From morning until night, Karen Partington’s life is full of drama – and she loves every second of it.
Far from yearning for a quiet life, Karen, the principal of one of the country’s most successful performing arts schools, thrives on her hectic schedule.
Since becoming a Stagecoach franchisee in 1993 Karen has nurtured the acting, singing and dancing talents of hundreds of youngsters, steering many of them to careers on stage and screen.
"I love working with the kids and seeing them blossom," she says. "That is what makes it so exciting for me."
Karen, of Newton, is the daughter of former Chester and Bradford footballer, Dickie Wright, but while her two brothers and her sister were passionate about sport, Karen was always involved in the arts.
"They were very sporty but I was the one with the dance shoes," she says. "I loved performing. I had dance and piano lessons and loved to organise shows from the earliest age."
After leaving school Karen trained as a hairdresser and opened her own salon which is still run by the family today.
Her interest in Stagecoach was sparked when her eldest daughter, Lindsay, joined as a pupil.
When she was told that the Wirral franchise was available she decided to go for it. "I realised that I really wanted to do something creative," she says.
"I couldn’t wait to get started. I was so excited, and nervous, but wanted to give it everything."
And Karen never seems to do anything in half measures.
She took on the Chester franchise when it became available in 1995 and built up the school from 32 pupils and one session a week to its present five sessions for six to 16-year-olds. She also runs Early Stagers sessions for four to six-year-olds.
In the past Karen also opened Stagecoach schools in Wirral and Wrexham but now concentrates on the Chester concern.
"We teach the three key disciplines of dance, drama and singing," says Karen. "It’s a very competitive world and anyone wanting to go far in this business needs all three."
She is proud to have been named worldwide Stagecoach franchisee of the year on two separate occasions.
It’s very much a family affair with her daughter Lindsay, aged 27, now a professional actress, having become a partner in the business earlier this year. Her husband, George, deals with all the administration. Karen’s younger daughter, Antonia, 24, is also following in a family tradition by becoming a hairdresser.
Far from taking a back seat, Karen has a very hands-on approach to her work. "At one time I couldn’t sew a button on so I went to college for three years to learn how to make costumes."
And her talents seem endless. She writes most of the scripts for the many shows she produces and also runs the North West Stagecoach regional choir.
"I find it hard not to do anything," she says. "I am always looking forward, thinking of material and scripts."
And her efforts have seen her pupils go on to appear in shows such as Grange Hill, in films, TV adverts and corporate videos. They regularly appear in shows put on by theatrical producer Bill Kenwright including Joseph, Scrooge, Half-a-Sixpence, Dr Dolittle, Evita, Whistle down the Wind, and Jesus Christ Superstar.
"Children come to us for all sorts of reasons," says Karen. "Performing is a huge confidence builder. It is lovely to see a child develop."
Apart from her work with Stagecoach, Karen also directs shows for Castaway, a charity she set up 11 years ago.
" I realised that there were a lot of very talented children out there who perhaps couldn’t afford to pay fees. Castaway gives them the chance to perform. This is my way of putting something back into the community."
Karen firmly believes that every child has talent. "I love to see them grow, to stand up and be counted. That’s my biggest buzz," she says.
For further information about Stagecoach, or Stagecoach summer workshops, visit the website: www.stagecoach.co.uk
