Nadine Creaney, Academy of Theatre Arts Nadine Creaney has been a student of the Academy of Theatre Arts under the direction of Lynne Millar for over 16 years. She is now one of the full time staff in the school and has, herself, performed in many caberet shows throughout the UK. She is looking forward to working with all scouts at the European event and is excited to assist the Academy students throughout the event. She is thrilled to be acting as the role of Scout for the Glasgow Area.

Niki Robinson and Stephen Harrison, Artemis Studios Niki Robinson and Stephen Harrison are the owners and directors of Artemis Studios, a performing arts facility, school, agency and production company based in Berkshire. Niki has been working in performing arts since the age of eight when she appeared on CITV. She went to the B.R.I.T school in London at 15 (she was in the Foundation Year—one of the first 100 students) and has continued her training with many practitioners since. For four years Niki acted as an education consultant to The Children’s International Arts Organization (CIAO!) organising festivals and outreach which bought theatre and music to 1000s of children and teenagers every year, and also various arts centers. She co-ran an ACE funded resident theatre company at the UK’s third largest arts centre before setting up her first school. She also consults/produces up to 10 professional theatrical shows a year, many of which tour and have been widely acclaimed. She still works as a professional actress occasionally, most recently in a production of Shakers Re-Stired.

Stephen has been involved in the arts from an early age as a musician and actor. He graduated with a degree in Software Engineering and worked in the IT industry before becoming a professional lighting designer, stage manager and sound engineer. As a dancer he competed for several years on the inter-varsity ballroom and Latin-American circuit. Whenever possible, Stephen spends time working on youth development projects in remote parts of the world, such as Borneo and Fiji. Artemis students have been attending US convention with Lynne Millar and Niki for a number of years, and we are so excited to be part of the UK convention this year!

June Billham, Barbara Speake Agency The Barbara Speake Agency is run under the sole direction of June Billham. June has been working with the school and Agency for the past 12 years during which time she has been privileged to work with numerous casting directors who have placed her children in numerous productions. Television includes Eastenders, Casualty, Holby City, Waking The Dead, M I High and Silent Witness. The children have also starred in West End Roles playing Jane and Michael Banks in Mary Poppins, Gavroche and Cosette in Les Mis, Young Nala and Simba in Lion King and most recently in rehearsal for the new production of Oliver. Theatrical productions include The Khomenko Family Chronciles and War and Peace - Royal Court and St Petersburgh at the Bush Theatre.

Sally Worner and Selina Johnson, Bearfoot Agency The Bearfoot Agency is the newest baby of the Harrow-based Bearfoot School of Performing Arts. Sally grew up in Hertfordshire and has been “putting on a show” since her primary school days. Although she believed she was destined for an academic/business career, the twists and turns of life thought otherwise and by the age of 17 she was a qualified dance teacher (in the “Strictly” sense!) and a classically trained singer! Sally never wanted to be in a show; she wanted to run the show and over the next decade built up a large, flourishing school and production company. Selina, meanwhile, was growing up in the West Country. She trained at the Bristol School of Dancing where she started wallpapering her walls with qualifications only to give it all up to clad her 5' 10" frame in incy wincy sequined bikinis and feathers, and dance professionally all over the world. The path to their meeting is quite another story but the two gingers knew straight away that their compatibility went far beyond their colouring. The strength of the team is “Bearfoot”. It’s why the agency exists now and what brought them here to the Paris Convention.

Diane Comerton, Belfast Talent Agency From Belfast, Northern Ireland, Diane studied for her degree in Theatre and Media at the University of Ulster, Coleraine before completing a Postgraduate in Acting at Guildford School of Acting. For Television, Diane was the presenter for Belfast’s cable network NTL Channel’s viewers a guide “ONTV”. When Belfast’s NVTV launched in 2004, Diane became one of its key presenters and hosted a number of shows including “I Love Belfast” offering a fun, honest and refreshing take on what was happening out and about in the City. From Fashion Shows, Food Fayres, Film Premieres, Gallery Openings, Theatre Events, Music, Celebrities, and even to The Opening of Envelopes! As a Voiceover Artist Diane has recorded for many television, radio commercials and claymation, and has enjoyed appearing in advertisements and schools programmes. Having gained so much in her teenage years in terms of performance skills, friendship and confidence from attending her weekly Drama Workshop at the “Lyric Theatre, Diane was delighted to devise, produce and direct Belfast’s biggest annual Summer School and Showcase for Young People “The Fanta Academy of Performing Arts.” Later the “The Coca-Cola Talent School” which brought together all aspects of performance, production skills and friendship! This has opened many doors locally for young performers, many gaining work professionally, and others going on to further develop their skills in Drama and Dance Schools in London. Now as Creative Director and Agent at the “Belfast Talent School” and “Belfast Talent Agency”, Diane is delighted to see the Talent that has been nurtured by her company over the years appear in film, television and theatre. Diane is very much looking forward to meeting you all at the convention and although she knows we will all be very busy she very much hopes she can just catch a glimpse of Mickey and Minnie Mouse too – so if anyone spots them, send them her way!

