The Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts Bath

PQA Bath is part of the Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts network, based at Moorlands Infant School on Moorfields Road. The academy offers three core disciplines: Musical Theatre (singing, dancing and acting), Comedy & Drama (improvisation, scriptwriting and creative play), and Film & Television (storyboarding, screenwriting, filming and on-camera acting). Classes run on Fridays and Sundays for children and young adults aged 4–18.

The teaching structure is split into two main age groups. Poppets classes (ages 4–6) are 90-minute sessions introducing young children to singing, dancing and acting. The Main Academy (ages 6–18) offers three-hour weekly sessions where students spend an hour in each of the three modules, exploring a diverse range of performance skills in a single afternoon. The academy uses project-based learning, with Principals handpicking projects to suit student needs rather than following a fixed curriculum. Projects typically run between four and fourteen weeks, culminating in opportunities to perform or screen work for family and friends.

Principal Lydia Grantham leads the Bath academy alongside a specialist teaching team. Lucy-Charlotte Tyler teaches Musical Theatre and brings extensive credentials including training at Italia Conti and LAMDA, a BTEC National Diploma in Performing Arts, an HND in Musical Theatre, and professional performance experience in productions including Little Shop of Horrors, Fame, Blood Brothers and Cats, plus television appearances in EastEnders, Casualty and Teachers. Nancy Cunningham teaches Comedy & Drama; she trained at The Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts (BA Hons 2009) and has professional experience in theatre and immersive theatre productions including The York Realist, Marat/Sade and Jack the Rippers London. Jack Rodrigues leads the Film & Television module with formal training from Birmingham City University in Filmmaking, hands-on experience in directing, writing, sound, camera, lighting and editing, and involvement in six short films during his university years. Craig Grantham and Kate Pengilley provide academy support. Melanie Glanville-Gittins, Vice Principal, holds a BA Hons in Theatre Studies and helps foster a nurturing environment.

The academy emphasises life skills alongside performance training: confidence, resilience, communication, teamwork, leadership and problem-solving. Students progress through age-appropriate groups (Green, Blue and Red) as they develop. The learning environment celebrates individuality and inclusion; the academy makes reasonable adjustments to ensure accessibility and uses materials reflecting diversity. All staff undergo enhanced DBS checks and specialised safeguarding training. The academy collaborates with industry partners including Aardman, Les Enfants Terribles and Coram's Shakespeare Schools Foundation, and students have opportunities to perform in London's West End at His Majesty's Theatre and to screen their own films at regional festivals at the BFI, Vue and Cineworld.

You can attend a full free session to see what PQA is like and meet the teaching team. Classes are held at Moorlands Infant School; Poppets (4–6) run Saturdays 09:45–11:30, and Main Academy (6–18) runs Saturdays 09:45–13:00. Your child's place is held for a few days after your free session while you decide.

Principal Lydia Grantham leads the academy. Musical Theatre is taught by Lucy-Charlotte Tyler (trained at Italia Conti and LAMDA, professional credits in Little Shop of Horrors, Fame, Blood Brothers, Cats, EastEnders and Casualty). Comedy & Drama is taught by Nancy Cunningham (Mountview Academy graduate, BA Hons 2009, professional theatre and immersive theatre experience). Film & Television is led by Jack Rodrigues (Birmingham City University Filmmaking graduate with experience directing, writing and working with professional camera, sound and editing equipment). Craig Grantham and Kate Pengilley provide academy support, and Melanie Glanville-Gittins (Vice Principal, BA Hons Theatre Studies) fosters a nurturing environment.

The academy welcomes all children and young adults and celebrates individuality; a free first session allows you to experience classes before committing.