Academy founder Lee Battle is a performance academic, director, casting agent, and acting coach. As an actor, television credits include Coronation Street, Doctors, The Royal, Casualty, Wire in the Blood, the BAFTA winning BBC drama The Street and ITV's Vincent; film credits include Awaydays and Robin Hood. Lee has a first-class degree in Drama, and a Masters in association with the Royal Exchange Theatre. He is a fully qualified teacher, Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and Lecturer in Performance at the University of Salford. An award winning director, his international freelance work also includes consultancy in theatre and media for education providers, the creative industries and wider commercial sectors.

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Alex is one of the region's most exciting emerging theatre directors and practitioners. Alex has a degree in Drama & Contemporary Performance from the Manchester School of Theatre. He is an associate at The Lowry, working closely with schools and professional companies, including supporting CHOL Theatre, on theatre projects with young people. He is the founder and director of Construct Theatre Project, where directorial credits include original adaptations of Animal Farm, The Tempest, Teechers, Mythos, and The Colour Out of Space. Alex also works as an associate of The Edge Theatre & Arts Centre, running the Young Actors Company, where he is currently directing an NT Connections production to be staged at The Lowry this year.

Jen is a fully qualified and experienced school teacher, with a degree in Childhood & Youth Studies and a PGCE in Primary Education. She has extensive knowledge and experience in working with children and young people; having taught all subjects across all years in the primary sector, she has sound knowledge of education and the curriculum, and specialises in teaching speech and drama-in-education. At RPA, Jen supports the delivery of workshops, and leads the facilitation of performances as the company Production Manager and Stage Manager. Alongside administrative duties, Jen provides pastoral support and liaises with parents and carers; she is the Academy's safeguarding lead and is a licensed chaperone. Jen is also Associate Talent Agent at the RPM casting agency.

Chris trained as an actor at the Arden School of Theatre before embarking on a varied and extensive creative career. Theatre credits include Bouncers, Our Day Out, One Big Blow, A Month of Sundays, Teechers, Blood Brothers, and Abigail's Party; screen work includes Shameless, Three Degrees, Sixes & Sevens, and McQueen. Chris has toured nationally with various theatre-in-education companies, and recently performed with BAFTA nominated Blast Theory in the critically acclaimed production Operation Black Antler at Manchester's HOME theatre. Chris has a degree in Theatre & Performance Practice from the University of Salford and, alongside freelancing, is currently working towards a Masters in Contemporary Performance at the Manchester School of Theatre.

Fletcher is a lighting and sound designer, actor, facilitator and theatre technician, with a degree in Drama & Contemporary Performance from the Manchester School of Theatre. Recent credits as a designer and technician include Strike at the Oldham Theatre Workshop, and Construct Theatre Project’s The Colour Out of Space at The Edge Theatre & Arts Centre. He is a Workshop Assistant at the Oldham Theatre Workshop, and is also Technical Manager for Construct Theatre Project, where he has designed innovative productions of The Tempest, Mythos, and Farm. 

Sydney is a performer and emerging writer-director with a first-class degree in Theatre & Performance Practice from the University of Salford. As a child actor, credits include Evita, JCS, and Joseph all directed by Bill Kenwright, with later roles in Chicago, Sister Act, A Doll’s House, and Smell the Roses; Sydney also has on-set experience with the BBC, Netflix, and feature film production companies. She scripted and directed her own live radio show for a year, and has written and directed two radio dramas; most recently, Sydney wrote and directed her first short film The Faint Melody of Luna Waters.