“Now we’ve got a wall of fame”: Ripon school of performance ‘Upstage’ the competition

Upstage Academy, located on Queen Street in the heart of Ripon's thriving centre, celebrates its 10 year anniversary this September.

Over the last decade, Upstage has created a foundation where young people ‘find themselves’, build self-esteem, and go on to study in some of the UK’s top performance schools.

This week, students have been at the Harrogate Competitive Festival for Music, Speech, and Drama, where three students have been placed (1st, 2nd, 3rd) in categories entered, qualifying them for the festival championships.

Founder of Upstage Academy, Amelia Urukalo, said: “When we first started entering, we wouldn’t get anything.

“Amazingly, the last three years we won the overall championships of the festival.

“For ages it was a thing that the arts were for the big cities.

“I came straight from university to set up business, we were figuring everything out.

“Now we’ve got a wall of fame.”

Previous students have progressed to top performance schools such as Bristol’s Old Vic Theatre School, and London’s Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

Mrs Urukalo said: “It shows kids who live in Ripon, a tiny city, can still get into the arts, still get into top drama schools.

“When I was young it was ‘little old Ripon’, nothing happened here.

“We would travel to Harrogate.

“It felt like it wasn’t possible to be from here and become successful in these industries.

“Now it feels like it is.”

The academy received a 100% pass rate from 99 entries all based on high end grades from world-leading drama school, and examinations provider, Lamda.

Centred around musical theatre, Upstage offers the opportunity to engage in a variety of arts classes, for a generation inspired by today’s popular culture.

Mrs Urukalo said: “It's very much a family.

“We’ve got kids having issues at school or struggling to connect, whether that’s socially, or academically.

“Here they find friendship groups, gain confidence, and feel that sense of community.

“It’s a place where they can find themselves.

“Not just about gaining skills, it's everything around that.

“They can even use it as UCAS points for university.

“Importantly, it's great for their mental and physical health, a stronger sense of identity and community .

“No matter what they go on to study, it's beneficial to their growth whatever avenue they go down.

“We’ve seen many kids who were struggling go on to amazing things.”

Since COVID, performance arts are being integrated into the curriculum following a decrease in mental health.

Excessive use of social media and screen time has been linked to rising concern in mental health issues.

Upstage encourages young people to ‘put down their mobile phones and explore themselves’.

Mrs Urkalo said: “It gives them a chance to step out of this unattainable, fake world the media creates, which they hide behind.

“We aim to keep the fun element despite exams.

“We mix theatre and education, last year it was ‘the snowflake generation’

“It gives them an opportunity to respond to labels they don’t deserve.

“A chance to build their own, stronger identity in this rapidly changing world.”