PQA Derby
PQA Derby is a performing arts school, with classes for children and young adults in Comedy & Drama (acting), Musical Theatre (singing and dancing) and Film & Television (filmmaking).
We run two busy and successful Academies, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon on Saturdays at Derby Moor Academy (formerly the Derby Moor Community Sports College).
Principal note:
We are so pleased to be back at what we do best! There’s never been a better time to engage young people in the arts and the creativity of their minds and passions.
Our morning Academy has just entered into it's 8th year of being amazing and our afternoon Academy its 6th year!
We are an award-winning Academy with three awards in the Northern Film Festival 2018 and another winning entry included this year. WE also won 2 of the 4 main awards in the Birmingham Film Festival in November 2021
Over the last few terms our Academies have enjoyed masterclasses in SFX make-up, stage combat, circus skills, children's TV presenting, 'Wicked', 'Sweeney Todd', 'Spamalot' and 'Mamma Mia' to name a few.
When our Poppets staged ‘When Santa Got Stuck Up the Chimney’, there wasn't a dry eye in the house.
Our Academy performed in London's West End at the Her Majesty’s Theatre in the musical comedy 'Troubles A Brewin' - it was a day no one will ever forget! They also took part in their Trinity 'in performance' exam, in which all our students were awarded distinctions! Please take a look at our news story to see the amazing comments from Trinity College themselves, some of the parents and audience members. Our afternoon students appeared in a show written especially for them, 'Razzle Dazzled'. Our morning and afternoon Academy have begun working on their show for next year, Disney’s highly acclaimed ‘High School the Musical Jnr’.
Some of our students appeared alongside Martin Kemp and Bradley Walsh at the Birmingham arena in, 'Peter Pan' the world's largest pantomime!
In the last few years during December, we were fortunate to accompany G4 in there, 'Christmas by Candlelight tour. Last Christmas was our 4th initiation back. We all had a great time working with the boys.
We will also be running our special ‘Show and Tell’ performances, where Parents and guardians can come along and see what we have been working on. (Regulations permitting)
Both Academies had the experience of walking the red carpet for our, red carpet film. Eighteen months of hard work in Film and TV has seen them up on the big screen in a celebration of everything they have learnt.
Our afternoon Academy produced an award-winning film on the national 4-week film challenge and got to travel to Sheffield to see their film on the big screen and take away three awards in the process!
Both Academies now begin the task of making more films in readiness for next years red carpet event in 2022, as well as entering more national competitions.
Some of our students have already appeared on screen thanks to our very own Quirky Kidz agency.
PQA Derby students have gained auditions and parts for a variety of projects, and there are also lots of exciting opportunities in the pipeline across the film, theatre, and music industries. So, singing, dancing, acting, film-making, and many more great opportunities, make this an Academy to be proud of! All the fun you can have simply by being yourself and being amazing!