Cherrystars Stage & Screen School

These arrived a little late… 😅

LAMDA results came in months ago, but the certificates were sent to the wrong place and have only just made their way to us.

100% Distinctions 🎭

So proud of these young actors!

As a parent and a teacher, I’ve watched young people hold back. Not because they lack talent, but because they haven’t had a safe space to find their voice.

Anxiety among young people is rising. And access to creative spaces? They’re either expensive or fiercely competitive to enter.

But every young person deserves a space to explore their creative voice.

That’s why we’re building SASA.

A private studio with three spaces inside:

🎭 Rehearse — practise speeches, scripts, and real-life conversations with an AI partner

📓 Reflect — a voice mood diary that listens, transcribes, and gently supports

💡 Create — an idea studio to explore and develop your stories, scripts, and creative ideas with AI

A safe, supportive space to explore, take creative risks, and grow stronger with every try.

Safeguarding isn’t an afterthought here. It’s in the foundation of our build.

Early access to the prototype opens soon. Join the waitlist and help shape what ethical AI for young people looks like.

🔗 www.sasa-app.com

🌱 Quiet courage. Creative freedom. Space to grow.

In an AI-driven world, access to information is no longer the advantage.

The real advantage is knowing how to think.

Critical thinking.
Understanding intention.
Asking better questions.
Breaking things down and forming your own ideas.

Creativity teaches young people how to do that.

It teaches them how to think, not just what to say.

And that’s the skill that will matter most going forward.

It’s a big part of the thinking behind the app we’re currently building, creating a space where young people can explore ideas, rehearse, and develop their voice with confidence.

Student Spotlight ⭐

This week we’re shining a light on 14 year old Erin.

Erin originally developed this monologue for her LAMDA work last year, and it’s been such a joy to see how the piece has grown with her since then.

She’s a beautiful actress with a really natural instinct for storytelling, and she’s also an incredible singer. What’s been most exciting is watching her develop the confidence to trust her own choices and bring her full self to the work.

In this session we were focusing on how to translate a more dramatic monologue for screen.. stripping everything back, finding the truth in the moment, and letting the story do the work.

Alongside being a hardworking student, Erin is also a brilliant teaching assistant in our younger classes and such a positive presence in the school.

We’re incredibly proud of the artist she’s becoming and wishing her the very best of luck with her auditions this term.

Sometimes young actors don’t lose confidence .. they just start performing for approval.

Feeling watched too closely.
Feeling like there’s a “right answer”.

Creative young people are often deeply sensitive. When that sensitivity isn’t protected, they either go quiet or start trying to please everyone in the room.

Young actors thrive when they’re given safe spaces to explore, make mistakes, and develop their own process.

That’s where the real magic happens.

Today three of our Cherrystars students were on set filming a short film 🎬 written & directed by French filmmaker

The day started with our usual stage and screen classes in South London, then we jumped across the city to film in East London.

One of the biggest lessons young actors learn on set is patience… filming involves a lot of waiting around.

But our young actors took direction beautifully and handled the whole experience like pros.

Experiences like this are such an important part of learning how the industry really works.

Learning lines can feel incredibly frustrating for young performers.

But the problem often isn’t ability, it’s the method.

Different people process information differently. Some learn best by listening, some by writing, some by movement or physical cues.

When you experiment with different techniques, something usually clicks.

The goal isn’t forcing one approach.
It’s finding the method that works with how your young person’s brain learns.

One of the biggest mindset shifts for young performers is understanding what auditions really are.

They are not a judgement of worth.
They are information.

When auditions are treated like verdicts, they damage confidence.

But when they’re framed as part of the learning process, something shifts.

The goal isn’t just booking the role.
It’s helping young people develop a healthy relationship with the process.

This week our founder opened Romeo & Juliet at Shakespeare’s Globe.

Alongside running Cherrystars Stage & Screen School, she also works as an actor, and being part of this production has been really special.

One of the most powerful parts of the run are the school shows. Thousands of young people come to watch, many experiencing Shakespeare, or even theatre, for the very first time. Their reactions are loud, emotional, and completely engaged.

For opening night Sharon also gifted the cast Romeo & Juliet T-shirts as a little memento.
A huge thank you to for creating such a brilliant design, (they also create the Cherrystars merch and uniforms), the cast absolutely loved them.

Watching young audiences connect with a story like this is a beautiful reminder of how powerful storytelling still is, something we care deeply about at Cherrystars.

&juliet