'Not everyone can afford to go to London' - new specialist West End academy class opens in Hull

A new Performing Arts academy is opening in Hull - to allow every performer in the city to train for the West End.

The West End Training Academy will be a monthly class held at St Mary's College. The organisation believes that every young performer deserves the opportunity to be given local teaching from West End and Broadway performers for first-hand experience and inspiration to push them onto the biggest of stages.

For those who were after similar specialist training, families would have to commute to Leeds or even to London to learn further about the West End stage, which is why West End Training Academy has been set up.

Read more:

• The heartwarming moment dozens start dancing at the dock in Hull on Father's Day

• ‘Dancing is her therapy’ - Hull schoolgirl follows brother's footsteps and joins Autism's Got Talent

"As some students have naturally progressed throughout the years, a couple would join agencies and get some West End training. If you want to attend a west end school or theatre college, the best thing is to have experience," says Sammy Donnelly, who runs the new class.

One of the reasons to set the group up was to have a centralised specialist course in Hull. Many of the talent pool from the city have to travel elsewhere for such professional counselling. "We've had a few students in places in London, and one student, bless her, travelled down every weekend to attend a training program. We have a few students who are currently attending somewhere in Leeds, and they're car sharing."

"I thought that it's just such a shame that there's nowhere in Hull or nothing closer by because we have so many talented children and we have so many dance schools and performing arts schools in Hull. I thought rather than my parents struggling to pay fees to travel far and wide across the country, why not try to bring something to Hull for everybody to access it, not many people can afford the petrol to go to London every week."

Sammy also added that she chose the monthly lessons to be held on a Sunday to avoid clashes with other performing arts classes in the area. "We're running this completely separate, it's just trying to give as many students the opportunity to be taught by these professionals as possible"

The academy has signed up West End and Broadway performers to give masterclasses to the students, giving them vital first hand experience and feedback. One of the first announced, Jodie Steel, has over ten years experience in theatre credits since graduating from the famed Guildford School of Acting.

Jodie is best known for playing Heather Chandler in the West End premier of Heathers in 2018, and even lent her voiced in the video game Bladurs Gate III, which won The GameAward for Game of the Year.

People aged 9-18 are able to sign up for the classes - with the first class being held on April 27 at St Marys College. People can find more information about signing up on their social media found here.