Drama Kids Ditchling

Hello DK, my name’s Naomi! I grew up in Chichester and spent pretty much my whole life as a student of acting or as a professional actress. I was a pupil at a performer’s school called Tring, before studying at a drama school called Arts Ed in London. This is where I met Gareth your principal, as we started our professional life as actors together (I’ve got some funny photos of us as newbies, acting in a play somewhere!). I’ve been lucky enough to have acted loads in film, theatre, and telly for many years. Recently, I’ve been in The Crown for Netflix, lots of commercials as well as sitcom shows, comedy improv and TV dramas. I’ve been teaching and directing drama with young people almost as long as I’ve been acting, and wholeheartedly believe in drama’s superpower to unleash the essential life skills of self -confidence, feelings of positive self- belief and adaptability. Drama Kids is the perfect example of this approach, which is why I love working with the DK team. We have a commitment to ultimately having fun with our students whilst teaching them to diversify their craft in a safe and inclusive environment. See you soon in my classes or at our brilliant holiday clubs. #Drama Life!

Hello everyone! I’m Paloma and I’m a graduate from The Brighton Academy with a 1st class BA Hons in Musical Theatre and performance and am now an actor-performer and recording artist. I have lots of experience teaching in and around East Sussex, and after joining the DK team for our brilliant summer theatre school, am absolutely delighted to be part of the main teaching team at Drama Kids! I have been lucky enough to follow my passion for the arts, and am looking forward to inspiring my students, developing new skills, building confidence and helping them find their own sparkle along the way! #DramaSparkle!

I’m a Brighton-native and university graduate of Bristol but have been working with Drama Kids since 2018. I’ve worked my way up from Student Ambassador to Teacher and it’s become my home from home, I guess you could say! Being part of the Drama Kids team is just as exciting as it was when I started out. From the beginning, I’ve loved how Gareth & Drama Kids put building students’ confidence and creativity as equally important goals, as I’ve discovered they are key in both our development as people and as performers. I’m looking forward to continuing to inspire more students with our brilliant plays and top-class curriculum. See you in class or at our Holiday Clubs which I adore too! #Drama Development!

I first got the drama bug back in secondary school as it was the one subject, I was best at! 8 years later after completing a BA in Theatre Arts brought professional credits with the BBC, UKTV, Discovery, Chichester Festival & Goodwood among others. I entered the holiday park circuit and won plaudits entertaining children and families shortly before the pandemic. Balancing Drama Kids classes and children’s parties are my happy place in life! My favourite Drama Kids moments are when we are all together at presentation days; the kids, the teachers, the audience, are a big boost of adrenaline. Fun fact: My expressive face and high-energy are my drama tools, but I also love to dance as well! #Drama Happiness!

I was a student of this academy for 6 years and I can honestly say I loved every second of it from the moment of joining when I was 10 years old to leaving at 16. I used to be a very diffident, quiet person before joining, and now I’ve found myself to be quite the opposite. I think this is to a large extent thanks to my experience with Gareth’s academy. When Gareth asked me to become an ambassador and then part of the team I jumped at the chance. Not only have I gained confidence that will stick with me for life, but I have also made some amazing friends along the way. I used to never think I’d have the guts to perform on stage in front of lots of people, but the atmosphere provided by Gareth and the team and being able to perform with people I got on with well transformed those performances and turned them into happy memories that I’ll cherish forever. I adore that as part of the teaching team now, I get to help create an enjoyable, friendly and inclusive space in every class. I have done a fair few Summers, Christmas and Easter clubs during my time and there’s nothing more memorable than Drama Kids ones! Getting to know other people from different groups and places in Sussex, that share the same passion as you are invigorating! Our academy allows students to be creative and gain confidence. I love my job! #Drama 4 Life!

Hiya I’m Gemma! I’ve loved drama and acting for as long as can remember. As a child, I begged my mum to take me to drama lessons at my local theatre and those days were my favourite of the week. My brother was into acting and so I was not alone in exploring all things drama at school and college. I have four children (count them- four!) who also have a great love for drama. I feel fortunate to now be able to work with other children both in the school environment and in performance skills alongside Gareth at Summer School Sussex. By giving young people stage awareness and confidence in performance (whilst having a brilliant time) the Drama Kids +DK Youth Theatre system offers the perfect combination to becoming a well-rounded person. #Drama For All!

Hello everyone. When I was younger, living in Glasgow I was part of my local youth theatre and amateur dramatics company. After a few shows as a backing dancer, I discovered being back stage and running the show was much more my thing! This continued through college and my career running my own retail business and managing healthcare professionals like opticians and dentists. You have to be very organised to do my job and sometimes it can be a bit samey, which is why I’m delighted to be part of something as exciting as Drama Kids + DK Youth Theatre! This year we will be expanding the locations of our classes in Sussex so that you will have greater access to a Drama Kids Academy near you . I hope to see you all soon at the shows and if you have any queries re: payments or fees then please feel free to contact me. #Drama Shows!