About

BANG! Academy of Performing Arts is led by a creative team of performing arts facilitators and directors. We are passionate and dedicated to provide a rich and innovative learning experience within a wide range of genres. We are excited to help foster talent while creating a safe and explorative platform for performance. BANG! is the junior side to the company, while Rhythm Academy is the teen side to the company, where we advance into deeper foundations of the performing arts. We run workshops, auditions, productions and hope to help local youth extend themselves into the wider community, and potential professional pathways. The vision is for BANG! & Rhythm is to foster a love and understanding of the performing arts.

OUR MISSION

  • To create a greater awareness of the Performing Arts within our local area

  • To allow for individuals to explore, problem solve and express within a safe learning environment

  • To gain insight through providing training through a wide range of specialised facilitators

  • To activate physical activity, life skills, safe risk taking, connectivity with one another & the environment and collaborative skills needed to succeed in life

  • To foster and harness confidence within each student

  • To build skills in technique within the genres of the performing arts

Anouska Gammon

DIRECTOR / FACILITATOR / ACTING / MUSICAL THEATRE / DANCE / CHOREOGRAPHER

Anouska started BANG! Academy in 2017. Trained for over 30 years in all areas of the Performing Arts and 7 years of Tertiary education in Dance and Drama in performance, writing and education, she has had extensive experience and involvement in the performing arts industry of Australia. After completing a Diploma at Brent Street Performing Arts and a double degree in Dance and Drama Education at UNSW, Anouska has continued to pursue her love for the performing arts through teaching and choreographing in various institutions throughout NSW. She is an active choreographer for both the State Dance Ensembles and Schools Spectacular in Sydney, along with her locally co-founded and directed theatre company in Bangalow, Bangalow Theatre Company (BTC). BANG! and BTC are sister companies, where we have had many students over the years step up into the pre-professional adult company, and we have also had many of our adult company teach for our BANG! students. The vision is to bring as much Performing Arts to our area and to build a solid appreciation of the arts for all.  

Elodie Crowe

MUSICAL THEATRE / VOICE / MUSICIAN

Elodie Crowe is a multi-instrumentalist musician and singer/songwriter who toured internationally for 7 years with the indie-pop band Tigertown, signed to Atlantic Records in the States. She has played SXSW, toured Europe and Australia with Panic! at the Disco and has recorded with Grammy award-winning producers in London. LA and New York. She has worked with youth in the Northern Rivers leading them with vocal direction, a wealth of knowledge and a a warm, encouraging spirit. Elodie is passionate about working with young people to share her understandings and help them grow through confidence, performance training and skills.

Tim Franklin

ACTING FOR SCREEN / ACTING FOR STAGE

Tim Franklin graduated from QUT with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting) in 2010. With over three hundred appearances on ‘Home & Away’, Tim Franklin is bringing his wealth of experience back to the northern rivers area. His transition to dramatic TV was marked alongside international actor Tim Roth and Callan Mulvey in ‘The Last King of the Cross’. Tim has recently made strides in the world of feature films, starring alongside Levi Miller & Travis Jeffery in the upcoming war epic ‘Before Dawn’ scheduled for release in 2024. But more recently, he is set to share the screen with Ryan Gosling in the much-anticipated David Leitch blockbuster, ‘The Fall Guy.’ Tim brings a wealth of industry experience to our BANG! Teaching staff, and also is a favourite amongst the students!

Amy Skene

ACTING / DRAMA / SPEECH

Amy Skene is a dedicated drama and performing arts educator with over 30 years’ experience teaching, directing, and mentoring young performers. She holds a Bachelor of Education, diplomas in Speech and Communication (ASCA), and is a Trinity College London Associate in Speech and Drama.

Amy has taught Drama across primary and secondary settings and directed numerous school productions, musicals, drama festivals, and showcases. She is also an experienced adjudicator of Speech and Drama eisteddfods and has prepared students for performance exams and competitions. Amy co-founded a drama school and talent agency, delivering weekly training programs and managing young performers for stage and screen opportunities across Sydney.

She is currently on the board of Bangalow Theatre Company and enjoys being actively involved in community theatre.

Amy believes in authentic learning that encourages exploration, collaboration, and joy in performance, helping every student grow as both an artist and communicator.