Holiday club a first for Starlight

A theatre academy run by two friends who share a love of performing arts is running a summer holiday club for the first time this August.

Starlight Theatre Academy, Newark, is run by drama practitioner Emily Cook and performing arts teacher Nicole Friend.

The pair met when they were both teachers at the Newark Academy of Performing Arts.

When the couple in charge decided to step back, Emily and Nicole took it on and rebranded.

By the time of their first performance in May, 2016, they had nearly doubled the attendance numbers.

“We have an ethos of imagination and fun coming before being stars,” said Emily.

“Myself and Nicole work our socks off to give our students the most engaging and enjoyable experience.”

Nicole said she had always been infatuated with performing arts and studied dance, drama and theatre studies at Liverpool University, graduating with a first-class honours degree.

Emily started her career by helping a local amateur drama group as a teenager.

She studied drama at Lin-coln University and has since worked at theatre schools across Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire, as well as abroad.

Nicole is the dance and singing teacher at Starlight Academy, while Emily looks after the drama and script-writing, and the administration.

“It is very much a combined effort,” said Emily.

“We recognise and rely on each other’s strengths. Nicole assists with directing the group performance and we both take great joy in leading games and activities.”

The academy runs sessions at the Magnus Academy Dance Studio on Sunday afternoons.

They do an hour each of singing, drama, and dance, working towards a performance of a musical.

Nicole said as they got closer to show week they tended to merge the three, so the children could understand the development of the performance process.

“Starlight isn’t a large school. All the ages tend to stay together in the same room, which challenges the younger students and helps the older ones learn how to be leaders and role models. Everyone knows each other,” Nicole said.

Emily said each child got lots of individual support and attention.

She said: “Every child who comes through Starlight will do something they haven’t done before. Whether it is volunteering for an improvisation game, singing a solo, or a getting to be a dancing cow. It depends on them.

“We can write and alter our scripts to the strengths of the students or push their boundaries. We show them skills and techniques, but more importantly we teach confidence and creativity.”

The holiday club will take the theme of A Million Dreams, which has been inspired by The Greatest Showman.

Emily will help the children with script writing so they can create mini-plays around their own dreams and ideas.

There will be a show for parents on the final day.

The club, aimed at children aged six to 16, is from August 6 to 10 at the Magnus studio.

The week costs £80 with a sibling discount for more than one child from the same family.

More information is available at www.starlighttheatreacad emy.co.uk or info@starlight theatreacademy.co.uk