As a performer, the run up to the show is a time of tension and nervous energy. There are last-minute thoughts and worries, the need to distract yourself, but all the time the excitement of what’s coming is growing. One of our ex-students Simon Lipkin – now a star in the West End, put it very well when he said he welcomed that feeling and didn’t see it as nerves – he called it an excitement. That’s a great way to deal with it. Be aware of the feeling and see it as a positive – something to keep you on your toes. Own that feeling!
Today, we launched our new website and that’s what we’re all so worked up about. It’s not every day you get to completely remodel the image you put out there in the name of your company.
This time, I’m more thrilled than ever because we found someone very creative, and so now we have a site that speaks and shows you photos and diagrams. The whole shebang has more possibilities than anything we’ve seen before. Each one of our 70 odd centres has their own website inside the website. And what’s more creative, that means everyone gets to play around with the words and pictures and put their own stamp on it.
In the old days you printed leaflets and put an ad in the local paper. Is there one left near you? In a morning I could deliver 7000 leaflets to schools and come home to an already ringing phone. Then came Dunblane and practically overnight schools became fortresses. You press a button and are asked if you have an appointment. Ah well, times change. These days parents are time poor and want to know about you, book a class and pay all in a couple of minutes.
I hope this new website enables people to get a better idea of what we do. We haven’t banged the drum for ourselves for a while but becoming 30 is something to shout about and oh I nearly forgot… My call to action! Please have a look around the new site and share it with anyone who you know who has a young person who needs to get and move around, create, befriend and perform with like-minded people. Or someone who’d love to open their own theatre school.
Advert over and I promise not to be so crass until we have another opening night.
Of course with a new site there’s always things we can learn and improve. So, please do feel free to get in touch if you have any feedback. We also welcome guest blogs and interviews, so just get in touch if you have a relevant story to tell or wisdom to share!
