This Saturday (18 July) it’s the end of an era at a performing arts school in York.
Razzamataz Theatre School in York started 15 years ago, its a franchise operation which started life after being on TV.
Founder, Denise Gosney, made waves when she appeared on BBC’s Dragons’ Den, securing full investment and solidifying Razzamataz as one of the most successful and inspiring entrepreneurial stories in the performing arts space.
Today, Razzamataz stands as a leading provider of exceptional performing arts education. As a recognised franchise brand, they take pride in numerous industry awards and partnerships with global giants like Mattel, Warner Bros Studios, Universal, 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, and TUI.
The York branch was opened by Angela Pickup in 2011.
Angela opened the school after struggling to find the perfect theatre arts class for her daughter, Hollie. Spotting a gap in the market, Angela brought the Razzamataz magic to York, offering top-quality singing, dancing, and drama training to children and young people.
Hollie was the first student, and by 17, she was already working at the school.
From front-of-house to classroom assistant, and later vocal coach, Hollie gained hands-on experience in performing arts education. At 24, she took the lead as principal, continuing the incredible journey her mum started.
However for both mother and daughter the time has come to move on. Angela says the end of year awards ceremony tomorrow at Manor Academy will be an emotional affair.
Angela told YorkMix Radio: “We’re very sad because we’ve actually got staff that came to us when they were four years old and have stayed with us and they’ve worked for us.
“And Hollie obviously has had 15 years of her life since being a student to being a mum at 30. So yes, she’s she’s gearing herself up for a very emotional day this Saturday too.
“We have already we extended our contract for a year because we didn’t want the school to close because if we didn’t sell it, automatically the school would shut.
“We we love the children. We’ve had fantastic memories with them, so we stayed on for the extra year. But Saturday is the crunch day. It’s like really time to say goodbye.”
The good news is a new owner has been found, Ellie Roberts, who runs Razzamataz Leeds, takes over in York too from September.
Karen Johnson’s daughter Poppy has been at Razzamataz for 7 years and Karen paid tribute to the hard work and dedication of both Angela and Hollie: “They are both amazing with all the children not just as teachers but understanding to those who like my daughter suffer from illnesses and struggle.
“No matter how much pain she is in, the show must go on is her motto and Angela and Hollie have supported her the whole time, giving her and other children the encouragement they need.
“It will be a sad moment at the awards day as it is their last day and I’m sure that all the parents and carers will be as devastated as we are to say goodbye.
“We wish them all the best for the future.”
