Welcome to
Footlights Nottingham
JOIN THE NORTHWEST’S LEADING STAGE SCHOOL!
Does your child want to learn how to act, sing and dance?
Register now for a FREE TRIAL
We’re based at
Alderman White School in
Nottingham, NG9 3DU
Your child is welcome for a free trial at anytime.
Email nottingham@footlightstheatre.co.uk or call Sofia 07914 937060.
About Us
The Footlights Head Office is based at Media City in Manchester, just around the corner from the main hub of the BBC & ITV studios. We were established in 2005 by our founder Jo Fisher, a trained actor and teacher, and who continues to have a hands-on role across our stage schools. Read more about Footlights and our history here.
We have robust processes to keep your child safe; all of our staff have DBS status and a trained first aider is always on site at each of our venues. You can read and download our safeguarding policy here.
What are you waiting for?
Book a no-obligation free trial today.
Do you live in or around Nottingham?
If so, does your child…
Love performing & dream of being on the West End stage, on TV or in film?
Want to learn how to act, sing and dance?
Want to meet & make friends with children who share their interests?
Does this sound like your child?
Then Footlights Nottingham is the right place for them!
What to expect?
During your child’s time at Footlights Nottingham, our tutors will mentor them to help them realise their dreams of becoming a performer, by sharing their professional experiences, as well as facilitating and teaching performance techniques.
Footlights delivers quality performing arts training and our aim is to ensure that each child gets the most out of their experience by building their essential life skills and instilling confidence, whilst having lots of fun and meeting new friends. In addition to core performing arts skills, they will:
- Have confidence when socialising and in nursery or school
- Be encouraged to talk expressively in a structured, yet exciting forum
- Be inspired when taking part in discussions
- Be listened to when building skills in decision making
- Always be working as part of a team
Their learning will give them the basics and arguably the most important components of the performing arts.
The younger the child is when they take up an activity or interest the better, as in the right environment and with the right teacher they underpin the foundation to their learning and will already have a head-start on their peers.
You will find the Footlights approach friendly and energetic. We pride ourselves on inclusivity and being an encouraging company for your child to thrive in acting, singing and dance. We have superb progression rates from our schools, with the majority of our young students going onto performing arts colleges and drama schools.
We know you want to find the right balance between ensuring your child gets a good performing arts education, has fun and at the same time keeps up with their important mainstream education. We understand this, so this is why our method to developing your child’s Acting, Singing and Dancing will complement their academic studies. Plus, at Footlights, your child will benefit from the opportunity to take internationally recognised examinations through LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts).
There is also the option for students to audition for professional work in film, theatre and modelling via our agency, Footlights Personal Management (our recent successes include Game of Thrones and the CBBC series ‘KATY’).
Book a free trial today at Footlights Nottingham and see for yourself.
Want to know more? Why not take a look at our FAQ’s
Shows
Each summer, all of our children take part in a performance. It’s a full-scale show where parents/carers, family and friends can come and watch their progress.
The Autumn/Winter and Spring term schedules focus much more on skills and technique with a shorter informal presentation at Christmas.
The teaching teams provide written feedback each Easter, so you can track your child’s progress. We also practice an open door policy for anytime that you wish to discuss your child’s progress. You can use this form to contact us, or speak to us directly.
We hope you enjoyed reading all about us and look forward to greeting you and your child at our school – just sign up here or message us.
Exams
We offer both Arts Award and LAMDA exams – find out more via your school
Class Timetable
Fridays
Venue: St Jude’s Church, Woodborough Road, Mapperley, NG3 5HE
Day: Friday term time
Timings : Tinys – 4:30pm – 6pm
Main School – 6pm – 7:30pm
Discipline – Acting, singing and dancing
Tutors: Sofia Ben Achour and Cherylanne Beastall
Our Staff
Sofia Ben Achour
Franchisee
Read Bio
Sofia Ben Achour is a teacher and a trained actress from London who trained at the London Centre For Theatre Studies and The Actors Company in Hoxton, London. After moving to Nottingham in 2017 she decided to merge her 20 years of teaching and acting experience, which has included London West End productions and feature films, into opening her own stage school. After visiting the Footlights Urmston franchise back in 2017 she completely fell in love with the Footlights concept of empowering children and young people through performing arts and decided there and then that she absolutely had to bring this magic into Nottingham.
