Meet Our Teachers

Meet the teachers at Brightsparks with a wide range of experience and expertise.

Drama, Singing, Acting and Musical Theatre Teachers

Zoe Emanuel Director and Owner

Zoe Emanuel has over 20 years experience in directing, teaching and coaching children to adults in drama and singing. As a singer, Zoe trained classically with teachers from The Conservatorium of Music and won numerous awards at the Sydney Eisteddfods as a young singer. Later, she recorded an EP with her band South of Somewhere with Sony Studios, and was the main songwriter and lyricist for the album. She worked for 10 years as a professional treading the boards in theatres both in Sydney and London. Her roles included Hermia in Midsummer Night’s Dream, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet for The Oxford Shakespeare Company and Miranda in The Tempest and Katherina in Taming of the Shrew for The Guilford Shakespeare Company.

During her time overseas, she taught at many schools and it was here that she discovered her passion for teaching. She discovered the joy of giving students a creative voice through Drama, Dance or Singing. She furthered her studies with the Royal Shakespeare Company in their Education Department working extensively with Shakespeare plays for Primary students. In 2005, fuelled by her new-found passion, she returned to Australia and established Brightsparks Performing Arts School. In 2011 she was appointed Chief Director for the Shakespeare Festival at John Colet School, which presents plays from K-6 each year and holds a strong affiliation with Bell Shakespeare Company.

She also completed her Master’s in Education in addition to her Creative Arts Degree.

Zoe is passionate about bringing the Performing Arts to children. She believes that central to education is the ability to challenge students in a way that stimulates and inspires them to reach further than they thought possible.

Creativity is putting your imagination to work, to produce the most extraordinary results in human endeavor.

Jeremi Campese is an actor who has been working in arts and academic education for the last five years. His theatre credits include: Hamlet and In a Nutshell for Bell Shakespeare; Romeo and Juliet for Sport for Jove; understudy in Photograph 51 for Ensemble Theatre; Godspell for Hayes Theatre; Still, I Rise for Darlinghurst Theatre Company; Lysicrates Prize for Griffin Theatre Company; Intersection: Chrysalis for Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP)/Griffin Theatre Company; A Clockwork Orange, Moth and Oedipus Doesn’t Live Here Anymore for ATYP (nominated at 2017 Sydney Theatre Awards); Yen, Rosaline and DNA for KXT Bakehouse; Nosferatu: A Fractured Symphony and If This Be Nothing for Montague Basement.

As an arts educator he did the Players in 2019 with Bell Shakespeare and has worked extensively as a teaching artist for ATYP, Sport for Jove and has recently joined the team at Brightsparks Co. He also works as an academic tutor for students ranging from primary school to university, with specialisation in English and Philosophy (having majored in both for his BA from University of Sydney).

Sabrina Kirkham – Musical Theatre and Private Singing Teacher

Sabrina Kirkham is a triple threat performer from Sydney.

She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Music with a Bachelor of Music (Musical Theatre). She then trained at The Hub Studio for a year, completing the Actor’s Ensemble course.

Since graduating, Sabrina made her television debut on ‘Home And Away‘ and soon will appear on a new Disney+ series.

She also starred as Heather Chandler in the Mitchell Old Company’s ‘Heathers: The Musical‘ in 2022, as well as Packemin Productions’ ‘We Will Rock You‘ and ‘Mamma Mia‘.

Kirkham also regularly performs as Frida with ABBASBACK, an internationally recognised ABBA tribute band.

In February 2023, Sabrina will play the role of Calliope in Ikigai Entertainment’s ‘Xanadu: The Musical‘.

Sabrina has always had a passion to teach and inspire the next generation of performers. She has been teaching private singing lessons for two years, and is thrilled to be joining the incredible Brightsparks team.

