Isabel Byers – Director
Isabel Byers started studying extra mural Speech and Drama from a early age when she enrolled at Stage Craft Drama Studio, founded by the well renowned Speech and Drama teacher and children’s theatre director Cheryl Abromowitz.
Throughout her schooling life she performed in numerous lead roles in the Stage Craft Drama studio productions at Artscape, as well as a few professional productions.
After receiving her performance diploma with distinction at the Cape Academy of Dramatic Art, as well as her LTCL in Speech and Drama teaching from Trinity College of London, Isabel began teaching extra mural Speech and Drama privately and at various schools around Cape Town. It was during this time that she started developing what is now the school’s syllabus and the idea to start her own school was born.
Isabel also spent a few years at Sweet Valley primary teaching both Curriculum Drama and Extra Mural Speech and Drama, and completed a CELTA before deciding to take a hiatus and move to Vietnam. There she lived for just over a year and taught English to Foreign language students. (students were ages 3-100 years old)
When Isabel returned from Vietnam she went back into Speech and Drama teaching and in 2013 she started her own Drama school.
Isabel is involved in every aspect of the school and manages the school.
Jillian Clarke Chivell – Cape Town Manager
Having studied a Performing Arts A-Level in England I decided to further my studies in this field here in South Africa.
I attended the Cape Academy of Dramatic Art, studying Speech and Drama and taking the LAMDA Gold exam.
During my studies I Au paired and thereafter went on to specialize in the area of special needs children, working on and assisting with SNAP (Special Needs Adapted Program) incorporating many of the skills I acquired at CADA. It is my over 8 years Au pairing experience together with my Speech and Drama qualifications I have achieved, that has provided me with a platform and love for teaching this subject. Having worked with children of all ages and from a broad spectrum, I am able to approach my teaching with the knowledge that each child is unique and therefore should be encouraged as an individual based on their individual strengths. My main objective is to bring out these individual strengths and encourage each child in the area they are less confident to enable them to grow within the field of Speech and Drama, a skill that would benefit them no matter what career they choose.
Jillian also manages all the teachers at our school. She acts acts a support for our teachers in their work, as well as a liaison between our teachers and parents.
Venetia Herbst – Johannesburg Manager
Venetia Herbst has vast experience in dramatic performance and teaching.
We are very to lucky have her as a permanent staff member.