Erika Vincent, Biz Management Erika Vincent has been in show business for over thirty years since making her stage debut at the age of four in a Royal Gala in The West End. Since then her career has taken her to the English National Opera Company at the London Coliseum where her performances included La Traviata and Simon Boccanegra. Also The Royal National Theatre where she performed in the European premiere and Olivier award winning production of Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park With George. The West End where her credits include Maria Moriarty in Sherlock Holmes, with Ron Moody at the Cambridge Theatre as well as numerous productions such as West Side Story, Mr Cinders, The Merchant of Venice, The Wizard of Oz and The Beggars Opera. She has also toured extensively in shows such as The Wonderful West End and Showstoppers. TV appearances include her television debut at the age of nine in Junior Showtime, several Royal Variety Performances and feature films such as Heaven’s Gate with John Hurt and Kris Krisstoferson, (directed by Michael Cimino). Erika also has extensive experience as a director, producer and choreographer for several musicals including Annie, Grease, The Wizard of Oz, The Sound of Music, Tours, Summer Seasons and Pantomimes. Erika runs The Biz Theatre School with branches throughout Surrey and has also directed and produced their very successful productions of The Wiz, Oliver! and Guys and Dolls, which have raised over £10,500 for local children’s charities such as CHASE. The Biz Theatre School is proud to be appointed as the official talent scout in Surrey.

Caron and Kenny Cantor, Cantors Caron was born into a Show business family, her Father was Singer, Raconteur Ron Scott and her Mother was one of the Shane Sisters, a very high class dancing duo. Caron went on to be in many West End productions, including Mardi Gras at the Prince of Wales, Cilla at the Palace, A Chorus Line, branching out to Choreography in Belgium. Then going into Summer Season at Clacton on Sea where she met husbad Kenny Cantor, the rest seemed like a wonderland, as, they went all over the world together. Cantor’s Theatre Schools and centres for Performing Arts were first established in 1981 in Nottingham. Now in Lowestoft, & Beccles, with well over a hundred students. There is a special needs class which she incorporates within the Theatre School and an Adult Cantors Theatre School and Social Club which are all going from strength to strength too.

Kenny was born in Leicester, he has had a wide and varied career in show business. He made his debut at the age of four when his grandfather Jeff Mandel, who was an acrobat and clown, took him into the circus ring and taught Kenny the laws of the circus. He put Kenny ‘through the mill’, so to speak, teaching him to be an acrobat, juggler (along with ‘felovis’ a swiss juggler) and clown.

Kenny is the 5th generation in his family to be in show business. Before he left school at the age of 15 he was one of the youngest stage directors of his day. He went to work with his father and did every job from carrying the luggage to sweeping the stage, then, at the other end of the scale from being the ‘star’ of the show to theatre management. His father taught Kenny to sing, dance, play instruments and it was the great ‘Claude Lester’ that taught him to use the walking stick. It was from here that Kenny went on to play almost every theatre in the British Isles plus the ‘clubs’ in Yorkshire culminating in the ‘command performance of club land’ at the winter gardens in Blackpool. He then went on to play the West End of London nightspots very successfully until they were no more. Kenny was the host of “play your cards right” on television in New Zealand (TVNZ) for 4 series, had his own TV series “Ton of Fun” on Rhodesian television- he wrote it too and also had his own radio show. Was a singer with his own LP “Try these on for fun” in the UK and has worked with the comedians, Jokers Wild, The Good Old Days, Cantor’s Crackers and Barrymore. Kenny is a regular performer for charities and he is a member of the grand order of Water Rats since 1964. In 1972 he was voted ‘Rat of the Year’ for the enormous amount of work he has done for charity. He was made a freeman of the city of London in 1996 for his charitable work.

