Teachers Welcome Patrons Scholarships

Welcome
Our mission
is to provide
the best
professional
training
available
Louise Dearman
Leanne Pinder
Gemma Short
Career: Elphaba and Glinda
- Wicked, Narrator - Joseph,
Grizabella - Cats, Eva Peron
- Evita, Guys and Dolls, Grease
Career: Assistant Choreographer
Matilda – Broadway, New York.
Associate Choreographer:
We Will Rock You, Fame, Saturday
Night Fever, Grease
Career: Singing In The Rain,
Beauty And The Beast,
Crazy For You
Barbara Evans
James Bennett
Patron/Singing Techniques
and Performance
Jazz
Career: Directed and
choreographed Peter Pan,
Paul Nicholas, Craig Revel
Horwood, Aston Merrigold (JLS)
Nikki Wilkes
Principal / Jazz
Mark Webb
Commercial
Career: Destiny’s Child, Take That,
Elton John, Kylie, The Spice Girls,
Diana Ross, Cher
James Robinson
Commercial
Career: Jessie J, The Spice Girls,
The Pussycat Dolls, Leona Lewis,
The Saturdays, Pixie Lott
David Wood
Commercial Jazz
Jonathan Wilkes
Principal / TV Presenting
Our mission is to provide the best
professional training available, so that our
students are fully equipped in their
technique to successfully gain and
sustain longevity in one of the most
competitive, yet rewarding of industries.
At the Academy there is a simple
philosophy that is instilled from day one:
hard work breeds opportunity.
The Wilkes Academy is a relatively new
training centre that has very quickly
become one of the leading training
programs for the performing artist.
An exciting innovative college with state
of the art facilities, offering the optimum
training ground for all its students.
No expense has been spared to set its
mark among the established and break
the boundaries with its exciting ethos
and fresh approach to its training.
There’s no doubt about it , the business is
tough. The academy not only trains and
nurtures the skills of its students, but it
also prepares them for every aspect of
their chosen career as working
professionals.
Patrons
Teachers
A school is only as good as its teachers. At
the Wilkes Academy , the teaching staff
consists of the best working professionals
possible . Professionals that are still very
much at the forefront of their working
careers.
Adding to the exciting array of
permanent staff, we also strive to employ
a constant stream of exciting guest
teachers that cover all genres.
Each student will have opportunities to
attend master classes and gain valuable
experience working with exciting and
current Directors/Choreographers/
Musical Directors/Casting Directors/
Producers/Singers and Actors.
It is very important for our students to
experience the knowledge and expertise
of those who have achieved and those
who are still achieving. It is also
fundamental that as principals of the
academy we also strive to learn new
things ourselves and never feel settled or
content.
This feeling of growth and the constant
yearning to learn is fed through the
system and is passed on to each and
Suzanne Mole
Principal / Jazz
every student that takes up a place at
Wilkes.
Supporting the academy, we are
extremely fortunate to have a group
of patrons that are very active in their
support of the college and the individual
growth of our students.
Career: The Spice Girls, Kylie,
Gloria Estefan, Diana Ross,
Lionel Ritchie
Tina Smallwood
Piotrowsky
Commercial
Career: Take That, Beyonce, Kylie,
Robbie Williams, Lionel Ritchie,
Kelly Rowland
Mikey Frome
Commercial
Career: Little Mix UK & US Tour,
X Factor Tour, Thriller Live
World Tour
We are also grateful to be working along
side one of the best (if not the best)
commercial dance agencies around
- Dancers Inc.
Sarah Richards
We are very proud to be working in
association with Swindon College who
have recently been awarded an
Outstanding grade from Ofsted. Through
this unique relationship we are able to
offer a BTEC Level 3 in Performing Arts.
