Jay was born and raised in Neath. After finishing a degree in performing arts, he was working in a call centre but dreamed of running a theatre school.
He took a major risk in 2015 by quitting his job and launching Stage 8 Theatre School. Stage 8 is now one of South Wales’s biggest theatre schools, teaching children as young as 3 the three disciplines of performance. There is a thriving scene for adults too with the theatre school regularly putting on ambitious musicals and plays in venues across the county.
It was important to Jay to set the school up Neath, not only because he’s from here and lives here but also because he wanted to prove to people that you don’t need to move away from the area to achieve success.
Jay explains:
“I’ve got a lot to thank my teachers for. My comprehensive school teachers and particularly my music and drama teacher opened the doors to my passion for drama and theatre. Our teachers are a big influence on us and without that encouragement and enthusiasm from them I may never have thought that something like Stage 8 was possible.
“When I was younger there was nothing like Stage 8 for young children in the area. It took me until the age of 14 or 15 to join a theatre school. I learned so much about what it takes to create theatre and how to work with others and I’ve carried that with me into the work I do at Stage 8.
“Theatre has opened up so many opportunities for me. On the back of the theatre work I’ve done I’ve been able to work with Welsh Government and with universities on other projects to bring the arts to a wider audience. It’s also where my sense of community comes from. So many of my friends work in this space and there’s such a vibrant theatre community here in Neath.
“We’re really lucky here in Neath to have not only a wide selection of drama groups and theatre schools but we also have three performing spaces with The Stage Y Llwyfan, Neath Little Theatre and the Gwyn Hall which for a small town shows how important the arts are here. There’s so much artistic value in the area.
“We take arts seriously here. People in Neath will buy tickets for shows and come and support their local arts scene. Positivity breeds positivity and the support we’re shown really helps foster local talent and give them a springboard for success in the future. Some of our students have gone on to great things, both working in the arts and in other areas. Giving them the confidence to communicate and perform is so rewarding.
“There’s always something going on in Neath. We’ve got a new arts café and a new arts and literature festival. There’s always a new performance or show coming up and the community here are really happy to get on board and take part.
“Neath is the perfect location for us. Most of our classes start after 5pm when you can park for free in the town which makes it really accessible for everyone. We have high footfall in the area and can market our shows really well. Sometimes the town can be criticised and while it may be a little rough around the edges, visually it’s a lovely place to be with a fantastic community around it.
“I’m proud to call Neath my home and to run Stage 8 here. The town has overcome so much. The more people are putting into the town the better it’s becoming. We’re seeing more independent businesses opening up and investment in the area.
“It’s an exciting time for being in the arts in this area. Film production companies are increasingly coming to the area to film and there are so many opportunities opening up for local people. There’s no need to go to London to launch your career in the arts, you can absolutely fulfil your potential here.”