Meet our Franchisees

Khara has a lovely bubbly personality she loves having her franchise in the heart of her community Footlights Old Trafford. Khara started as a tutor at Footlights and loved it so much she decided to invest in a franchise. Khara’s stage school children have performed in the community carnival as well as dance comps in the UK. Khara finds that the support from Head Office helps her significantly, especially since she had her lovely terrible twos Matthias! Here’s what one her parents at the school at to say “Tyrese has being going over a year now and he fully enjoys it. It is part of his routine now on Saturdays. lol The confidence in Tye has dramatically improved each and every time he goes. The team are friendly and take pride in their work and the kids who attend. I am officially a stage momâ€Â  Once the pandemic is over Khara is hoping to expand into Stretford sell out.

This exciting duo come with a wealth of experience! Jayne has been a parent of Footlights for 6 years, she is also on the Senior Leadership Team at Head Office as a specialist in delivering Internet Safety Workshops to schools, she is also a qualified Social worker, and being a mother of 6, she knows exactly the right mix of fun and education for your child. Rebecca has been teaching and directing at Footlights for seven years so she is no stranger to the magic created each Saturday morning! They both know what positive effect performing arts can have on a child  and are keen to help shape Huddersfield’s young actors, performers and stars of the future.

Tony George was previously a teacher of our fantastic Tiny’s (3yrs – 6yrs) in Rossendale for over five years until he took the plunge in summer 2023 to open his own school, we are so pleased he did. He has the most infectious personality and his passion for children, young people and the community is so apparent. Tony runs his franchise with the help of Sheree his wife, his bubbly beautiful daughter is in attendance in the school each week, the whole family bring such a lively vibe,

All Good Things Come to Those that wait! It was a full 18 months communication for this couple to sign the franchise agreement and they are so glad they did. Richard and Debbie run Footlights Worcester and despite the pandemic five months from opening they have continued to thrive with online classes and even managed to have a new baby in the meantime!  We asked them what took them so long to decide here’s what they said “We felt we were in as good a place as any to take the plunge. We had saved up enough to invest without breaking the bank and felt it was now or never. We had been focussing on other personal issues prior to committing to the Franchise, but in the end decided it was time to grow in another direction” we also asked their training was like “The training was intensive, but all done in a relaxed environment. It’s amazing the different things you need to think about when setting up a franchise, without the in depth training we received, I’m not sure we would have been anyway ready for the grand opening! The CEO and Senior Leadership team are always on hand to offer advice and support, she’s been amazing. We have Franchise Groups as well which is brilliant for sharing ideas and getting advice. Anything from lesson plans to ideas for shows and help with social media.”

Our Worcester school is the first in the Midlands and we wish them every success when we are finally back face to face!

This sibling duo run Footlights Nottingham franchise and have the most wonderful school and relationship. Sophie had just moved to Nottingham from London and was looking for a way to earn a living where she could combine my 20 years of teaching and acting experience, as well as juggle her role as a single mother. She had never actually run a business before although she came from a family of grafters, so when her mother had come across Footlights Theatre she took the plunge! Sophie says “The thought of owning a franchise was quite frightening for me as it would be going into unknown territory, as I would have to run the business. This fear, however, was very short-lived as when we went to visit the CEO Jo Fisher at one of the company owned units. I practically fell in love with what I saw! The energy and the atmosphere was simply magical as children were learning and having so much fun, which is so important for young performers as many stage schools have a very rigid approach to learning.  It was then a done deal to open up a franchise in Nottingham because I felt that I had finally found my life’s purpose and this is a business that I would never want to retire fromâ€

Alex came on board in Janaury 2023! Alex has the most interesting life story! Born in the UK she moved to Portugal at a very young age, her parents opened a very successful restaurant there and Alex was educated in Portugal and lived her formitive years in the sunshine also amidst a thriving business. Alex went on to train as a professional  dancer and boasts an enviable CV. Alex’s first experience of Footlights was in 2018 when she came to us for a dance teacher job, she fell in love with the brand and the chilldren of course and after leaving for warmer climates to in 2020 (just as Covid was about to hit) she returned to the UK in 2022 with a brand new plan – to open her own business and what better way to start as a Footlights Franchisee. Alex’s school in set in the beautiful pennines at Saddleworth HIgh School in OL3 5NU – come and meet her for a chat and a lovely walk in the hills!