Carol Bicker, Centre Stage, from Leeds, West Yorkshire I’m 48 years young and married with a son 23 and daughter 19. I set up Centre Stage Academy back in 1999 when I believed I had a need to promote performing arts to children in the area, to keep them off the streets, to give them a focus and to help them make new friends. I started with just 12 pupils and now have over 300 on the books. I myself was an extra in Emmerdale along with my daughter. Prior to this, my only TV stardom was on Family Fortunes with Les Dennis. Many pupils have gone on to various successes in TV, film and theatre. Recently I have taken to producing and directing musicals. The Academy is growing at a fantastic rate and we are due to move to new premises with 5 performing studios. I am extremely excited abut AMTC and believe we have an amazing level of talent in West Yorkshire and look forward to many more successes.

Paul Mathieson & Susanne Robb, Centrestage Music Theatre Centrestage Music Theatre is a ‘Training Music Theatre’ based in Kilmarnock, Scotland. Centrestage aims to give anyone, of any background and experience, the opportunity to participate in music theatre-related activities in a fully self-contained rehearsal and performance venue, using the most advanced technology available. Now in its third year, Centrestage has over 900 students attending weekly with over 1400 students registered. Centrestage has produced in excess of 300 in-house performances catering for the students, their families and the wider community.

Michelle Cuffe and Rachel Kirkham, Clifton Academy Michelle’s background is as a qualified social worker but she is passionate about musical theatre, dance, drama and music. Michelle has seen the benefit particularly to young people studying performing arts. She has worked since 2000 with an award winning youth theatre and has, herself, performed with local amateur theatre groups, which led to opening the academy in September 2007. Michelle has two sons, James her youngest also a performer and Daniel who has successfully completed a course in sound engineering and works as a technician.

Rachel Kirkham started dancing at the age of 4 and has never looked back. She gained her first teaching qualification at the age of 16, the youngest in the North West. Rachel has danced professionally and choreographed many shows both professionally and for the amateur stage and has won many NODA awards for her innovative and exciting dance routines. She is now director of performing arts at Clifton academy. Rachel also has a daughter Madison who is following in her footsteps.

Catherine Ingram, Giselle Academy As a dancer, my experience includes training in classical ballet, tap, modern and jazz dance, commencing at 3 years to vocational level. I started working as an assistant teacher in a large school in South London. I moved back to Portsmouth in 1982 and undertook my teacher training in Classical Ballet. My qualifications include: Licentiate Diploma in Classical Ballet, Certificate in Dance Education in Ballet, Tap and Modern, Associate Diploma in Modern Theatre Dance, Certificate in Applied Anatomy and Physiology, Certificate in History and Development of Western Dance After working as a freelance teacher in various establishments including : Portsmouth University, Portsmouth Arts Centre, Ashcroft Arts Centre and Adult Education Centres, I established the Giselle Academy of Dance and Theatre Arts to have a permanent base from which to teach children and young people.

I am committed to encouraging children of all ages and abilities to enjoy dance and the performing arts, and to bring out the best of their talents. To help me do this, I am committed to my ongoing professional training. I also incorporate the teaching of drama into the school curriculum, as not only is it a performing art in its own right, but drama is vital to dancers and singers to help with expression. Pupils from Giselle Academy have been successful in gaining entry into The Royal Ballet School, Arts Educational, Tring, Laine Theatre Arts, Italia Conti, Bird College, Millenium Dance, Performers College, London Studio Centre, Laban.

I am very excited in becoming a scout for this convention and hope to be able to use my many years of experience to further help promote young people toward their dream of a career on the stage.

Helen Kenworthy, the Really Youthful Theatre Company Helen trained in Performing Arts at Middlesex University, graduating in 1990. Since then she has divided her time between the London’s West End and Community, Youth and Educational Theatre nationwide. As Artistic Director she co-ran Gazebo Theatre and managed Salamander Theatre, which involved the setting up and running of the company’s youth theatre, the Really Youthful Theatre Company. The RYTC moved with her from London to the Midlands in 2002, where she continues to seek out and nurture young talent.

Gillian Oman, ITW School Gillian’s career in Film and Theatre spans the last 20 years and includes experience acting, casting, crewing, teaching, directing and producing. Gillian completed her Performing Arts training at Redroofs Theatre School in the UK and worked professionally as an actress in the UK and Ireland for several years. Probably best known in Ireland for her role as Caroline Clancy in Fair City she started the Independent Theatre Workshop almost 15 years ago and it has grown to be one of the most respected and successful Theatre Schools in Ireland.

