Andie Holborn

Principal

Qualifications
Bachelor of Arts Degree with Majors in Speech & Drama & English plus Higher Diploma in Education

Practical Experience
25 years experience overseas and in Australia:

Teaching Drama & Speech to students ranging from primary to Teacher’s Associate level both in the school system (including T.E.E Drama Studies) and private practice (Including Trinity/Guildhall, A.M.E.B & Oracy Australia Examinations).

Preparing students individual and group performances for Festivals, Showcases & auditions.

Overseas experience as an examiner at eisteddfods and festivals.

Past President and current Council Member of the Speech & Drama Teachers Association of W.A

Board Member of Oracy Australia Inc.

AMEB Examiner

CADY Quick

Teacher

Cady Quick has been a student at Expression Drama Studio since 2013. When they first began taking Speech & Drama classes, they struggled with acute anxiety, and did not talk in any public setting. However, through the support given to them by the studio and their fellow classmates, Cady grew in confidence, and went on to win multiple awards for the highly esteemed Perth Speech and Drama Festival. These awards include: the Year 9 Poetry award in 2014, the Year 10 Dramatic Monologue award in 2015, both the Year 11 Poetry and the Year 11 Dramatic Monologue awards in 2016, and the Goddard/Lawrence award for the Year 12 Blue-Ribbon Poetry event in 2017.

Cady also completed Trinity College of London Speech and Drama exams through Expression Drama Studio from 2014 to 2017. Of particular note, they achieved the highest mark in WA for their Grade 8 Speech and Drama exam in 2017. They are currently in their final year of a Bachelor of Science at UWA, majoring in Neuroscience with a second major in Spanish Language. They are also an actor and sound and lights designer for the UWA Pantomime Society and participate in the Fringe festival every year.

Speech & Drama education has had a profound impact on Cady’s life, and they would like to pass its positive impacts on to the students. They are passionate about their work at Expression Drama Studio. They believe that all children have a unique voice and is excited to help them learn to express it.

Atira Shack

Teacher

Speech and Drama has been an integral part of Atira’s life since starting lessons at the age of 8. A keen performer in the annual Perth Speech and Drama Festival, Atira won numerous prizes in the poetry, monologue and duologue categories during her school years.

Atira has recently graduated from WAAPA with a Bachelor of Performing Arts in Performance Making and was one of the joint recipients to be awarded the Industry Award for her performance in the original work ‘Nocturnal,’ first performed at The Blue Room Theatre in Perth, 2023. ‘Nocturnal,’ will return after further development to The Blue Room Theatre in 2024.

Atira currently runs the drama club at St Mary’s Anglican School, and she also teaches years 4-8 at St Hilda’s Anglican School. Atira is a council member of the Speech and Drama Teachers Association of W.A and is currently undertaking her Associate Diploma in Speech and Drama Teaching (ATCL). Atira is passionate about creating positive environments for developing creativity and imagination and it brings her so much joy to share her passion through Speech and Drama teaching.

Janella Nicoli

Teacher

Since 2015, Speech and Drama has been an integral part of Janella’s education. She has participated in the annual Perth Speech and Drama Festival and the North of Perth Music Festival, winning numerous prizes in the poetry, prose and monologue categories, including the prestigious Ramsay McLean Perpetual Trophy. During her school years, Janella completed both the Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB) and London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) Speech and Drama examinations, completing the AMEB Grade 8 Speech and Performance exam in 2020, and the LAMDA Grade 8 Certificate in performance in 2021. In 2022, Janella completed her AMEB Certificate of Speech and Performance (CSPA) for which she received a High Distinction and was awarded the 2023 Anita Le Tessier Award by the AMEB for the most outstanding Speech and Performance candidate, alongside an AMEB award for Excellence. Janella is currently completing her Bachelor of Arts Undergraduate Degree at the University of Western Australia (UWA), majoring in English and Literary Studies, Communications and Media, and Creative Writing, and studying towards her Associate Diploma in Speech and Performance (AMEB). Janella is involved in the University Dramatic Society (UDS) and is an Associate Member of the Speech and Drama Teachers’ Association of Western Australia (STDAWA).

It brings Janella great pleasure to inspire the next generation of performing artists through the teaching of Speech and Drama.