Will Travis celebrates 20 years of 'A Will and a Way ' acting school at new home in Spinners Mill

Born in Westleigh, Will Travis began his acting career in the early nineties and made his on-screen debut as an extra in Emmerdale in 1993.

Going on to land roles in some of the UK's biggest soaps and TV series, Will founded the acting school 'A Will and a Way' back in 2002; using his experience to provide opportunities in the arts and nurture local talent.

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Will Travis (Image: Will Travis)

After twenty years in the industry and a return to a redeveloped studio at Leigh Spinners Mill, Will said it is great to reflect on the school's achievements and success stories from past pupils.

Will, 52, said: "We have had some huge success stories at A Will and a Way over the years; with ex-students popping up in The Kingsman films, the recent House of the Dragon series, and soaps such as Coronation Street and Hollyoaks.

"With our more advanced groups, it's all about their maturity and ability to understand empathy and convey this in their performances.

"But the school is also about having fun and although not everyone is going to be an actor, we can teach pupils valuable life skills such as communication, confidence, and understanding emotion."

A Will and a Way has been nurturing local talent for 20 years (Image: Will Travis)

Despite training hundreds of people over the years, A Will and A Way, like many other organisations in the creative industries, struggled during the pandemic and lost momentum and a number of pupils as a result.

Now located on the 'creative' fourth floor of Spinners Mill, the team is hoping to reach more budding actors, provide accreditation classes, showcase local productions, and continue building its reputation as a distinguished acting school in the heart of Leigh.

The team worked out of a theatre in Higher Fold for a couple of years, but Will said he feels like the school has come full circle and are "back where they belong" in Spinners Mill.

A Will and a Way teaches pupils from age 7 to adults (Image: Will Travis)

With a successful career spanning more than two decades and teaching hundreds of budding actors in Leigh, Will added: "I hope that we can build the school back up because there is so much talent in this area.

"I like to pass on as much of my experiences as possible to the students, and want to continue putting something back into the town that made me."

The theatre space at Leigh Spinners Mill (Image: Will Travis)

For more information about A Will and a Way, you can visit their Facebook page here.