Lauren Ferreira – Sing Out Loud, Musical Theatre and Private Singing Teacher

Lauren Ferreira is a Musical Theatre performer and Choreographer with a passion for sharing her knowledge and skills in Singing, Acting & Dancing with both young performers and professional students. Her training began with Speech and Drama growing up in England and developed to include Singing when she moved to Australia which culminated in touring Europe to perform in the World Choir Games, Llangollen Music Festival and Montreux Jazz Festival in 2011.

As a performer she has a thorough classical foundation in Singing, extensive training in Acting for Theatre & Film complemented by a decade of professional experience globally. Since graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre her credits include The Boy From Oz at the Crown Theatre Perth, A Midsummer Nights Dream, Alice In Wonderland & Godspell for the Australian Shakespeare Company, Peter Pan for UK Productions, Harmony, Stars In The Wild, Al Adeyat & Mrs Claus’ Christmas Surprise for Artists In Motion, Elevate Sydney, The Gatsby Girls, London Underbelly Festival & Chicago for Drew Anthony Creative.

Lauren was on the Creative team for the Commonwealth Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies in Birmingham 2022; a Choreographer for EXPO 2020 in Dubai, Chicago – A Musical Vaudeville and The Boy From Oz.

Lauren has worked with Voice & Acting students and held Masterclasses in London, Dubai and Australia. As a teacher, Lauren always aims to challenge the artistic potential of her students, rigorously progress their technique, extend their knowledge and develop stylistic authenticity to have the stamina and versatility to perform any character. “I teach actors and singers to perform with intelligence, purpose and intention, joyfulness and personality, to share stories and communicate through artistic expression.”

Gracie Friend – Acting and Short Film Teacher

Gracie is a writer and theatre-maker with a passion for finding the extra hiding within the ordinary. Some of their recent credits include: ‘Shrek: The Musical’ (Associate Director) for Holroyd Musical & Dramatic Society, 2022; ‘The Tea Party For Sad People’ (Writer) which was awarded Top Three People’s Choice in Sydney’s Short & Sweet Festival 2021, and was adapted by the talented Michael McLennan into a short film that won Best Of The Fest at the 2021 Die Laughing Film Festival; the world premiere of ‘The Lost Voice Of Anne Bronte’ (Featured Lead & Script Consultant); and ‘Trojan Barbie’ (Featured Lead) as part of Sydney Fringe Festival 2019.

Gracie also has years of hands-on experience in the world of short films and educational videos. They have had nearly every role: from scriptwriter to project manager, to lighting and sound operator, to continuity, camera assistant, editor and director, and sometimes all of them at once!

Storme Bauchop – Act Up and Screen Acting Teacher

A recent Acting graduate from Actors Centre Australia (ACA)

Storme’s love of the performing arts was inspired at a young age after growing up backstage of the music industry alongside some of the world’s biggest bands and recording artists. She is a trained Latin dancer, and has a keen interest in screen performance and movement arts.

Storme has appeared in feature films currently being screened on Stan and Apple TV+. She made her theatrical debut at the State Theatre Centre of Western Australia in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Recently being cast by SBS, she has appeared in multiple independent films screening at festivals globally.

Her theatre credits include Abby in Belleville (dir. Kim Hardwick), Kitty Schcherbatsky in Anna Karenina (dir. Clara Voda), Gabrielle York in When The Rain Stops Falling (dir. Adam Cook), Lydia & Mary in Pride and Prejudice (dir Adam Cook), Vivian in Not Enough Oxygen (dir. Jessica Ramsey), Jane in Speaking in Tongues (dir. Johann Walraven) and Joey in The Lieutenant of Inishmore (dir. Reid McGowan).

Storme is thrilled to be a part of the Brightsparks team.

Teaching is an incredible gift. To share your knowledge and passion of the arts is a joyful experience! It’s important to guide children to their own creative expression so that they can each shine in their own way. Brightsparks allows us to create a space where they feel safe to explore and discover their highest creativity.

– Zoe Emanuel, Director

Meet Our Teachers

Drama, Singing, Acting and Musical Theatre Teachers

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