Meet the Team

Karin Clifford Director

Karin is the founder and Director of Kids Up Front Drama Academy and her passion is helping children gain confidence through having lots of fun! She loves watching children grow and develop and leading the creative and dynamic team of drama, vocal and dance teachers who teach for Kids Up Front.
Liz Burke Drama Teacher

Liz Burke hails from Colorado and now calls Australia home. She joined the Kids Up Front team in 2019 and is one of our most popular teachers.
Simon Lee Drama Teacher

Simon has several years experience as a children’s entertainer and Drama teacher and has been part of the Kids Up Front team since 2018 teaching the after school Drama Classes, School Holiday Camps and online workshops.
Mikayla Bargh Drama Teacher

Mikayla is a passionate actor/performer from Western Australia, now based in Sydney. She started with Kids Up Front in May 2021. She graduated from studying at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) in 2019 and is very excited to apart of the Kids Up Front team!
Avalon Evans Dance Teacher, Camp Supervisor and Script Writer

Avalon has been working with Kids Up Front since 2010 and was one of our first dance teachers at our Performing Arts Holiday Camps. She is a very talented dancer and choreographer and one of our most popular teachers!
Hayley Doran Dance Teacher and Camp Supervisor

Hayley has worked for Kids Up Front since 2016, as a Dance Teacher and Camp Supervisor. Hayley began her dancing career around the age of 11 studying jazz, tap and lyrical on the NSW central coast. She likes to inspire others to believe in themselves and their dreams!
Kahlia Greksa Dance & Drama Teacher, and Camp Supervisor

Kahlia started dancing at the age of three and began her professional career at sixteen. Kahlia has always had a passion for teaching with over ten years of experience, specialising in all dance styles! She has been working for Kids Up Front since 2016.
Bryce Bofinger Drama & Singing Teacher

Bryce is a Brisbane-born playwright, director, choreographer and performer. He has been working with Kids Up Front since the start of 2022, as a weekly Drama Teacher, and has also taught singing and drama at our School Holiday Performing Arts Camps.
Zoe Clifford-Sellam Drama Teacher

Zoé works as a drama teacher for Kids Up Front, both in the After School Program and also at Holiday Camps. She started as a student at Kids Up Front when she was young, and has grown into a valued member of the Kids Up Front team!
Jennifer Monk Melbourne Director, Drama Teacher and Camp Supervisor

Jennifer leads our Melbourne drama classes and Performing Arts Holiday Camps. She has been involved in theatre, film and television as a creator, writer, actor, producer and director for around 20 years.
Demi McFarlane Drama, Dance and Singing Teacher

Demi has been training in singing, dancing and drama since a very young age! Demi first began teaching in 2015 and has loved sharing the joy of the performing arts with her students ever since. She enjoys seeing students’ creativity and watching them develop and thrive in her classes. She is thrilled to be a part of the team at Kids Up Front!
Jessica Newell Singing Teacher

Jessica developed her love of dance and Musical theatre at a young age. She is now studying a Bachelor of Education and a Bachelor of Visual Arts at ACU Strathfield. Jessica is excited to have joined the Kids Up Front Holiday Camp team in 2023!
Katie Salter Singing Teacher

Katie specialises in making singing fun, and loves to develop new ways to make performers feel comfortable and confident when they’re on stage! You’ll always catch Katie with a smile on her face and a skip in her step, at our Melbourne Holiday Camps!
Naomi Belet Drama, Dance & Singing Teacher

Naomi is an actor, singer, songwriter and director. Naomi started started working with Kids Up Front in 2021, primarily as a Drama Teacher, and also regularly works at our Performing Arts Holiday Camps.
Xanthe Wills Drama, Dance and Singing Teacher

Xanthe Wills is a Sydney based performer with a love for singing, dancing and acting. She holds a Bachelor of Music, majoring in Music Theatre from The Australian Institute of Music and has studied screen acting at Screenwise Film and Television School.
Niamh Keeley Drama Teacher

Niamh first joined Kids Up Front in 2013 as a student and fell further in love with performing! Niamh is currently studying for a double degree in Psychology and Commerce at Macquarie University and loves teaching at Kids Up Front during her university holidays.
Rachel Tunaley Singing & Drama Teacher

Rachel Tunaley is a Melbourne based performer, singing teacher and drama teacher. She is also an accomplished performing arts teacher, with over 7 years experience teaching children and adults of all different ages and abilities. Rachel is so excited to have joined the Melbourne team for the Kids Up Front Holiday Camps!
Heidi Mclean Dance Teacher

Heidi started with Kids Up Front in 2019 and has loved being on board! With 20 years of dance experience under her belt, she loves teaching her students between the ages of 5 and 18 her passion and knowledge of dance. She’s been a dance teacher for several years and has loved every moment of it. It is an extremely rewarding position!
Amy Chamberlain Dance Teacher

Amy has trained in all forms of dance for over 10 years. She has always had a passion for teaching and for creating choreography. Amy has been teaching at studios all around Sydney more than 9 years and teachers styles in Musical Theatre, Jazz, Contemporary and Hip-Hop to all ages.
Leah Peel Griffiths Drama and Singing Teacher

Leah has been creating and performing in live theatre for just short of a decade, and teaching at Kids Up Front is something she always looks forward to! Leah believes that theatre is a valuable tool for creating a safe and supportive space for young performers of all ages to feel free to be whoever they choose and discover more about themselves and the world around them!
Gavin Brown Singing Teacher

Gavin has been teaching singing at Kids Up Front since graduating with his BMus from the Sydney Conservatorium in 2015. He is currently completing a Masters of Music Studies in Opera Performance as the recipient of the Donald Lionel Edgerton, the Bud Brown Memorial and the George and Margaret Henderson Scholarships.
Riley Gill Drama, Dance & Singing Teacher and Camp Supervisor

Riley has been a performing arts teacher for many years teaching dance, singing, and acting across Sydney, Canberra and the South Coast. She absolutely loves working with kids, helping them to grow their abilities in a positive and fun environment, and watching them take their passion for the performing arts out into the world!
Sue Manning Administration Manager

Sue is Kids Up Front’s Administration Manager, based in our Head Office in Sydney.