Stagecoach Celebrates 35 Years of Arts Education and Empowerment
Stagecoach Performing Arts has never been a company to settle for mere greatness.
For more than 30 years, the UK-based youth theatre and performing arts franchise has offered top-notch, innovative education designed to help youth develop confidence, improve their social skills, and learn about musical theatre in a safe, welcoming environment. Since their humble beginnings in 1988, Stagecoach has taught over one million students from across the world, including Jamie Bell, Emma Watson, and Bella Ramsey, among others. Today, the company has more than 3,000 schools worldwide, using imagination, self-creation, and artistic expression to supplement and support their education.
But having celebrated their 35th anniversary only yesterday, the brand has its eyes on the horizon, with exciting plans for a new and improved approach to their arts and education programming.
“We are always keen to stay relevant and inclusive, so we wanted to look at our education framework to ensure we are keeping up with industry demand in terms of opportunities for our students and their skills development,” said Chase Demmers, Stagecoach’s educational partnerships and programme development manager at the company’s first-ever Education Advisory Panel, hosted in February at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in Peckham, London.
The panel, which met to prepare for Stagecoach’s April 9 birthday, brought together members of Stagecoach’s head office with creatives from other parts of the performing arts and education industries. By sparking conversation with industry members from outside the company, Stagecoach hopes to redevelop some of their practices and approaches to ensure that their schools remain equitable spaces to provide creative opportunities for youth of all backgrounds.
My favourite memory is probably the first day I had at Stagecoach, and I was so nervous to go in. I was a shy child — people don’t believe that now because I’m an actress, but I was, I was quite nervous. I walked in and I made friends with one of the students in my class and the first lesson we had was drama and I didn’t want to leave! I never looked back and every single Sunday, I used to look forward to going.
Lily de-la-Haye, former Stagecoach student and Stagecoach teacher now understudying Carlotta in Phantom of the Opera in the West End
Joining Demmer was teacher and West End performer Colin Charles; performing arts business consultant Tomorr Kokona; producer, writer, and actor Nina Kristofferson; producers Ben Johnson and Jak O’Kody; and principal of Mountview, Sally Ann Gritton.
“The aim was to find areas for development and if there were things we as a business were not addressing,” continued Demmer. “We felt it was important to hear what people think of our educational framework from the outside looking in. We received fantastic feedback and suggestions for celebrating our inclusivity as a brand.”
While Stagecoach delivers performance-driven education to students, the benefits of the program don’t end with musical theatre. The company and its schools encourage students to be more self-assured, expressive, sociable, and imaginative as they learn how to tackle situations with resilience, creativity, and courage. Countless studies over the years have shown that children with a background in the arts outperform their peers in core school subjects, such as science and English, and the program aims to help youths from across their world use their performance skills to benefit them in every area of their lives.
I turned my sights to Stagecoach after my own positive personal experience when our daughter participated in Stagecoach activities when we lived in Germany for many years. As we originate from Lithuania and still had tight connections to our home country, we decided to spread the positive Stagecoach idea in Lithuania.
Kęstutis Staniulionis, Stagecoach Vilnius, Lithuania
With this birthday, Stagecoach has renewed their commitment to serve and educate students equitably. But the work didn’t end on April 9. The company plans to revitalize their educational framework beyond their 35th anniversary, using ongoing feedback from future panels to help them remold and re-envision the reach and impact that Stagecoach has on young artists.
“This was our first panel, but we are looking to come together every six months as we really value the guidance of the panelists to keep us moving in the right direction,” explained Demmer.
“We are 35 years old as a business and have always gone from strength to strength. As a market leader, we recognise how important it is to be current and inclusive, and it’s refreshing to be challenged and hear the point of view of others in the industry.”
To find out more about Stagecoach and discover schools in your area, visit their website here.
