Introduction

Since the age of 4 I have been performing. Dance lessons, competitions and performances were a weekly thing for me and for 10 years I was dedicated to dancing on stage, singing in the kitchen and making up stories in my bedroom. Then I discovered the professional world of the Performing Arts! What started as a 4 year olds hobby, turned into a teenagers dream and then into a young adults entire world. I discovered the joy of acting and quickly fell in love with the industry, and what was my first project? Well, it was a world record attempt with Stagecoach Performing Arts, playing the part of 'the Beast' in 'Beauty and the Beast'. Guess what? We did it!!

Linda Virgo Dance Studios

I started my Performing arts journey at 4 years old, taking ballet lessons with Linda Virgo Dance Studio. Ballet lessons soon turned into Ballet, Tap, Modern, Jazz and Gymnastics lessons, as well as group rehearsals for dance festivals. Over the 10 years spent at that dance school I achieved:

Grades 1 to 3 in Ballet
Modern and Silver Jazz
Grades 1 to 4 in Modern
Grade 1 in Tap
3rd place in Group Ballet dance (2011)
3rd place in Group modern dance (2011)
1st place in Novice Cabaret solo ages 7-9 (2012)
1st place in Group Modern Dance (2012)

Ribston Hall High School

Dancing with Linda Virgo dance studios introduced me to Ribston Hall High School (as this is where we held our Christmas shows and Gloucester dance festival). I was determined to attend this prestigious performing arts grammar school in Gloucester, and after many weeks studying, I started attended in September 2014. As soon as I had started, students were invited to perform a huge group choreography at Twickenham stadium for the 2014 Rugby world cup, and of course I had to get involved! So I spent the first few months at my new school, preparing to perform on live TV and in a stadium full of thousands of people, talk about trial by fire! Once I was back, I had the opportunity to study dance, music and drama, and joined the Junior and senior choir as soon as I could. With the Choir, I travelled around Salzburg, Austria, on a music tour in 2017, where we performed multiple times throughout the week and this experience made me realise just how much I loved being on stage! I had already signed up for the summer showcase but as soon as we were back, rehearsals started for "A Midsummer Nights Dream", where I would have my first experience being Deputy stage manager. At the time, 15 year old me didn't quite know how much that role would entail, but I loved every second of it! Thus began my backstage journey and in 2018, I achieved the Drama Subject award.

Stagecoach Performing Arts

Speaking of 2018, this is when I completed my first Year at Stagecoach Performing Arts.

In 2017, I wanted to start taking more dance, drama and music lessons, but paying for 3 separate lessons each week would be too expensive...that's when I discovered Stagecoach Performing Arts (or more accurately, my mum did!) Stagecoach offered weekly triple threat lessons (45 minutes of Dance, 45 minutes of Singing and 45 minutes of acting, with a lunch break in-between). At the end of each term, there was a skills demonstration, and at the end of the year, there was a showcase! This sounded perfect to me, so I signed up for the summer school in 2017: Arabian nights!

Stagecoach then allowed me too:

Perform at London stadium for the Saracens VS Harlequins match in March 2018
Perform as "The Beast", from "Beauty and the Beast", in a SUCCESSFUL world record attempt of "Largest simultaneous performance of one show (across multiple locations) in 2018. (https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-simultaneous-performance-of-one-show-multiple-location)
Perform on stage at Disneyland Paris!
Have my first Voice Over Audition!
gain INVALUABLE stage experience and built up my confidence enough to enter the pageanting world!

Crown and Glory European Pageants

In 2018 I decided to build my body and stage confidence up further and what better way than to throw yourself out there for everyone to see? I discovered the Pageant world. My first pageant was 'Miss Earth' and I came away with the 'Miss Teen Water 2018' title and well, I caught the Pageant bug. The next year I competed again and came away with the 'Miss Teen Fire 2019' title and only a month after took part in a different system. Crown and Glory Pageants changed my life! First time competing and I went and won the Teen title. I was now officially 'Charlotte Rich - Miss Teen Crown and Glory 2019'. Unfortunately for the world...Covid-19 came around and put us all into lockdown. Luckily for me I got to hold onto my title for 3 years! I became the longest reigning Teen Queen for Crown and Glory and watched as the Pageant expanded into Europe. Finally, when 2022 came and it was time to hand over my title, I decided to compete one more time for the Miss title. What can I say, I loved the system! Did I do it? Yes I did! I became 'Charlotte Rich - Miss Crown and Glory UK 2022', and was lucky enough to photoshoot in Portugal as part of the prize package!

Gloucestershire College

I started my performing career at Ribston Hall, where I studied GCSE Drama, but unfortunately I never got to take the exam so didn't get the qualification... but its ok! I transferred over to Gloucester College and, after getting my Math and English GCSE, did a Level 2 Performing Arts course, which was equivalent to 5 GCSE's. Coming out of Level 2 with a Double Distinction, I progressed into the 2-year, Level 3 course (which is A-Level equivalent), and came away with the final grade: Distinction, Distinction, Merit, aswell as a place on the HNC (Level 4) Performing Arts Course.

During HNC (Higher National Certificate), I studied:

Stagecraft
SFX
Hair and Makeup application
Voice and Speech for actors
Production Communication
Acting

Coming away with distinctions on all subjects, and as an overall grade. I then chose to progress onto HND, so that I could obtain a Diploma in Performing Arts

During HND (Higher national Diploma), I studied:

Producing theatre
SFX 2
Dance for Actors
Completed a dissertation on how music effects the brain, and if there was a "happy playlist" that could be created (spoiler: there is!)
Acting 2

Not to blow my own horn or anything, but a full round of Distinctions later and I have my Diploma in acting!

Played 'Titania' in "A Mini-Summer nights dream"

Playing the 'Landlady', in "Two" by Jim Cartwright

Films

Attending Gloucestershire College connected me with like-minded individuals, who had connections themselves. One of these connections was Jordan Smith, Founder of 'Clockmagic Films', and he asked me to play 'Sarah' in "The Lost Maze", a 48-hour film challenge submission. "The lost maze", did really well and went on to win awards across multiple film festivals (including best actress) and even had an offer from Netflix to buy the production rights!

During Level 3 I wanted to make my own short film, so I gathered some classmates, signed out a camcorder, and created my first short film: "Stand up!"

Then, at the beginning of 2025, I worked with the HN Media students for the first time, acting as Assistant to the Director, and a model for lighting practice, on a short film: "Sonnets of the Portuguese". A few months later, I was invited back to be the main actor for their end of year production: "Killing Myself Tomorrow!" I would be playing the character 'Maya' in both her adult and teenage form, and this will hopefully go on to film festivals!

Now I'm out in the professional world, taking on each project as it comes, with my heart and soul singing with glee! First stop, agents!

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