Trafalgar Entertainment buys Helen O'Grady Drama Academy in education expansion plan

Trafalgar Entertainment has acquired children’s performing arts organisation Helen O’Grady Drama Academy as part of plans to expand its education offering globally.

The franchise-based Helen O’Grady Drama Academy provides extra-curricular drama education for children in 36 countries, and its UK operations will now be run alongside Stagecoach Performing Arts, which Trafalgar Entertainment acquired three years ago. It has a 350-strong franchise network in the UK.

Both companies will share the same franchise business model moving forward, with plans to expand globally, Trafalgar Entertainment said.

Joint chief executive Rosemary Squire said the takeover is representative of Trafalgar Entertainment’s desire to invest in youth arts provision at a time of widespread challenges for creative education.

"The Helen O’Grady Drama Academy ethos of self-development is about boosting confidence and communication skills in children, many of whom seek to improve their self-esteem. Sadly, arts education funding is being squeezed from the national curriculum, so it is vitally important that a drama provision like this is made available to everyone. Trafalgar Entertainment believes that inspiring children through the creative arts is an important investment for the future," she said.

Helen O’Grady’s chief executive, Nigel Le Page, added: "I can’t think of a better new home for the Helen O’Grady brand. Our shared vision for the performing arts and development of children means that our franchisees will benefit from the expertise that Stagecoach and Trafalgar Entertainment has to take the brand to the next level."

Helen O’Grady Drama Academy was founded by actor and TV presenter O’Grady in Australia 40 years ago and, following expansion there, was franchised around the world. It first opened in the UK in 1994.

The acquisition comes at a time of expansion for Trafalgar Entertainment, which last year made its first moves internationally by taking over operation of the Theatre Royal in Sydney. In the UK, it was recently announced as the operator of a new 1,575-seat landmark theatre in London, and took over HQ Theatres’ network of regional theatres in the UK earlier this year.