The Pauline Quirke Academy in Harrogate opened its doors for the first time to local young performers in 2013! The past decade has seen hundreds of students walk through those doors ready to take part in their very own PQA journey. This journey included building confidence, learning skills for life, making new friends and enjoying numerous performance opportunities in a wide array of areas.
In June of this year, to celebrate 10 years of PQA, our students in Harrogate took on their biggest challenge yet with performance at The Kings Hall & Winter Gardens in Ilkley which highlighted and championed all the skills we teach at PQA.
There were over 100 students who took to the stage to perform a selection of drama extracts from our Comedy & Drama Module, over fifteen all-singing all-dancing musical numbers performed from our Musical Theatre module. The audience were also treated to a sneak-peek trailer of PQA Harrogate’s upcoming 2024 Cinema Screen show reel!
One audience member had this to say about the performance: ‘’Wow what an amazing show. It was so incredible to see so many local young performers shine on stage. PQA has given so much to my child over the years, and it was rather emotional to see the students perform in a celebration show that was all about them. There wasn’t a dull moment, and we loved every second of the performance. Congratulations!’’
The Principal of PQA Harrogate, Kellie Taylor, had this to say about her time as PQA Principal:
“Growing up I always loved the world of performing arts, but the opportunities just weren’t readily available for me. This is why I’m extremely passionate about providing local children and young people with the opportunity of exploring the arts and learning skills for life.
I feel incredibly lucky that I’ve been able to watch hundreds of local young people become inspired, confident and grow during my 10 years of running my academies, and I can’t wait for this to continue over the next 10 years!”
What is next for PQA Harrogate? The fun doesn’t stop and from September our students will be preparing to once again head down to London to perform their very own musical at His Majesty’s Theatre in the West End!
There is still an opportunity to join PQA Harrogate and perform with us in the West End so if your child is aged 6-18 and wants to get involved, join us for a free taster session.
Find more about PQA Harrogate here
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Yes! Every academy offers one free trial session, as long as there is space available in the age group. If the group is currently full, you can join the waiting list, and we’ll contact you as soon as a place becomes available.
PQA runs for 41 weeks throughout the school year. You can find the full list of term dates on each academy’s webpage, just search for your local academy and visit its web page.
PQA provides performing arts training for children and teens aged 4–18. Our Main Academy (ages 6–18) includes three core classes:
Some academies also offer Poppets (ages 4–6), an energetic 90-minute class introducing young children to singing, dancing and acting.
PQA welcomes all children, whether they’re complete beginners or already confident performers. There’s no audition needed to join.
At PQA students in Main Academy are grouped by age, learning with other children and young people at similar stages.
This depends on where you feel your child will be happiest. Some 6-year olds are ready to join the 6-9 age group in Main Academy, others will feel more comfortable starting in Poppets.
Your always welcome to discuss what’s best for your child with your local Principal before booking your free session.