Stage 84 - The Yorkshire School of Performing Arts

BIG SMILES AT SUMMER SCHOOL! ☀️

We’re officially halfway through Summer School, and the smiles say it all!

It’s been a busy week of singing, dancing and acting, with students learning classic numbers from some of their favourite musicals. They’ve had opportunities to sing as a group and take on solo moments. 🎶

Our students are working incredibly hard as they prepare for their Musical Theatre Showcase in just one week, with plenty of laughter, energy and, of course, BIG smiles along the way!

We can’t wait to see all their hard work come together on Friday.
Bring on the rest of the week!

Good luck to everyone receiving their GCSE results today!

Today is a celebration of all your hard work and dedication, and we hope it marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter.

From everyone at Stage 84, congratulations and enjoy celebrating your achievements!

READY TO PERFORM!

Does your child love to sing, dance and act?

Our Initial Performing Arts classes are designed for children aged 3-4 who love performing, music and movement. These classes provide the perfect first steps into the performing arts, helping children develop confidence and creativity.

We are now welcoming new students for the new term. Thinking about joining Stage 84? Register your interest here: https://bit.ly/4w48LLp

Stage 84 – Bringing performing arts to life since 1984.🎭

Did someone say summer school?! ☀️

Bradford Summer School is well underway at the Old Bell Chapel, and what a fantastic first couple of days it’s been!

Our Musical Theatre Week has been packed with singing, dancing, acting, script work and learning new musical numbers. From Oliver! to Shrek, our students have had the chance to explore some of their favourite musicals and even choose songs they love - including one very special choice from the World Cup! ⚽🎶

It’s been a room full of fun, laughter, creativity and new friendships, with everyone getting stuck in and bringing their own energy to the stage.

And this is only Day 2… we can’t wait to see what the rest of the week brings! 🎭

OLD BELL CHAPEL RENOVATION! 🎭

Recently, one of our students, Isaac, joined us for work experience. While exploring the Stage 84 archives, he came across this wonderful photo album documenting the renovation of the Old Bell Chapel, before it reopened for use in 1992.

Many of our current students will never have seen these photographs, yet they capture the transformation of a space that has since welcomed generations of young performers through its doors.

Today, the Old Bell Chapel remains at the heart of Stage 84 – filled with young people building confidence, developing their skills in the performing arts and working towards their own aspirations.

We’re incredibly proud of this beautiful, light-filled building and the role it has played in the Stage 84 story. More than three decades after these photographs were taken, it continues to provide a home for the next generation of performers.

And tomorrow, its doors open once again as we welcome our 2026 Musical Theatre Summer School cohort into the studio. We can’t wait!

(BACK!) STAGE AT THE LAKE

It was true festival vibes on Thursday evening as we took to the stage in Shibden Park in ‘Summer Night of Musicals’, as part of the Stage at the Lake series 2026.

Our students soaked up the atmosphere in their very own marquee space and green room, waiting to perform alongside stars of stage and screen including Emma Williams, Laura Pick, Joel Montague, Vinny Coyle and Neil Hurst. We had an amazing time and many great memories were made. Well done to each and every one of our young performers, and a huge thanks to the A-team; our chaperones who looked after everyone flawlessly throughout the day. - Thank you, too, for taking these photos for us.

The feedback we received from performers, crew and stage management alike was absolutely excellent, just how we like it. Another awesome experience for our students, and we couldn’t be prouder of everyone!

(BACK!) STAGE AT THE LAKE 🎤

Testing, testing! Upon arrival on site on Thursday we took to the huge stage in Shibden Park for a soundcheck. Working alongside a fabulous live orchestra led by Matthew J. Loughran of Handful of Keys Theatre Co, West End stars and technicians / crew, Stage 84 students were cool as a cucumber as final preparations were made for the Summer Night of Musicals performance. Despite the exceptionally warm summer heat, everything ran incredibly smoothly and sounded great!

A huge well done to all our students, staff and chaperones for your hard work in the summer sun.

In only the past couple of years alone, we’ve now performed outdoors in wintry conditions as part of the Bradford 2025 closing ceremony, in the massive auditorium of Bradford Live, at the chaotically awesome Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the renowned Alhambra Theatre complex, the beautiful St George’s Hall alongside Gareth Gates, the one and only Yeadon Town Hall, and of course our own studios, and many more - pretty awesome stuff!

Stage at the Lake handfulofkeystheatreco

SUMMER NIGHT OF MUSICALS 🎭
STAGE AT THE LAKE 🌳

A truly scrumptious evening!

Last night, it was our honour to be part of Summer Night of Musicals at Shibden Park, Halifax, as part of the summer series of events forming Stage at the Lake.

Stage 84 students took to the stage in front of an audience of over 1,000, alongside a host of West End stars and an enchanting 15-piece orchestra, led by Matthew J. Loughran.

Our young people sang their hearts out alongside former student and Stage 84 patron Emma Williams in a medley of numbers from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, before returning for a jam-packed section from Matilda The Musical. Emma performed alongside fellow stars Laura Pick, Joel Montague, Vinny Coyle and Neil Hurst. Former Stage 84 student, James Newton, was on drums, appearing on stage alongside his wife Emma for the very first time.

Our heartfelt thanks to Matt and Laura of Handful of Keys Theatre Company for inviting us to be part of such a special evening, one of a series of live summer events celebrating the centenary of the beautiful Shibden Park. It was an unforgettable concert, and the standard of performance on stage was simply off the charts.

Our thanks too to Natalie, Amy, Jim, Katie and everyone else working behind the scenes yesterday including all our hugely dedicated chaperones, and of course to Cath, our Musical Director, who prepared our young vocalists to perfection.

We’ll have more images to share from our experience backstage, but for now, here are just some of the magical moments from last night’s show. ✨

Good luck to everyone receiving their A-level and other results today!

Whatever today brings, be proud of all you have achieved and look forward to the exciting opportunities ahead.

From everyone at Stage 84, congratulations and the very best of luck!

FIND YOUR VOICE 🎤

Find your voice through expert one-to-one tuition.

Our 1-1 Singing Tuition for students aged 7–18 provides personalised vocal training to help develop confidence, technique and performance skills. Available on Mondays and Thursdays, students can work towards LAMDA examinations, prepare for Stage 84 productions and build the skills needed for future training at performing arts colleges.

Places are limited for individual tuition. Thinking about joining Stage 84? Register your interest here: https://bit.ly/4w48LLp

Stage 84 – Bringing performing arts to life since 1984. 🎭