Andrew is currently working as Lighting and Set Designer on the brand-new 30th anniversary UK tour of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, and shared valuable insight into his creative process, taking students through how a large-scale production evolves from page to stage.

Our Spring term newsletter is live – full of all the creativity, collaboration, and achievements from January through to Easter. From exciting workshops and student productions to behind-the-scenes highlights and alumni successes, it’s been another term packed with talent and inspiration 

We are delighted to announce that Jude (Level 3) and Kodi (Level 4) have secured a work placement with our sponsors, PRG UK, working alongside the lighting crew on The BRIT Awards 2026.

Birmingham’s indie production company, Threewise Entertainment, has triumphed at the prestigious Films for the Forest competition in Austin, Texas (USA).

Hollywood filmmaker Richard Linklater, the director of School of Rock and Hit Man, led the competition’s jury. Threewise Entertainment’s winning entry, a short film titled "Stolen Thought", was shot in just 48 hours and originally produced for the 15th Anniversary of the Sci-Fi London 48 Hour Film Challenge. The film was also a Top 10 Finalist in that competition.

BOA Stage and Screen Production Academy students in Birmingham helped create the winning film titled ‘A Million Numbers’ in just two days alongside West Midlands production company Threewise Entertainment

Although most legal restrictions have been lifted at Step 4 and many people have been vaccinated, it is still possible to catch and spread COVID-19, even if you are fully vaccinated.

COVID-19 will be a feature of our lives for the foreseeable future, so we need to learn to live with it and manage the risk to ourselves and others.

Birmingham Ormiston Academy (BOA) has announced that an exclusive recording of The Snow Queen, first performed at The Old Rep in December 2019, will be made available to school children across the region this Christmas.

• An exclusive recording of Birmingham Ormiston Academy’s The Snow Queen production will be shared with local school children this Christmas

• First performed at The Old Rep theatre in December 2019, the special recording will be made available to primary and secondary schools across the West Midlands

• The show was produced, performed and filmed by young students at BOA, sister academy to BOA Stage & Screen which is now open for applications

Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy tale, the show was produced, performed and filmed by talented young students at BOA alongside leading industry professionals.

With the current Covid-19 pandemic causing many theatres to close their doors this winter, an exclusive recording of the show will now be shared with local primary and secondary schools.

The recording will be available to view from Tuesday 1 December, so pupils across the region can be united in experiencing the fun and festivity of a Christmas theatre production.

Gaynor Cheshire, CEO of the BOA Group, comments: “We’re delighted that young people at schools across the region have the opportunity to enjoy this exclusive recording of The Snow Queen. We know that Christmas will feel a little different this year but we’re so excited to bring people together to watch a traditional Christmas production - it’s what makes this time of year so special! This film truly captures the magic of live theatre and we can’t wait to bring a little theatrical sparkle into the classroom.”

BOA is part of the BOA Group and a sister school to BOA Stage & Screen, a brand-new academy opening in September 2021. Located in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, BOA Stage & Screen will be a state-funded academy for 16-19 year olds specialising in technical theatre, film and broadcast production.

Gaynor Cheshire continues: “The Snow Queen production is a fantastic insight into the unique experience that BOA students can enjoy and what future pupils at BOA Stage & Screen can look forward to. We pride ourselves on giving talented young people an exceptional education as well as exciting opportunities to gain real-life, on-the-ground industry experience. It’s never been more important to invest in the next generation of creative talent and The Snow Queen is a wonderful example of what our gifted students can achieve.”

Gary Stevens, General Manager and Operations Director at The Old Rep, comments: “We were thrilled to work with students at BOA on this production of The Snow Queen. Our mission is to engage, educate and entertain the next generation of artists and theatre lovers and it’s so rewarding to work with up-and-coming talent - both on the stage and behind-the-scenes. Our doors may currently be closed, but it’s fantastic to see that the skill, passion and enthusiasm of young creative talent is still very much on show.”

The recording will be provided to primary and secondary schools free of charge, and will also be available for families to view at home. Participating schools are being asked to share photos of their special ‘Snow Queen Screenings’ on social media using the hashtag #SnowQueenChristmas.

To enjoy the exclusive recording of The Snow Queen, visit https://www.youtube.com/user/imagineBOA from Tuesday 1 December 2020.

Applications to BOA Stage & Screen are open now. For more information and to download an application form, visit www.boa-stageandscreen.co.uk

Press enquiries
Please contact Ruth Pipkin or Rachel Worthing at Rewired PR on:
Ruth: ruth@rewiredpr.com / 07894 556614
Rachel: rachel@rewiredpr.com / 07545 993137

Image of Students from Birmingham Ormiston Academy perform the Snow Queen at The Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham (Credit: Andrew Fox)

The latest addition to the BOA Group, BOA Stage & Screen will be a state-funded academy for 16-19 year olds, based in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. Opening in September 2021, it will take an industry-led approach to developing the skills of young people in both existing and emerging production techniques and broadcast technologies.

Through partnerships with leading organisations including Birmingham Repertory Theatre, the BBC and PRG, BOA Stage & Screen will provide students with access to high-quality teaching and hands-on experience in real-world settings, equipping young people with transferable skills and providing a stepping stone into work, apprenticeships or higher education.

Students will gain a deep and practical understanding of the stage and screen industry, and the processes involved in both creative and technical production and delivery, whilst working collaboratively on real productions and undertaking work placements.

BOA Stage & Screen is a sister school to Birmingham Ormiston Academy, the 14 – 19 academy specialising in Creative, Digital and Performing Arts, which opened in 2011. The BOA Group also owns and manages the Old Rep Theatre in Birmingham, and is set to open a new academy specialising in digital media in September 2022.

Gaynor Cheshire, CEO of the BOA Group, said: “BOA Stage & Screen will be the first 16-19 academy of its kind in the West Midlands, working in close partnership with the theatre, film and broadcast production industries to develop the workforce of the future.

“We have seen from the success of Birmingham Ormiston Academy over the past decade that developing a curriculum hand in hand with industry leaders has a transformational effect on our students’ education, their future learning and employment. BOA Stage & Screen’s vocational approach will provide a new opportunity for a diverse range of young people from across the region who are eager to learn and develop within a practical, focused and fulfilling environment.”

Jonnie Turpie MBE, Chair of BOA Stage & Screen added: “There has never been a more important time to ensure that we are equipping young people with the skills and capabilities that they need to enter the world of work. Whether practical, digital or both these skills and requirements are changing more rapidly than ever before.

“Our creative industries contributed £111.7 billion a year* to the UK economy prior to the pandemic, and were growing at five times the rate of the UK economy as a whole. We firmly believe that the creative sector will have a critical role to play in our country’s economic recovery. Working closely with industry to ensure that young people have the necessary skills to support both existing and rapidly emerging roles, such as those in VR development and streaming technologies, will be vital to ensure that the West Midlands and the UK can continue to develop a world-leading creative sector.”

BOA Stage & Screen will offer 200 places to Year 12 students starting in September 2021, increasing to 400 places across Years 12 and 13 by September 2022

*Creative Industries Federation report, 17 June 2020

Press enquiries
Please contact Ruth Pipkin or Rachel Worthing at Rewired PR on:
Ruth: ruth@rewiredpr.com / 07894 556614
Rachel: rachel@rewiredpr.com / 07545 993137