Nicola Dereham: TYA, Music And Drama

My Story

Nicola is a freelance practitioner, specialising in Theatre for Young Audiences, private music tuition, drama & storytelling. Her television debut was when she was 5 years old on beloved children’s programme, Playdays (so cute!). She gained her BA (Hons) in Performing Arts at University of Chichester, and followed up with a spell in the music and drama departments of a secondary school, before joining the Learning and Participation team at Chichester Festival Theatre. After completing her one year ‘apprenticeship’ at CFT, Nicola attended an Advanced Performance course at Birmingham School of Acting, and then went on to achieve a merit in her Masters Degree in TYA (Theatre for Young Audiences) at the prestigious Rose Bruford College, whilst also being a member of the MA Theatre for Young Audiences company, Floods of Ink.

During college and university, Nicola began to explore the world of Theatre in Education, but it was while she was at Rose Bruford that she fell in love with ‘Early Years’ children, and was inspired to start her own company, specialising in drama and music for this age range. In 2012, her TYA company, Roots and Wings, was born. Set your imagination free!

Nicola’s other experiences include working with Stagecoach Theatre Arts, Half Moon Young People’s Theatre, Birmingham Rep, MAC Arts (Birmingham), Leamington and Warwick Academy of Dance, the New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth, Filskit Theatre, Fareham’s Ashcroft Arts Centre, Groundlings Theatre and Disneyland Paris! Nicola has performed at the Royal Festival Hall, The Mayflower and Guildhall in Southampton, The King’s Theatre and Gunwharf Quays Portsmouth, Southsea Festival, Fareham’s Ashcroft Arts Centre, Bournemouth International Centre, Royal Spa Centre in Leamington Spa, Titchfield Festival Theatre, Portsmouth Historic Dockyards including HMS Warrior, and Groundlings Theatre.

Nicola has also worked in partnership with OmniArts GB and their Youth Theatre, Portsmouth Music Service, Drama for Schools, Young Creatives Portsmouth, Cantando Music, and The Art Academy Portsmouth, where she thoroughly enjoyed sharing her music and drama skills with other like-minded local practitioners. She was a visiting Associate Director for OmniArts GB and a freelance Associate Artist of the New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth. Nicola is also an Arts Award Assessor for Discover, Explore, Bronze and Silver certificates.

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