Meet the Founder
April Venn
Founder & Principal | Musical Theatre Teacher & Performer
Performance has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember, and teaching the next generation of performers has become just as important to me as performing itself.
I’m the founder of AMARA Academy of Performing Arts, a musical theatre teacher and performer with over 20 years’ experience teaching and working with young people across musical theatre, dance and performance.
AMARA has grown from something I have wanted to create for a long time: a place where young performers can receive high-quality training, work towards recognised qualifications, build genuine confidence and be encouraged to discover just how much they are capable of.
Founder & Principal | Musical Theatre Teacher & Performer
Performance has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember, and teaching the next generation of performers has become just as important to me as performing itself.
I’m the founder of AMARA Academy of Performing Arts, a musical theatre teacher and performer with over 20 years’ experience teaching and working with young people across musical theatre, dance and performance.
AMARA has grown from something I have wanted to create for a long time: a place where young performers can receive high-quality training, work towards recognised qualifications, build genuine confidence and be encouraged to discover just how much they are capable of.
From Performer to Teacher
My own training began in dance and musical theatre from a young age, before I went on to train professionally at SLP College in Leeds, completing three years of intensive musical theatre training.
Following graduation, I was signed by a West End agent and attended professional auditions in London, giving me first-hand experience of the expectations, pressures and realities of the performing arts industry.
My performance background spans musical theatre, dance, acting, studio recording, choreography, TV commercials and music videos and those experiences continue to influence the way I teach today.
20+ Years of Teaching Experience
Alongside performing, I discovered very early on that teaching was something I genuinely loved.
Over the past 20 years, I have taught children and young people across a wide range of ages and abilities, from those taking their very first steps into performance to experienced students preparing for examinations, auditions and further training.
My teaching experience includes musical theatre, dance, acting, acting through song, performance technique and audition preparation.
I have also spent several years working within secondary education as a Performing Arts teacher, teaching across KS3–KS5 and supporting students pursuing performing arts both academically and practically.
Over the past 20 years, I have taught children and young people across a wide range of ages and abilities, from those taking their very first steps into performance to experienced students preparing for examinations, auditions and further training.
My teaching experience includes musical theatre, dance, acting, acting through song, performance technique and audition preparation.
I have also spent several years working within secondary education as a Performing Arts teacher, teaching across KS3–KS5 and supporting students pursuing performing arts both academically and practically.
Training & Qualifications
- BA (Hons) Professional Arts Practice — First Class Honours
- Three-year professional Musical Theatre training — SLP College, Leeds
- IDTA qualified teacher
- Training across Ballet, Tap, Modern, Theatre Craft and Freestyle
- Extensive experience teaching Musical Theatre and Performing Arts
- Secondary-school Performing Arts teaching experience across KS3–KS5
- Experienced Trinity Musical Theatre teacher
- 20+ years’ teaching and choreography experience
- Professional industry and audition experience
Trinity Musical Theatre
A major part of my teaching career has been delivering Trinity Musical Theatre examinations.
Since establishing Trinity Musical Theatre provision in school, I have worked with a large number of students across multiple grades, preparing them in acting, singing and movement and guiding them through the complete examination process.
Students I have taught have achieved consistently strong examination results, including numerous Merits and Distinctions, while others have gone on to pursue further performing arts training.
For me, however, Trinity isn’t simply about achieving a grade. The process gives young performers something tangible to work towards while developing independence, confidence, discipline and a much deeper understanding of performance.
The AMARA Approach
I don’t believe in creating performers who all look or sound the same.
Every student arrives with different strengths, personalities, ambitions and levels of experience. My role is to recognise those strengths, develop the areas that need work and challenge each performer at the right level for them.
Training at AMARA is built around:
Confidence • Technique • Creativity • Individuality • Performance
Students should be challenged, but they should also feel supported enough to take risks, make mistakes and grow.
Every student arrives with different strengths, personalities, ambitions and levels of experience. My role is to recognise those strengths, develop the areas that need work and challenge each performer at the right level for them.
Training at AMARA is built around:
Confidence • Technique • Creativity • Individuality • Performance
Students should be challenged, but they should also feel supported enough to take risks, make mistakes and grow.
Why I Created AMARA
AMARA is something I have wanted to build for a long time.
Throughout my teaching career, I have seen how much the right training and encouragement can change a young performer. Talent is important, but so are confidence, resilience, individuality and having someone who genuinely believes there is more in you.
I wanted to create an academy where students could receive serious, high-quality training without losing the enjoyment and creativity that made them fall in love with performing in the first place.
Some AMARA students may dream of drama school or a professional career. Others may want to achieve their next Trinity grade, perform on stage, make friends or simply become confident enough to do something they never thought they could.
There is space for all of them here.
Throughout my teaching career, I have seen how much the right training and encouragement can change a young performer. Talent is important, but so are confidence, resilience, individuality and having someone who genuinely believes there is more in you.
I wanted to create an academy where students could receive serious, high-quality training without losing the enjoyment and creativity that made them fall in love with performing in the first place.
Some AMARA students may dream of drama school or a professional career. Others may want to achieve their next Trinity grade, perform on stage, make friends or simply become confident enough to do something they never thought they could.
There is space for all of them here.
