PQA Stoke-on-Trent.

Marie Stimson-Machers - Principal PQA Stoke-on-Trent

Passionate about performing arts training for children and young people.

Marie studied Film & Television with Theatre Studies at Derby University followed by a Postgraduate Certificate in Education in Drama & Contextual Studies at The University of Reading. After one year of teaching, she was promoted to Head of Drama and continued in this role for 16 years in the local area – she is also a licensed chaperone and looks after children in the Performing Arts sector.

In 2003 she attained her Post Graduate Diploma in Education (Performance Coaching) and also started working for Pearson (Edexcel) as a GCSE Drama examiner & moderator with years of experience in leading teams as an Assistant Principal. Marie is also a trained Arts Award Trinity Guildhall advisor - up to and including Gold and a trained Youth Mental Health Advisor. She has directed varied and numerous productions over the years from The Edinburgh Fringe Festival to The West End and is a keen playwright, attaining The Fringe ‘Recommended Youth Theatre’ badge for her recent play ‘The Terrible Tail of Adelaide Worthing’. In her ‘spare’ time she is also a mum to three children and therefore doubles up as a taxi driver, cleaner, personal organiser and cuddle monster. If she has any time left over, she runs, albeit rather slowly and has completed the London marathon four times!