Footlights Bury is owned by franchisee and Director Vicki Jones, a qualified and experienced specialist teacher with a love and passion for acting, singing and dancing. She has taught Dance, English and Drama in schools, colleges and communities for over 25 years. Vicki moved to the Bury area from Manchester 10 years ago and fell in love with the place. She believes children and young people should be encouraged to express themselves and follow their dreams and aspirations.

Vicki adds “I started Footlights Bury in 2019 and it is definitely fulfilling an ambition of mine to engage local children and young people in performing arts to encourage creative expression through acting, singing and dance. I have seen first-hand how engaging in these activities builds confidence, social skills and wellbeing. It brings me immense satisfaction to be working with the wonderful Bury community, helping to nurture and shape our very own home-grown talent.”

Sharvi Rana is an actor, playwright, and drama teacher based in Manchester, England. She worked as an ensemble actor in ‘The Devil Rides Out’ musical, which was staged in October 2022 at the Empty Space Theatre in Salford. Sharvi was also the Representative of the Young Writers at the Royal Exchange Theatre (RET) in Manchester from September 2022 to July 2023. She was the writer and lead actor in the Young Company’s production of ‘Show Me the Money’ which was staged in the studio at the RET in April 2023.

Sharvi has performed her original work (slam poetry and monologue) at the BIPOC Save Me A Seat Festival 2023 at 53two in Manchester. Sharvi has also worked with Teaching Personnel as a Teaching Assistant for students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in Stretford. She has worked with the British Film Academy to achieve a Silver Arts Award in filmmaking. With the BFI, Sharvi was the actor and screenwriter of an original short film called ‘Within’, which raised awareness of anxiety during the pandemic.

Sharvi is passionate about telling diverse stories and empowering the BIPOC community on stage and on screen. Sharvi brings a wealth of experience and knowledge as a performer and actor. Students are taught how to create their own pieces for dramatic performances, in addition to acting through song and dance, developing their own style as a performer.

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Callum is a passionate member of the Footlights team who has worked in a variety of roles in the music industry.

For the last 5 years, Callum has worked as a teacher of singing & piano. Callum regularly works with career musicians looking to improve their vocal technique, and he teaches a foundation of classical singing pedagogy – breathing, appoggio and an open throat. His students have gone on to find success in a variety of genres of music, from performing in the West End tour of ‘Beauty and The Beast’ to performing as a support act for The Libertines. Callum is passionate about music education for children and young people, and his lessons for children focus on building a foundation of aural skills; audiation, rhythm and improvisation.

As a performer, Callum enjoys getting involved with a variety of genres of music, including pop, rock, folk, jazz and theatre; he regularly performs solo & as part of small ensembles at live events. Callum is a supportive teacher and teaches students how to perform with confidence and enthusiasm in addition to learning how to adapt and develop their voices as they mature as performers.

Kelsey has had a love for musical theatre since she was a little girl! Originally from a small town in Cork, Ireland, Kelsey attended stage school and trained in all three disciplines – singing, dancing, and acting. As a child, she completed LAMDA examinations and believes they are very important accomplishments for young performers.

Kelsey moved to Manchester, England a few years ago and began a BA (hons) Musical Theatre at ICT in Manchester and is now in her 3^rd year. Kelsey has extensive performing experience and has performed in Pantomimes, Musicals, and television sets. Kelsey has further ambitions to perform on the West End.

Kelsey is very excited to be part of the Footlights team; she loves working with young learners and her joy when working with our Tinys shines through. Her knowledge, energy and performance skills provide students with all they need to become more creative and confident performers. Kelsey believes everyone can be a performer with the right guidance and knowledge, and always brings a positive and creative mindset to classes.

Jasmine started as a dance teacher at Footlights Middleton and is so passionate about progressing our students that she is now the school manager. Jasmine has been dancing since the age of 3 and is trained in a wide range of styles: from classical styles like Ballet, Tap and Jazz, to more modern styles like Commercial and even Bollywood! She was also lucky enough to complete her BA (Hons) Dance and vocational dance training at Creative Academy, just outside of West London. 

Since completing her training, Jasmine has worked as a professional dancer, singer, choreographer, and teacher. She has worked for the likes of ITV and Warner Bros, performed in pantomimes, and worked at holiday parks. Jasmine also recently performed at the Coldplay concert in Manchester.

Jasmine is a passionate leader and not only loves to expand her knowledge of her craft but loves to pass on her knowledge to her students and team. Jasmine continues to support teachers and students to ensure an optimum learning environment.