Our Youth Leaders

Lara is a passionate Drama teacher who has had the opportunity to work in a variety of settings and with many age groups. She spent a large part of her career as a Secondary Drama teacher and Head of Department before pursuing her dream of running her own Drama School. Lara's experience has allowed her to confidently direct a variety of shows and build each child's awareness of the theatre. She believes there is no limit to what children can create and encourages them to build that self esteem. Lara attended Progress Youth group as a child herself and felt it was only natural to give back the skills she had gained over the years. 

Kate is a creative facilitator based in Reading and loves being part of the progress theatre community. Having worked with professional theatre companies and youth groups of all ages and abilities, Kate has experience in leading a wide variety of theatre-based sessions and particularly enjoys exploring the relationship between improvisation, devising and scripted work. Training originally with a theatre-in-education company, Kate has a sustained interest in addressing through theatre issues currently affecting young people. Firmly rooted in Kate’s theatre practice is a belief that through the arts, we may find connection with one another, which is more important now than ever.