part of a larger group that opened the park to the public in the morning and participated in the ‘Dance the Dream’ pre-parade. The students who came along all got a massive sense of achievement and fun from it.

Starting a franchise

I would recommend starting a Stagecoach franchise to anyone who is enthusiastic about giving young people a crucial creative outlet. However, it's certainly not something to take on lightly. It's not a part-time job, but a huge part of life that brings hard work and joy in equal measure.

Taking on a business is a big undertaking and can be risky – especially in these uncertain times – but there is a lot of support and reassurance that comes from being part of such a big network and well-known brand. As I came from Stagecoach Head Office, I understood the vast amount of help available. I'd encourage anyone starting out to take advantage of this and also connect with your local network of other principals and teachers.

The initial financial outlay can be significant, but if you have space to work within your own home you can find ways to make it work. I originally set up my home office in the cupboard under the stairs but now have a purpose-built space at the end of the garden! There is flexibility and it is possible to balance the franchise with family life. Many of us also run it alongside another job but I would always recommend enlisting the help of an excellent administrator to lighten the load.

Looking ahead

It's been a difficult year for the creative industries, but our commitment to supporting our students in building ‘creative courage’ remains the same. We recently returned to invenue classes after we had launched an online offering – due to the second lockdown the demand for our online classes has surged with over 200 children joining! Beyond that, we are hoping to open an additional venue next year that will have enough space for our long waiting lists. COVID-19 may have slowed the process, but my priority is to make sure our current students enjoy the most enriching experience possible and continue to thrive.

For information on how to open a Stagecoach franchise, visit www.stagecoachfranchise.com

www.stagecoach.co.uk/fulham