PQA Sheffield.

Christine Cooksey - Principal PQA Sheffield

Passionate about performing arts training for children and young people.

I am delighted to be Principal of PQA Sheffield and PQA Barnsley ; I feel very privileged to work with so many talented children from across the region. I studied music at Bretton Hall College, West Yorkshire and later did my teacher training at The Roehampton Institute in London. Since then, I have worked as a performing arts teacher in schools in London and Yorkshire.

In recent years, my musical career took on a new dimension when I became involved in musical theatre. I have worked as the musical director for local theatres and amateur societies working with adult and junior groups. In 2005, I formed a youth theatre group based in Penistone near Sheffield, and with the help of £10,000 arts council funding, I produced our first production, the National Musical Youth Theatre's version of 'Whistle Down The Wind'. After a lifetime of music making and commitment to providing performance opportunities for people of all ages, I am proud to be principal of PQA Sheffield and Barnsley. They are fabulous academies, with such talented children and very supportive parents. We always have an extensive schedule of internal and external activities to suit the skills of all our children. It has been an exciting journey so far, and I am always delighted to meet new students to welcome them into our PQA family.