At the Artz Centre, we have musical theatre classes for all ages. From reception to sixth form and university, we have sessions throughout the week to help young performers reach their full potential. We know that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to creating great theatre with young performers, so we make sure there are activities for all age groups.

In 2024 alone, we put on 25 productions, with 50% being musical theatre pieces. Our youngest performers brought a fantastic production of Aladdin to the stage, our Junior performers in Key Stage 2 staged two wonderful performances of Moana Jr. and My Son Pinocchio Jr., and of course we can’t forget about our seniors who are in high school and college. In 2024, they brought Shrek Jr., Fame Jr., and a musical version of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night all onto the stage.

For 2025, we’re excited to see a new lineup of performances and we can’t wait for your young person to be a part of the process with us.

For the past 10 years, we’ve brought amazing musicals to life out of our two Artz Centres. We started out in our Birch Green Artz Centre, and in 2019 we also opened our second site in Upholland. We believe that if we want everyone to feel like they can be the best version of themselves we need a space that reflects that. That’s why when you walk into an Artz Centre, you’ll see the history up on the walls, from performers and alumni who’ve come and gone, to our Hall of Fame and Chapter 15, 30, and 50 initiatives. 

We want every new student to feel like they can be a part of something bigger than just any one of us. They can be a part of a culture, a community, and a legacy. So, what do the buildings look like? Both sites are equipped with rehearsal studios, performance spaces, and outdoor space too (especially useful for those summer rehearsals where you need a little bit of chill-out time in the sun). Plus with our industry-standard tech setups, we can host not only rehearsals but also active performances right out of the Artz Centre, and you can even be in them! You can find our full addresses below.

Although they change from week to week, responding to whatever the cast is up to in the rehearsal and production process, it’s pretty safe to assume that a typical Artz Centre Session contains some tried and tested fundamentals. You’re always going to encounter a set of friendly faces in your cast-mates; and together with our team of professional directors, choreographers and acting coaches, you’ll be working towards creating a fantastic piece of live performance. 

That’s right, every musical theatre session we run works towards a fully realised Production, whether that’s Legally Blonde, The Lion King, or anything in between. Sessions are broken down into training musical theatre skills, such as: musicality, projection, and characterisation. As well as taking part in rehearsal processes and workshops that are informed by current practices in the theatre industry. 

So because we work through a combination of skills training as well as performance rehearsals, you can start your journey as a musical theatre performer from any starting-point, whether you are no stranger to the stage or whether this is your very first show. You’ll be guided through and taught all the fundamentals, like how to annotate your script and how to prepare an audition. As well as being stretched and challenged to grow as a performer and explore who you are as an artist and theatre maker.

As a team of theatre makers, creatives, technicians, designers, directors, choreographers, you name it, we all believe in the same value, which is to put performers first and above all else. 

We understand that sometimes when you’re making a musical, it can feel very easy to become lost in the desire to create the best piece on stage ever to have ever existed. And of course, ambition is so, so valuable. But at the Arts Centre, we believe in first looking at who you are as a performer, where you are in your journey, and putting you first. Because fundamentally, when a cast are being the best that they can be, the performance will be the best it can be. 

That’s why, as well as rehearsals, we aim to offer a culture and community where you can belong, unapologetically as yourself. And in doing so, you’ll meet some amazing people, make some friendships for life, and we hope your love for the stage will grow and flourish.

• Infant Musical Theatre Sessions (Reception – Year 2): Tuesday nights at the UpHolland Artz Centre (4pm-5pm) or Wednesday Nights Birch Green Artz Centre (4pm-5pm).

•Junior Musical Theatre Sessions (year 3 to year 6): Tuesday nights at the UpHolland Artz Centre (5.15pm-7.15pm) or Wednesday nights at Birch Green Artz Centre (5.15pm-7.15pm).

•Senior Musical Theatre Sessions (year 7 – year 13): Tuesday nights at the UpHolland Artz Centre (7.30pm-9.30pm) or Wednesday nights at Birch Green Artz Centre (7.30pm-9.30pm).

•Musical Theatre exam classes run throughout the spring and summer terms (January – September)