Brett Lucas, the reinvented founder of The Academy of Music Dance Drama, runs his school with this in mind: “I am on a mission to empower the creative minds and create more creative markets.” Brett has run The Academy of Music Dance Drama since 2018 and has continuously worked to transform it into the South Coast’s leading performing arts school, refusing to let a global pandemic stand in his way.
Brett has increased student enrolment despite the standstill that COVID-19 has created for most people. In his four years of owning The Academy of Music Dance Drama, Brett took enrolment from 75 to over 250 students, with most new additions within the past year.Before he took over The Academy of Music Dance Drama, Brett was a performer himself, freelancing with the Melbourne Symphony, State Orchestra of Victoria, Australian Ballet, Australian Opera, and other professional arts organisations. He graduated from Victoria College of Arts with a performance degree and soon after got his teaching degree. Following a few years in the corporate field, he felt he wasn’t getting enough value from the work he was doing so he turned to social work. There he learned all about how he could make a difference for people and he went on to complete his MBA with a focus on social impact.
Brett’s background in performing, teaching, and working as a social worker provided him with a wide range of knowledge and tools necessary to run a performing arts school and take it to the next level. Brett works, not just to teach students how to perform, but also to have confidence in their ability and creativity in their product.
“I believe in the difference to encourage and nurture community spirit by having a safe place to grow and create skills and confidence without judgment,” said Brett. “Not everybody will become the best performer but the soft skills and presentation certainly give the student a competitive edge in their school and potential working lives.”
Participation in the arts is proven to help children develop their motor skills, grow their imagination, and improve their academic performance. Brett acknowledges that while not everyone is destined to be a great artist, taking part in the arts can help students to develop a variety of life skills off the stage.
Brett also lectures in business, consults id social impact for businesses and is currently completing his Master of Laws at the University of New South Wales, which he hopes to use to add more curriculum to The Academy of Music Dance Drama by including the legal side of the arts in classes.
Running The Academy of Music Dance Drama with a focus on confidence and creativity is what helps set Brett’s worldview apart from any other performing arts school. He sets his students up for success in many different aspects of life, helping to prepare them for whatever their future may hold.
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