PQA Neath.

Emily Hills

Hi, I'm Emily and I'm proud to say I'm the Poppets teacher here at PQA Neath. I spent my teenage years acting, singing and dancing in local and National Youth Theatre. Knowing it was my passion, I then went on to study acting at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. After graduating, I spent many years as a performer. A stand-out moment for me was having the opportunity to take a 2 woman show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival; which received acclaimed reviews. I always loved for touring theatre, moving from place to place and meeting so many different people. I spent many years as part of a touring theatre company, performing pantomimes and classical literature adaptions to primary school aged children across the UK and Ireland. Being a part of this team allowed me to grow my skills, progressing to tour manager and later director. However, the best thing that came from this time in my life was being cast opposite a man who would later become my husband and father to my 3 year old little boy! Now as a mother and throughout my career, inspiring children has always motivated me. I love introducing children to the magic of performing arts and take huge pride in building children's confidence and showcasing their strengths through creativity. Performing is an invaluable skill for children to develop and demonstrates the importance of having fun through play. I'm thrilled to be a part of this wonderful team at PQA Neath.

Gemma Johnson

Hi, I’m Gemma and I’m an academy assistant at PQA Neath. From PQA parent to PQA team member! My children are students at PQA Neath and they love coming to academy each week! I am super excited that I now also get to experience PQA each week with our amazing Poppets Students. I am motivated to help them build their confidence and skills through creativity and imagination.

Geovanna Custodio

Hi, I’m Geo and I’m an academy assistant at PQA Neath. My background is in Film & Television production, however my time at academy has helped me, alongside the students, to develop new love for other areas of the performing arts. If you want a high energy dance warm up, then look no further. Whilst I started my career at PQA Neath focusing on assisting/teaching our Film & Television module, I now get the joy of supporting our wonderful children across all three of our creative modules. At university I gained a BA in Digital Film & Television Production and continued my studies with a masters in Moving image. I have a passion for editing and adding that extra magic postproduction. I love my role at PQA Neath where I get to develop and nurture talent in a fun and engaging environment. I hope to teach and inspire the kids to be their own film makers and get creative; I know they inspire me each and every week.

Ian Clarke

Isabel Graydon

Hi, I’m Isabel and I’m an academy assistant at PQA Neath. From a young age, I attended performing arts classes myself: I completed my ISTD ballet, tap and modern grades, took singing exams and performed in numerous amateur productions including the Little Mermaid, Annie, Hairspray and Grease. A stand-out memory from this time, was having the opportunity at 16 to perform as a Senior Dancer in Jermin Production’s Pantomimes. These experiences helped me find my passion for dance and musical theatre which has shaped the journey I am currently on. I am a Performers College 2023 graduate where I gained a First Class Honours degree in Dance and Musical Theatre. Here I had some amazing opportunities including performing in Move it 2023, as a soloist, as well as performing the role of Mrs Walsingham in my grad show ‘Kipps, The Half a Sixpence Musical’. Here I learnt the importance of being a triple threat performer with skills in dance, acting, and singing. I also built my creative skills through devised and self choreographed pieces. I love working at PQA Neath and passing on all the knowledge I have gathered over the years. Having just recently finishing my professional training I feel I have a fresh perspective of the creative industry and what is happening now!

Karl Montgomery-Williams

Hi, I’m Karl and I am the Vice-Principal and our Musical Theatre teacher at PQA Neath! My Mum says I was singing before I could talk and for as long as I can remember music has always been a huge part of my life. I trained at Trinity Saint David gaining my BA and went on to complete teacher training at Cardiff University. Since 2012, I have taught children ages 4-18 at various theatre schools across all three disciplines; song, dance and drama as well as lecturing in Performing Arts at Wiltshire College and University Centre. My passion is Musical Theatre! Through my career, I have been fortunate enough to direct, musically direct and choreograph some incredible shows such as We Will Rock You, The Addams Family, Godspell and Fame. As a performer – some of my favourite roles include Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors and Mark in Rent My career highlight was being one of four nominees for Outstanding Singing Teacher at the global performing art teaching awards ceremony in 2019. I am extremely passionate about the power of performing arts education and what it can unlock for young people; confidence, positive mental health and bags of fun!

Rachel Lewis

Hi! I’m Rachel and I am the Comedy and Drama teacher at PQA Neath. If you’ve met me, it’s clear to see that I’m a theatrical character, so approaching a career in the performing arts was an obvious choice. I trained as an actor at Trinity St David where I gained my BA. My passion has led me all over the world for work and study as far as Vancouver and America– a stand out moment for me was teaching English through drama in an Italian summer school, this is where I discovered my love for teaching. I have been an artist facilitator/ drama teacher for over 7 years and have had amazing experiences with companies such as Taking Flight, Mess up the Mess and Shakespeare Schools Festival. I love the opportunity to work one to one with students, helping bring out the best in them, and have taught LAMDA examinations for many years! As an actor, I have experience with both local and national touring theatre. Most recently I have been a part of the company at Brave arts Theatre for several stage productions. Drama brings me excitement, activity, fun and energy. I aim give these gifts to my students at PQA Neath every week.