Thank you for visiting Swish! We are the South Coast’s leading part-time theatre school, which is why more people choose us to train their children than anyone else! We currently run classes in Bournemouth, Christchurch, New Milton, Poole, Ringwood, Southbourne & Winton.

Remember, every new student is entitled to a 2 week taster course of lessons to make sure Swish is the right place for YOU!

Yes – we offer exams in most disciplines as well as Festivals and Competitions – LAMDA Acting and LAMDA Musical Theatre – but don’t worry, they are not compulsory! Your teachers will deliver 1 to 1 sessions outside of class time.

We produce very professional shows from Musicals to Shakespeare – our performances regularly bring in 1,000s of audience members! Children also perform in regular smaller scale productions and take part in competitions and televised events such as Children in Need and Channel 5’s, Don’t Stop Believing, in which Swish finished as National Runner-up!

Yes – some of our students perform in film, television and theatre. As well as having some of the best teachers in the South of England to train students, our contacts within the industry ensure Swish students consistently gain unrivalled opportunities. For students about to embark on the next stage of their training at full time establishments, we run a dedicated programme too.

We hope you enjoy looking around our website. Please take a minute to look at all of the different available options – if you are at all unsure about any aspects of the training and opportunities which are available to you then please do not hesitate to contact a member of our team. A member of staff is always on hand to answer your questions so please contact us online, give us a call or just fill in the online application form for your child’s 2 week trial so that they can see for themselves what Swish is really like.

I started Swish of the Curtain in 1991 to give children with a love of performing the chance to work together in a professional, friendly and exciting way. Swish is now a prestigious theatre school for children and young adults aged from 3 to 18 years.

It boasts some of the best tutors in the area in all aspects of the Performing Arts and the shows, opportunities and professional engagements on offer are unrivalled locally.

All lessons are structured specifically to cater for each individual age group. We also recruit specialist teachers to work with these specific age ranges. Our classes have very small age ranges so we can ensure that each student is nurtured and challenged accordingly. Physical and Mental health is also a prerequisite and the wellbeing of everyone is of utmost importance – both on and off the stage. Our safeguarding team participate in regular training sessions along with all staff so that we are able to communicate with the child and their carers if necessary.

Training is carried out in a way that brings out some fantastic life skills – discipline, teamwork, fitness, focus and memory skills to name but a few. And for those that wish to use these skills, along with the plethora of Performing Arts techniques we teach, the opportunities and preparation for future careers are constantly growing. Indeed, prestigious full time schools such as RADA, Mountview, Bristol Old Vic and Arts Educational comment on the unbelievable talent, focus and dedication of our pupils who manage to reach a professional level of training even before they embark on the full time courses at these schools.

I have always believed that children should be given every opportunity to fulfil their dreams and my school is proud to train not just those with natural talent, but those with passion and enthusiasm as well. Yes, it is important that talent is nurtured, but equally important is ‘creating’ the hidden star within every child which enables them to succeed, not only in the industry, but in life itself…their future.

Tina Witham, Founder