Hi, I’m Isabel (Izzie) founder of the Film & TV Screen Acting Academy.

I started helping to coach children at just 13, and that has grown into over 25 years of teaching, coaching and working internationally. My background is in gymnastics, where I’ve helped children build confidence, learn new skills and achieve things they once thought they couldn’t do.

Teaching has taken me around the world—from Madrid to Australia and Dubai, where I worked in schools. I spent two years teaching in Shanghai and also worked in Hong Kong and Beijing, teaching children and training other teachers and coaches. Helping someone find their confidence, whether they’re a child learning a new skill or an adult learning how to teach it, has always been a part of my work that I love.

Alongside teaching, I’m a represented actor, have performed stand-up comedy and have produced a feature film due for release next year. I bring experience from both sides of the camera, as well as public speaking and helping other actors prepare for auditions.

I know how it feels to go from your everyday routine to standing in an audition room in London, with a panel watching and a chance to show what you can do. It takes preparation and courage—and those are skills we can start building long before that moment.

The academy brings together my years of teaching experience and my love of screen acting. I want children to feel excited about learning, comfortable trying something new and proud of their own ideas.

Our six-week course gives a small group of students time in front of the camera, individual encouragement and practical experience with scripts and scenes. For those who dream of acting, it’s a foundation to build on. For every student, it’s a chance to develop confidence, communication and creativity that they can take into everyday life.

Seeing a child go from “I can’t” to “I’ll give it a go” is still what makes me love coaching.