Jenny Stephenson
Swindon
College
Commercial
Career: X Factor Tour, Into the
hoods, Some like it hip hop,
Cheryl Cole, Little Mix
Commercial
Career: 10 Times UCWDC World
Champion
Kane Silver
Commercial
Career: Nicole Sherzinger,
Justin Bieber, Jason Derulo,
Meghan Trainor
Musical Theatre
Modern
Sarah Watson
Musical Theatre
Modern & DDI & DDE
Career: Dirty Dancing, Hairspray,
We Will Rock You, Britain’s Got
Talent, Spooks
Career: Examiner for ISTD
Matt Cross
Stuart Harvey
Technical Jazz
Career: Hamlet, Macbeth,
Midsummer Night’s Dream,
West Side Story
Drama
Musical Theatre and
Career: Dominic in Trance - Danny
Boyle, Tim in Misfits, Reecey
in our house - London
Sally Benyon
Christian Patterson
Ballet & DDI & DDE
Acting Tutor
Career: Senior Examiner for
ISTD and RAD
Career: Nicely Nicely in Guys &
Dolls, Mr Bumble in Oliver, Trotter in
Journeys End, Alf in ITV’S
Mr Selfridge
Becky Barrett
Adam Ewan
Career: English National Ballet,
Swan Lake, Wicked, Cats
Career: African Gothic,
The Living and the Dead, Pride,
Colour of Magic
Daniel Jones
Peter Faint
Career: Soloist for the English
National Ballet and Choreographer
Career: Rick Astley, Rewind Festival,
Halle Orchestra, Lion King, ‘Joseph’
Ronni Bailey
Jo Scanlan
Singing
Tap & DDI & DDE
Career: Vocal Coach (BA Hons)
Career: Guinness World Record
Breaker Tap Dancer, This Morning,
Got To Dance, The Alan
Titchmarsh Show
Jessica Marshall
Kerry Reynolds
Tap
Gymnastics
Career: Gymnastics Champion
and Coach
Career: World Champion
Choreographer, Trained at Alvin
Ailey, Got to Dance Series 2
Career: Trained at Alvin Ailey,
Juxtapower, Director - City
Academy’s Contemporary
Company
Kim Watt
Lyrical Jazz
Career: Jazz Company Worldwide
“Everybody strives for success and longevity in our industry,
so it’s vital to receive the best training possible. The teachers
at Wilkes Academy can ensure you get exactly that!”
Ant & Dec
,
Musical Director
Ballet
Contemporary
Robbie Williams
Drama
Ballet
Bafana Solomon
Matea
“Wilkes Academy Of Performing Arts is such an exciting
venture, I wish I had this kind of facility when I was growing up.”
Sara Mills White
Operations Manager / Head of Education
Kay Wilkes
“In the pursuit of creating the
stars of tomorrow, the Wilkes
Academy have struck upon
the perfect combination of
nurturing, elite training and
informed preparation for the
entertainment industry.
I am proud to be affiliated
with such a ground breaking
and innovative establishment;
The future of this college
is shining!”
“Every school is as good
as its teachers and here there
are some of the greatest.”
“Encouraging young
performers to pursue their
dreams is so important but
teaching them the skills,
discipline and passion it
takes, is essential if they
want to make it in the
business.”
“Training new people in
Musical Theatre is so vital,
so exciting and so possible
here with Jonathan and his
brilliant team. I for one, am
looking forward to spending
some time helping the
students achieve their goals.”
Dancers INC
Arlene Phillips
Louise Dearman
Mike Dixon
Choreographer
West End Leading Lady
Musical Director
UK’s Number 1 Commercial
Dance Agency @dancersincworld
Student Liaison
David Foster
Student Counsellor
Suzanne Woodruff
Academy Sports Therapist
Sara Leyser
Make-up
Guest Teachers Brian Friedman, Paul Domaine, Rachel Tucker, Anthony BB Kay, Arthur Gourounlian, David Leighton, Johnny White,
Brett Rosengreen, Ollie Botterill, Maria Mazzone, Paul Isles, Christian Bounce Aloise (Flawless), Kyle Anthony, Lia Given, Rachel Moran,
Michael Newman, Rob Jones, Eoin Slattery, Tarek Merchant, Rachel Burch-Lawson, Ed Viney, Kris Phillips and Mike Horth.
Scholarships
Ant & Dec
We are privileged and excited to offer these prestigious Scholarships that are exclusive to the Wilkes Academy.
Our Studios
Spectrum House
Westmead
,
Contact
We are incredibly proud of the facilities
available to our students in the visually
striking, award winning Renault building
in West Swindon, and our newly
converted studios in Westmead, which
are only a few minutes’ walk from each
other. The eight spacious studios are
complimented by two large,
comfortable receptions which give a
welcoming environment to all who enter.
We have made sure there is ample car
parking and changing facilities with six
large changing rooms. It is vital that
students have the opportunity to relax
and so we have installed two student
kitchens there is also ample sofa space,
giving the students the chance to
recharge their batteries for the rewarding
challenges ahead.
For more information visit www.wilkesacademy.co.uk
Call: 01793 618228 email: info@wilkesacademy.co.uk
Westmead
Unit 1 Westmead Industrial Estate
Westmead Drive
Twitter: @WilkesAcademy Facebook: WilkesAcademy
Swindon SN5 7YT