Theatre school franchise expands into Ireland
A Dragons’ Den backed theatre school franchise is pushing its boundaries and expanding into Northern Ireland with the launch of a new product to join the successful network of schools.
Razzamataz has been established since 2000 offering performing arts to young people. With demand continuing to grow, the company has extended its offering with the launch of Razzamataz Early Years. This consists of a brand-new product called Razz Tiny Tots, which is a class especially designed for babies (6 months to walking) and their parent/carers. It will also include the established products of Razz Tots for children age two and three and Razz Minis for those age four and five.
The new franchisee heading up the expansion is Alanna Cassidy, a young entrepreneur who is returning to her home town to launch the business. Alanna began working for Razzamataz Carlisle in 2015 as a classroom assistant during her final year at university. Having grown up with an interest in performing arts and education she has found working at Razzamataz a perfect fit. She went on to gain a BA Hons in Drama and Musical theatre and also grown her career with Razzamataz including being a performing arts teacher for Razzamataz Carlisle and a drama teacher for Razzamataz Dumfries and Razzamataz Penrith.
“I knew from the first day I worked at Razzamataz that this was my ideal role,” says Alanna. “I’ve always known that I wanted to work within the performing arts industry but there really wasn’t that many opportunities in Northern Ireland. Having the prospect to do something I love and move back home to my friends and family is really a dream come true for me.”
Alanna will be running a range of classes for babies and young children where they will learn and have fun through performing arts. She will be at Magherafelt on a Tuesday, Antrim on a Wednesday, Ballymena on a Thursday and Randalstown on a Friday.
Tiny Tots has been developed to inspire little ones to see the world through imagination, senses, play and performing arts. The Tiny Tots class structure features a mix of “Time to bond” and “Time to share”, allowing for more one to one time between adult and child.
Razz Tots for children age two and three and Razz Minis for those age four and five have already proved to be very well attended with parents keen to share the progress of their children in many schools across the UK. Children develop quickly in the early years and a child’s experiences between birth and age five have a major impact on their future life chances.
Good parenting and high quality early learning together provide the foundation children need to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow up.
“This type of class for babies, toddlers and young children is unique to Ireland and I can’t wait to meet parents, carers and their little ones,” says Alanna. “Having worked for Razzamataz for more than three years, I have lots of experience and ideas to grow and develop the classes even further. As well as providing a lovely activity for children, I believe that these classes can really cross any divides and help parents and carers to bond and share a common interest. The classes are a lovely way for new parents to get out and about with their children, socialise and meet other people to share the highs and lows of parenting.”
Managing Director and Founder of Razzamataz, Denise Hutton-Gosney says: “Alanna is absolutely the right person for the job. Her energy, enthusiasm and overall commitment will inspire a whole new generation in Northern Ireland and she is the perfect ambassador to represent our brand.”
There is already a huge buzz around Razzamataz Early Years, which is why Denise and the Head Office team have travelled to Northern Ireland to support Alanna during her launch and meet new potential Razzamataz franchisees.
“We are very keen to hear from more people based in Ireland who are interested in running their own theatre schools,” explains Denise. “This is a very exciting expansion for us and we feel there is lots of untapped potential. There are many working mums in the Razzamataz network who love the freedom and flexibility that being a franchisee offers. This role will suit a range of people from retired performers through to those looking for a complete change of career.”
To celebrate 18 years of successful business, Razzamataz is giving more people the opportunity of joining the network with a range of special offers. To find out if franchising is the right option, Razzamataz holds regular Discovery Den days across the UK where potential franchisees get a chance to meet the Head Office team, find out more about franchising in general and discover what it is like to run a part-time theatre school.
There are currently opportunities to take over existing schools in both Hackney and Reading. If you would like to find out more about becoming part of our team and attending a Discovery Den, chat to Head of Recruitment Suzie on E:[email protected] or call 07793 054 233.
