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.
Jennifer Monk Melbourne Director

Jennifer leads our Melbourne classes. After teaching for years in Sydney with Kids Up Front Jennifer brought the Kids Up Front drama program to Melbourne. She been involved in theatre as a creator, writer, performer, producer and director for over 13 years.
Erica Brennan Drama Teacher, Script Writer and Supervisor

Erica has been with Kids Up Front since 2011. Along with teaching nearly 100 students each week in our afterschool program she also regularly writes the show scripts for the holiday camps held at Kegworth Public School. Parents and students alike enjoy Erica’s unique and quirky style of theatre.
Avalon Evans Dance Teacher and Camp Supervisor

Avalon has been with us since 2010 and was one of our first dance teachers for our performing arts holiday camps. She is a very talented dancer and choreographer and one of our most popular teachers.
Debbie Neilson Singing and Drama Teacher, Camp Supervisor

Debbie has worked for a number of years with Kids Up Front teaching singing and drama in after school classes and our holiday camps. She loves inspiring and teaching kids and she takes joy in helping a child’s confidence grow.
Pollyanna Nowicki Drama Teacher and Camp Supervisor

Pollyanna studied acting in New York City at David Mamet’s Atlantic Acting School and when she was 11 she started as a student of Kids Up Front Drama Academy. Pollyanna loves sharing her acting experience and expertise with young people in the hope to inspire them to be more confident to search for creativity and playfulness in all aspects of their lives.
Heather Campbell Drama Teacher

Heather is delighted to be back teaching with Kids Up Front after a few years on the move. Heather has been a drama tutor since 2008 with a range of companies, teaching young people from Kindergarten to aged 26! As a Kids Up Front teacher she loves having the opportunity to investigate the adventures theatre-making can take us on!
Bonnie Cowan Drama Teacher

Bonnie graduated with a theatre degree from the University of Wollongong in 2015 and has been simultaneously developing her own performance practice as well as drama teaching for the last year. During 2016, Bonnie directed, devised and performed her own experiential performance art at 107 Projects (unspoken), the Annandale Creative Arts Centre (1625 Rings) and the You Are Here festival (unravelling) in Canberra.
Bedelia Lowrencev Drama Teacher

Bedelia’s involvement with Kids Up Front first began in 2006, as a pupil herself for ten years, during which time she also worked professionally. Since 2016 she has been a Drama Teacher for after school classes and holiday camps. Bedelia cherishes the opportunity to encourage her pupils to pursue their passions in the dramatic arts.
Harrison Lowrencev Drama Teacher

Harrison is a drama teacher who has been with Kids Up Front since 2016. He loves to see the development of the confidence and skills of the kids he teaches as they learn and grow at Kids Up Front. Harrison has performed as a singer, actor and voice actor for most of his life in both amateur and professional theatre.
Jane Grimley Drama Teacher/ Camp Supervisor

Jane is a drama and music teacher who has worked with Kids Up Front for a number of years. Her positive and enthusiastic nature coupled with her creativity make her a favourite drama teacher and Camp supervisor. At Jane’s camps the children are always involved in clever crafty ideas to create the set as well as put on an awesome show.
Tara Grice Drama Teacher

Tara Grice is a prolific music teacher, drama teacher, singer/songwriter, guitarist and full time Children’s Entertainer. Tara is originally from Queensland and has been active in the Creative Arts Industry for over decade. She has studied at the Australian Catholic University (ACU), Universal School of Music and the Film and TV Studio International.
Alex King Drama and Singing Teacher

Alex has been dancing since she was 6 years old. A natural athlete with amazing rhythm and creative ability, Alex also taught from the young age of 14, regularly teaching students who were older than herself. Teaching and choreographing has become a major part if Alex’s life and career.
Nicole Shiels Dance Teacher

Nicole grew up being closely mentored by industry professionals, including original ‘Tap Dog’, Darren Disney and is passionate about passing on this knowledge to her students. After receiving ‘Callback’ nominations for all three components of HSC Dance, Nicole continued her studies at Brent Street, obtaining qualifications in both Dance Teaching & Management and Dance.
Gavin Brown Singing Teacher

cottish-born singer Gavin Brown is a graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. With a passion for Musical Theatre, Gavin has also been trained in Classical, Jazz and Contemporary singing and loves nothing more than passing on those skills to the children at Kids Up Front!
Hayley Doran Dance Teacher

We are excited to work with Hayley who comes to us with many years of experience teaching children dance. Throughout the week during school term she teaches at dance studios and runs the dance program at Wenona School. Hayley is one of our specialist dance teachers in our performing arts holiday camps.
Isabelle Reynaud Singing and Drama Teacher

Isabelle is one of our talented Melbourne performing arts holiday camp tutors. With a bachelor of Musical Theatre and her talents in musicality Isabelle helps the children in Melbourne sing like angels.
Christina Kinley Singing Teacher

Christina has worked with us on many camps and is a very popular singing teacher. She has a Bachelor of Music (majoring in vocal studies) and we look forward to working with her at The Independent Theatre.
Brittan Maassen Singing Teacher

Brittan is originally from Colorado, USA, and went to Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA on a vocal music scholarship. She then obtained her Master’s Degree in Musical Theatre from GSA Conservatoire in London.
Camilla Turnbull Drama Teacher & Camp Supervisor

Camilla has directed and produced several independent projects. In 2015 she spent six months in San Francisco where she tutored youth media productions. Camilla has experience in teaching and tutoring acting and media with primary and secondary aged students.