The Arts Centre, Dunmow, will host a new diploma that teaches pupils about the acting world.

A NEW performing arts academy will open its doors for auditions at the end of March.

The Scene II Performing Arts Academy, housed at the Arts Centre on Haslers Lane, Dunmow, will offer a three-year Musical Theatre Diploma Course, starting in September.

A wealth of professionals from the industry have signed up to be tutors, including West End performers and actors from theatre, film and television.

The academy has already received positive feedback from industry experts following a performance at Move It 2013, an annual performing arts exhibition held at the Olympia in London.

The course would be run by Jacky Rom as artistic director and her daughter Mikki Rom, as principle, from the arts centre.

Mikki Rom said: “This is really exciting times for us and we cannot wait to get started.

“We did a performance at Move It 2013, in front of the UK’s top acting schools, and the feedback we got from other colleges and students was fantastic – September cannot come soon enough.

“Everyone was so impressed not only by the professionalism of our performers, but also by how young they were. I really can see a good future.”

The academy has space for an intake of 12 pupils for September’s course; however, three of these spaces have already been filled.

It will run for three years and cost £7,500 per year, although a full scholarship is available for one pupil. Full support will also be given to students looking for accommodation.

The main objectives of the course are to give students a firm grounding on all aspects of the entertainment world and preparing them for life as a professional actor.

Tutors at the course include Tony Cunningham, who has performed alongside Kimberley Wyatt and Whitney Houston, Karl Stevens, from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Saturday Night Fever, and James Beattie, from Our House.

Visit the academy’s twitter page, @SCENEPAA, for regular updates on who the teaching staff will be.

For information, visit sceneii.net/academy where a prospectus and application form can be downloaded.

You can also visit the website to see the group’s performance at this year’s Move It exhibiton.