ITW has enjoyed great success in this time training our students to the highest standards in Acting, Dance, Musical Theatre and Singing. We also have a thriving Youth Theatre Company; IYT and students taking their Speech & Drama Grades right up to and including their Teaching diplomas. Many of our students go on to work professionally in the business on stage and screen both in front of and behind the scenes. The ITW Agency has provided literally hundreds of young performers in Film, Television and Theatre in Ireland, the UK and further afield in Canada and Europe too.

Louise Johnston, Louise Johnston Casting, is a lecturer in performing arts and the director of the Cheltenham Drama and Casting Studio, based at the Cheltenham Film Studios. Louise nurtures talented young actors through a series of workshop based classes and develops their individual skills through scene study and script work, preparing and coaching them for stage, TV and film. Students are regularly cast in projects at the National Youth Theatre, and feature in children’s TV and many have developed into accomplished young actors, who understand the acting process and the importance of taking direction.

Liz Milne And Clare Haggart, Phoenix Theatre & Phoenix Youth Theatre Liz Milne MA, PGCE studied English and French at Aberdeen University. In her postgraduate year, while training in Secondary Education, she studied Drama with the legendary Annie Inglis MBE. Working as a teacher, Liz became passionate about training young people to reach their potential. Liz has been involved in acting and, latterly, directing for thirty years, as well as providing costumes to video production companies, model agencies, theatre and television.

Clare Haggart Having acted since childhood, Clare was also taught by Annie Inglis and was a pupil of the highly respected Children’s Theatre in Aberdeen, founded by Catherine Hollingworth. Her favourite claim to fame is having appeared in one of the very first ‘It’ll Be Alright on the Night’ programmes. This particular ‘out-take’ showed Clare performing in a series with Grampian Television and her close encounter with an incontinent puppy! Before setting up Phoenix Theatre and Phoenix Youth Theatre with Liz, Clare had a successful business career. Liz and Clare founded Phoenix Theatre in 1990 and, due to local demand, established Phoenix Youth Theatre in 1999. Phoenix presents high quality theatrical productions and has gained a significant reputation for providing adults and children to perform with such companies as The National Theatre, Ellen Kent & Opera International and Channel 4.

Rob Earnshaw, Rob Earnshaw Casting, was a well recognised member of the National Youth Theatre. In 2007 Rob decided to create a directory of the young actors he knew and worked with and now he is in contact with over 30,000 young actors based across the UK. Rob has been asked to locate and suggest actors for many major productions in TV, theatre and film and is very honoured to be involved with the 2008 Paris ShowCase!

Samantha Smith, Starstruck Academy Samantha’s earliest memory of wanting a career on stage was at 3 Years where she had dreams of being one of the girls on the flying Trapeze. From then on Samantha pestered her parents to take her to Dancing which she did from the age of 3 years doing Modern, Ballet and Tap. It was at 16 where things became a little more serious going to ‘Arts Educational Schools’ in Chiswick London gaining a Musical Theatre Diploma. She then went on to gain an Acting BA(Hons) at Rose Bruford Drama School in Greenwich London. She has featured in many West End Shows such as ‘Blood Brothers’, The Boyfriend , 42nd St and ‘Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat’. Her Acting experience has also extended to T.V working for I.T.V and appearing in many adverts including being Biactol girl in the 90’s In 2002 Samantha opened her first StarStruck Performing Arts Academy in Doncaster taking talented youngsters through an excellent training in Dance, Singing and Drama. Lincoln was Opened in 2005. Many StaStruck pupils have gained professional Performing engagements through Star- Struck Management.

Glen Mortimer Glen’s recent credits are director for the feature film “Sweet Snogs The Movie” (2007). His next project is directing the feature film “Seeing Smoke” due for release mid 2009. Glen is also connected with Ultimatum films ltd as a Film Director and has worked on the following projects: Duty Calls, Samuel Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Community Service. Glen comes from an acting background. It was in the nineties when he became known as a professional actor gaining featured parts such as a Dingle in Emmerdale Farm; speaking and featured roles in At Home With The Braithwaites, Coronation Street, Heartbeat, Last of the Summer Wine, The Darling Buds of May, Stay Lucky, The New Statesman, The Grand, A & E, All Creatures Great and Small, Till We Meet Again, A Touch of Frost, Brookside, Hillsborough, The Luddites, and many more. He has also been cast as the main part in television commercials for Websters Yorkshire Bitter, DFS Furniture and Express Dairies. Glen’s theatre experience is also vast. He has had lead roles in numerous plays, Allo Allo, Rough Justice, Neville’s Island, Two, Oliver Twist, Kafka’s Dick and King Lear to name a few. He has also directed or produced many shows and plays over the last 15 years and toured with many of them.

