DOONHAMER Debbie Mitchell has been unveiled as the new principal of a performing arts school.
She is returning to her hometown to take over the reins at Razzamataz, which provides tuition in singing, acting and dancing for youngsters aged two to 18, after a successful stint at the organisation’s Carlisle school.
Debbie takes over the role from Pam Dixon, who is taking retirement to spend more time with her family and grandchildren.
And she will continue to run the Carlisle school on a Saturday and the Dumfries school on a Tuesday at the Theatre Royal.
Having previously coordinated several charity fundraisers with Razzamataz south of the border, Debbie plans to continue her philanthropic pursuits and support local causes as she takes the helm in Dumfries.
She said: “We’ve done so many charity events at Razzamataz Carlisle and I always love our Halloween Balls, which we hold annually to raise money for the Razzamataz official charity Future Fund.
“It’s just a great chance to bring together all our Razzamataz families for a really fun night. We go all out with decorations, costumes and
performances from staff and even some Razzamataz parents.
“What gives me the most job satisfaction is producing our
shows and then seeing them on stage. My favourite piece we have produced is our Hamilton Medley for the O2 performance in London. We were so lucky to have a cast of 35 incredibly talented senior students so we could really go for it with the piece and include difficult choreography, ambitious staging and layered harmonies. Seeing the piece onstage was a real moment.”
Furthermore, as a new mum to little Alfie, born in June last year, Debbie is passionate about the benefits of performing arts for youngsters.
“The months of isolation and school closures have been really hard for children,” she added, “and although we have been enjoying seeing our students during our online classes, we can’t wait until it is safe enough to see them in person. We know how much they have missed out on and the effects it has had on their confidence, so we are really focussing on building back self-belief, fitness and fun.
“I’m really excited to become the new principal of Razzamataz Dumfries and I cannot wait to get to know the students and hopefully build on the already great reputation the school has. I think my local knowledge and connections, and experience of running Razzamataz Carlisle will accelerate the school’s success and make it the number one choice for performing arts training in the area.”
