As a child, I was painfully shy. At the age of six I lacked so much confidence I couldn’t even approach the canteen ladies to buy my lunch. In fact, my Mum was told by the school counsellor that I was so shy that I would probably have a breakdown by the time I left school. They were wrong of course, I have always been very creative and did well in sport, so my confidence grew year-on-year, as I excelled in these fields.

I know first-hand the incredible impact creativity can have on a child’s development. So when Lindsay and I founded StarTime (before I became a mother), I remember the tingles up my spine and the tears it would bring to my eyes to see StarTime kids on stage, so proud of themselves as they embraced their moment to shine.

I love what we do. By giving young people ‘life skills’ and encouraging kids to believe in themselves, we ignite creativity and contribute to a happier and healthier youth.

In the last 20 years, I’ve been lucky enough to build a career in the creative industries. I’ve also been fortunate to see first hand the incredible way passion and creativity can solve almost anything.

I was never great at Maths…that was until I met my year 9 maths teacher. He came to every lesson with a special combination of qualities; he believed in me, he had a passion for Maths and he loved passing on his knowledge. He made ‘excellence’ feel fun and exciting. He inspired me to achieve more than what I was doing and in one term, I went from last to first in the class.

When I was at acting school I saw one of my colleagues perform for the first time. At the time, I couldn’t understand how she had managed to pass the entry audition. But in just 6 months I saw her flourish into an incredible actress. Never would I judge anyone’s ability again. I realised that through passion, hard work and a creative mind-set, you can achieve the remarkable.

The best part is every single child has enormous creative gifts. Our job at Startime is to give them the platform to learn, grow and share them with the world.