Birds of A Feather star to open Academy of Performing Arts in Majorca in the new year

PALMA
FOR parents worried that their children might be lacking a bit of self-esteem and confidence or feel they might need a bit of character building to overcome their shyness, leading British actress Pauline Quirke will be able to help when she opens her thirteenth Academy for Performing Arts here in Majorca next month.

Quirke has owned a property on the island for the past few years and has now decided that Majorca is the ideal location to open her first overseas “PQA”.

Quirke opened her first Academy in September 2007 and enjoys a very hands-on involvement in all of them and plans to maintain a similar relationship with the Majorca academy which will be run by principal Rachael Wilkins.

Wilkins, who has lived on the island for 12 years, explained yesterday that the academies, which cater for children aged from six to 18, were not created to find “the best people and make them famous.” “Pauline remembers her drama classes as some of the happiest times of her childhood, they provide a great opportunity for children to learn new things, make new friends.