Glen is also known as a Theatre Director and has directed and/or produced the following productions: A view from the Bridge, Plaza Suite, Not now Darling, Pardon me Prime Minister, Key for Two, Lucky Sods, Hot Mikado, Guys & Dolls.

Sue Hill, Sue Hill Dance Ltd. Sue is currently the Director of Sue Hill Dance Ltd, which incorporates Susan Hill School of Dancing and Bath Dancewear. She has been involved in Dance for nearly 30 years, predominately devoting her time to the teaching and training of talented individuals. She has produced and directed many shows which has raised a substantial amount of money for various charities and has given many children the chance to experience the atmosphere and thrill of a live performance. Sue is excited by the new challenge of working alongside Lynne Millar and the prospect of offering students the opportunity to be trained and learn from some of the best in the industry.

Ash Baldwin, Telford Stage School Telford Stage School (TSS) was formed in February 1999 by parents whose vision was to make quality performing art tuition and performance available to all. The Telford Staff are experienced professionals in their fields. TSS offer a friendly caring environment fostering all aspects of performing Arts. Students are taught the fundamentals of discipline in a structured format, then apply them to live performances. TSS aim to stage numerous performances per annum.

Mandy Chapman, The Agency, has choreographed numerous shows and pantomimes, both professional and amateur, and local professional Summer Seasons. During 1990 she took 43 children on a performing tour of America, culminating with performances on the Queen Mary, at Long Beach, and at Disneyland, California. Mandy has regularly been asked to prepare and audition singers, dancers and actors for professional shows on behalf of directors and choreographers, including auditions filmed live by Anglia Television. In the fashion world Mandy has staged fashion shows and coached a team for sportswear clothing shows in Paris, Grenoble, Birmingham and London. Models booked by Mandy have appeared in photographic shoots for prestigious magazines including Tatler, Bride and Cosmopolitan. Performers trained by Mandy have appeared in nearly every smash-hit musical in the West End. Mandy has created The Agency Ltd to provide the highest quality actors, singers, dancers and models to vibrant world of stage, screen and modelling. Based in Sussex, The Agency Ltd offers professional representation internationally.

Sharon Rye, Talented People Agency, is the Principal of The Western School of Dance and Scoill Daunse Yernagh Ellan Vannin, in The Isle of Man. She has been around the dance world for 34 years, eventually moving to the Isle of Man seven years ago and setting up her own schools. She has successful produced stage shows and taken her school to both UK and Irish Dance competitions and had great success. She has now taken on the roll of AMTC’s Isle of Man Scout and is extremely proud to be part of their family.

Vanesa Millar, Vanessa Millar School of Dancing Vanessa started dancing at 4 years old, though she won’t tell us how long ago that was. She is a one-school woman, having remained with the same school for the whole of her dancing career. She was a successful dancer herself winning many trophies and appearing in countless shows. She took all her dancing exams with Miss Davies, and then studied for and took her teaching exams with the school. Finally she achieved her life-long ambition when she became principal of the school in 2004. Vanessa loves teaching and does not mind spending time on a dance because the end result is so rewarding — ‘you cannot get a good cake without a good mixture’. She is justifiably proud of the school and its students, and is very grateful to Miss Davies for giving her these skills, which she is now passing on to the students of today.

Robbi Stevens, Young Performers Theatre Company Robbi began her career in the performing arts in her native Australia, after completing a Bachelor of Arts in Performing Arts at WAAPA. After treading the boards in both Australia and the UK Robbi moved into directing and qualified with post grads in both performing arts and cinemaphtography. Robbi has since produced and directed two feature films and three short films including Flamingo Blues,Cultural Menace and Invalid Debris and three west end plays and musicals, including ‘Requiem for Tomorrow’ at the Shaw Theatre and ‘Flamingo Blues’ at the Unicorn Theatre. Robbi is dedicated to the production and artistic direction of YPTC and its future success!!