Stagecoach Performing Arts set to celebrate 30 years in (show) business!
With this year marking the 30th anniversary since the initial launch of Stagecoach Performing Arts Schools, the international franchise network is coming together to celebrate in style.
To mark such a momentous occasion, numerous fun events are taking place across the globe – kicking off in early April with a weekend of tea parties. The festivities will give franchisees, teachers, students and friends of Stagecoach an opportunity to come together and congratulate the Performing Arts franchise for 30 incredible years in (show) business!
Undeniably, the pinnacle of the year is set to be a simultaneous performance of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Junior, at 6pm GMT on the 1st July 2018. Almost 200 Stagecoach schools across the UK, Canada and Germany will take part in this exclusive performance, championed and orchestrated by the Stagecoach events team. This one-of-a-kind performance is set to break the world record of the most simultaneous performances of one show, with upwards of 6,500 children being involved.
The exclusive rights to the show have been granted to Stagecoach, in line with the collaborative partnership Stagecoach have built with Disney in recent years. Just one year on from the release of the award-winning live action movie, starring former Stagecoach student, Emma Watson, and grossing over £898billion worldwide, admiration for the ‘tale as old as time’ is just as high as it was upon the release of the initial Disney animation, back in 1991.
Preparations are already in place, with the entire Stagecoach network coming together to finalise the logistics of such a collaborative project, in hopes that a Guinness World Record may be broken – a record set and achieved by themselves, 10 years previously. In 2008, Stagecoach organised the largest simultaneous performance of one show for its 20th anniversary, achieving 66 performances of Glad Rags across the UK, Ireland and Germany. So far, more than double the number of schools have signed up to join the festivities and this is set to increase as the network edges closer to the momentous performance, later this year.
Admittedly, this event is the showstopper of the 30th anniversary celebrations, but that’s not all Stagecoach has planned. In fact, a year-long calendar of parties, gala events and charity collaborations has been set in place. On the 7th, 8th and 9th April – the weekend of Stagecoach’s official birthday – franchisees up and down the country will be hosting tea parties. In June, a special commemorative Charity Gala will also award students, nominated by their Principals, for Creative Courage – honouring the Stagecoach mantra, of ‘Creative Courage for Life’. The Gala will raise funds for YoungMinds, who are beneficiaries of Stagecoach’s nationwide fundraising efforts this year.
As the 30th anniversary approaches, the entire Stagecoach network are preparing for what promises to be an exciting and pivotal year.
“It’s important that every student feels a part of this incredible 30th year, so packing the calendar with celebrations everyone can be involved in builds upon our feeling of community. We’re all so excited to mark this joyous occasion together and it’s testament to our incredible network of franchisees that Stagecoach Performing Arts is as successful as ever, 30 years on. We’re currently operating across nine countries, with a network of more than 300 franchisees running over 680 schools. As an organisation, we are constantly expanding and the opportunity to come together to celebrate is truly special,” says Sarah Kelly, CEO at Stagecoach.
To find out more about the 30th anniversary celebrations and how to join this satisfied network of business owners, visit: www.stagecoachfranchise.com
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Editor’s notes:
Sarah Kelly is happy to be interviewed.
Journalists are welcome to join local Stagecoach Schools during the World Record performances - please give notice if you wish to take photos.
For more information contact kelly@revpr.co.uk or call 07895 876745.