Jessica Watson
Jessica is a former associate editor at Intermission, as well as a writer, classically-trained actor, and plant enthusiast. Since graduating from LAMDA in the UK with her MA in acting, you can often find her writing screenplays and short plays in the park, writing extensive lists of plant care tips, or working on stage and screen (though she uses a stage name). Jessica freelances with various companies across Canada, but her passion lies in working with theatre artists and enthusiasts.
LEARN MORE
iPhoto caption: Two Fringers pose next to a wall of posters. Photo courtesy of Toronto Fringe.
Missing Toronto Fringe? Now’s your chance to make a difference
Following a successful festival, the Toronto Fringe continues to accept donations as part of its Tip the Fringe campaign.
iPhoto caption: Jane Spence and Derek Ritschel. Photo courtesy of Lighthouse Festival.
Lighthouse Festival announces shake-up in artistic director role
“I couldn’t have imagined how great this theatre would become, thanks to the support of our incredible community and the unwavering dedication of our team,” says Derek Ritschel, who will pivot to a new role as the company’s director in residence. Jane Spence will step into the role of artistic director in November.
iPhoto caption: Photo courtesy of the Toronto Fringe.
The Delightful Chaos of Mistila and the Motlies promises merriment at the Toronto Fringe
This summer, Down and Dirty Theatre Company will bring its show The Delightful Chaos of Mistila and the Motlies to the Toronto Fringe Festival. The show, billed as “a magical...
iPhoto caption: Poster courtesy of GFT.
Guild Festival Theatre to present one-night-only concert version of Evalyn Parry’s SPIN
Inspired in part by the incredible true story of Annie Londonderry, who in 1895 became the first woman to ride around the world on a bicycle, SPIN travels from 19th-century women’s emancipation to the present day, forging unexpected links across time and history.
iPhoto caption: Photo courtesy of Dos Mundos
A whimsical TYA solo show about a talking snake is coming to the Toronto Fringe
Written and performed by Priscila Gonzalez, Snacey! is a high-energy tale right out of an early-2000s TVOkids television program.
iPhoto caption: Photo of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 by Dahlia Katz.
Toronto theatre wins big at the 2024 Dora Awards
The winners of the 2024 Dora Awards were announced on Monday in a lively ceremony hosted by Ryan G. Hinds at the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre.
Pakistani-Canadian actor Ahad Raza Mir ‘goes back to basics’ with Brampton production of Hamlet
“The South Asian community in Calgary, and even Toronto, is a whole different story than Brampton in terms of size,” says Mir. “I'm excited to have this show come to a larger group of South Asians: most importantly, young people who maybe want to go into the arts who want to be actors."
iPhoto caption: From top left, clockwise: Nikki Shaffeeullah, Adele Noronha, Michelle Mohammed, Jay Northcott, Anand Rajaram, and Virgilia Griffith.
Tarragon Theatre Announces A Poem for Rabia Cast
Award-winning theatre and film artist Nikki Shaffeeullah’s play A Poem for Rabia will make its debut in a Tarragon Theatre production in association with Nightwood Theatre and Undercurrent Creations.
iPhoto caption: Jeremy Smith and Tom Lillington in Driftwood Theatre's Living With Shakespeare. Original image by Dahlia Katz.
REVIEW: Living With Shakespeare at Driftwood Theatre
Living With Shakespeare is a deeply intimate exploration of Smith’s life and work, using Shakespeare’s words to bring to life some of his most personal, exciting, and challenging experiences.
REVIEW: Shakespeare By Any Other Name at Dauntless City Theatre
Part history lesson, part joyful romp through Shakespeare’s works, the sixty-minute play in the heart of St. James’ Park attempts to return the playwright to the people.
Guild Festival Theatre’s The Drowning Girls Opens in Scarborough
GFT’s final production is the multi-award-winning play The Drowning Girls, a true crime tale about three women married to and murdered by the same man.
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre Reveals Their 45th Anniversary Season
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre is celebrating with a season that showcases both epic queer stories from history and innovative new works from a diverse roster of artists.
Comments