Since opening her Nottingham franchise back in 2018 her two schools have gone from strength to strength as well as her holiday clubs which have become extremely popular in Nottingham as well as in surrounding areas. Many of her older students have gone on to pursue their degrees in Performing Arts and others have gone through mass transformations in self confidence as well as excelling at school.
Sofia is extremely excited about the future of Footlights Nottingham and the successes it will continue to bring!
Lauren Carter
Singing Tutor
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Lauren Carter, also known by her stage name Lauren April, is a singer and songwriter who has been performing since the age of three and graduated with a BA Honours in Music Studies at Nottingham University. Lauren has since gone on to establish herself as a recognised country singer and still performs at concerts as well as at private events. Her EP ‘Picture on the Wall’ received rave reviews from radio stations around the UK including: Mark Forrest’s BBC Radio Show, Chris Country Radio and CMR Nashville. Lauren is very passionate about helping children develop through music in enabling them to find their own unique voices, as well as how to train them correctly in a professional manner.
In Singing classes your child will learn how to warm up their vocal chords, how to use their bodies to create the best sound, they will learn breath control, how to support and sustain their voice and how to sustain it. We’ll train them to sing in harmonies, a group as well, or in a duet. They will learn about composers from Musical Theatre, as well as sing pop songs. In class, we also encourage them to sight read and recognise terminology. All this is done in a safe environment where they will learn to relax so the voice can sing – we can’ wait to hear them!
Cherylanne Beastall
Drama Teacher
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Cherylanne has been with Footlights Nottingham since the very beginning as our drama teacher and has continued to be a valuable asset as she not only teaches but also plans the termly curriculum as well as supporting other members of staff.
Cherylanne completed her BA Honours in Theatre Arts at Nottingham Trent University and a BTEC and ATCL in Musical Theatre from Expressions Performing Arts Academy.
Cherylanne also completed her PGCE from Bath Spa University. Cherylanne has a wealth of experience in the teaching of performing arts which she has delivered at other stage schools, colleges and in Italy to Italian students. Cherylanne’s drama
Jack King
Dance Teacher
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Jack King transferred to Footlights Nottingham from Footlights Tameside in 2024 as the Main School dance teacher after moving to Nottingham to complete his teaching degree at Nottingham Trent University. Jack is a highly trained teacher who completed his Batchelors Degree in Performing Arts at the Addict Dance Academy in Leicester and Peterborough.
Jack also has a wealth of experience as a cruise ship performer and a freelance dance choreographer at various schools. Since joining us Jack’s fun and challenging classes have been bringing out the best in our students at Footlights Nottingham where their dance skills and confidence continue to greatly improve.
Louise Ann Limb
Tiny’s Teacher
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Louise Ann Limb joined us in 2023 as our Tiny’s teacher and delivers fun and creative lessons using a medley of acting, singing, and dancing. Louise completed her BA Honours Degree in Performing Arts at Bath Spa University and has had an active career in facilitating drama workshops and holiday clubs for children with special needs and disabilities, as well as performing street theatre.
Louise makes her lessons dynamic and enjoyable which has enabled many 3–6-year-olds to become confident and independent young performers, which in turn has played a vital role in preparing them for Main School.
My 5yr old girl loved footlights summer camp. Shes not use to singing and dancing in groups or on stage and is generally quite reserved, the staff at footlights really took her under their wing and encouraged her. She had a great time performing in the Matilda musical.
Lauren Hi#olmes
