Trafalgar Entertainment acquires Helen O’Grady Drama Academy

2 years ago

International live entertainment company, Trafalgar Entertainment, has bolstered its Education division by adding the children’s extra-curricular drama specialist organisation, Helen O’Grady Drama Academy to the Education portfolio. The Helen O’Grady Drama Academy has been in operation for over 40 years and provides education in 36 countries, with over 100,000 students studying one hour of drama each week.

The business will run alongside Stagecoach Performing Arts, the UK’s largest network of extra-curricular performing arts schools for children, with more than 300 franchises in seven countries, led by Executive Chairperson Helen Enright. Trafalgar Entertainment acquired Stagecoach three years ago, and Helen O’Grady Drama Academy will share the same franchise business model, with expectations to expand globally.

Rosemary Squire, Joint CEO of Trafalgar Entertainment, is looking forward to bringing quality performing arts sessions to more children throughout the UK.

“The Helen O’Grady Drama Academy ethos of self-development is about boosting confidence and communication skills in children, many of whom seek to improve their self-esteem. Sadly, arts education funding is being squeezed from the national curriculum, so it is vitally important that a drama provision like this is made available to everyone. Trafalgar Entertainment believes that inspiring children through the creative arts is an important investment for the future.”

Today’s expansion of Trafalgar Entertainment’s portfolio comes after a busy year of acquisitions, including a 70-year lease to run 1575-seat Olympia Theatre. This will be the biggest new permanent theatre to open in London since the 1970s and the refurbishment and re-launch of Trafalgar Theatre in London’s West End. Late last year, Australia’s 1200-seat Theatre Royal in Sydney – which has just undergone a complete refurbishment, was reopened with Trafalgar Entertainment as the new owners. In addition, in recent months the group has completed the acquisition of HQ Theatres and Hospitality including 12 theatres regionally across the UK, and the opening of new luxury members club cinema complex, Chiswick Cinema in London.

Andy Knights, joint CEO of Stagecoach Performing Arts, is proud to be part of such a progressive and successful group.

“Having worked closely with the team at Trafalgar Entertainment since their investment in Stagecoach back in 2018, it’s wonderful to witness such rapid growth and investment in great concepts such as Helen O’Grady. We’re excited to work alongside the fantastic team from Helen O’Grady and to bring their quality sessions to more children around the UK.”

For more information about investment opportunities with Stagecoach Performing Arts, visit https://stagecoachfranchise.com/

Notes to Editors

For more information, or to speak with Andy Knights, contact Kelly Ayres at Rev PR on 07895 876745 or email kelly@revpr.co.uk
Images available – A hi-res shot of Stagecoach Performing Arts students.

Attached Media

About Stagecoach Performing Arts

About Stagecoach Performing Arts: Over the years we have seen more than one million students unlock their potential, which is something they will value for their whole life. At Stagecoach we teach our students so much more than how to sing, dance and act. We help them blossom into well-rounded individuals, ready to embrace life and all its opportunities. With nearly 30 years’ experience in teaching the performing arts, we understand how to get the best out of our young performers. We delight in seeing our students have fun, make friends, learn new skills and discover hidden talents. We encourage them to take ‘safe risks’ through rehearsals and performance, which brings out a willingness to take on new challenges. None of us know what the future holds, which is why it’s so important for today’s children to be resilient, brave and self-assured. Furthermore you can rest assured that your child is in safe hands as we adhere to the strictest child safety policies. About joining Stagecoach as a franchisee: With our 30th birthday in 2018, the Stagecoach model has been proven and refined to become one of the UK’s leading performing arts opportunities. Franchisees build a team of equally passionate and enthusiastic teachers, qualified to bring out the very best in their students. Stagecoach schools provide a thriving, nurturing and supportive environment for creative learning. That’s just one of the reasons why 40,000 children every week flock to classes nationwide. Today, a network of more than 300 franchisees operate over 680 schools offering 1,780 classes in eight countries. Through an exciting and varied framework of teaching and development, franchisees have helped to unlock the potential of more than one million students since it opened in 1988.

Press Contacts

Charlie Milne

PR Executive

07725 071128

charlie@revpr.co.uk