Having always taught in Further and Higher Education, and after writing courses for several colleges at BTEC, Diploma and Degree level – in 2009 Annemarie opened The MTA.

Annemarie opened The MTA under an ethical training policy – ensuring that fees went directly towards the students training, as opposed to an expensive infrastructure, and with the guarantee that staff would be paid a decent hourly rate.  The college was opened to provide students with a unique learning experience NOT for profit.

The MTA ran the UK’s 1st accelerated learning programme for Musical Theatre performers – so it ran over 2 years as opposed to the traditional 3. All staff at The MTA needed to still be working professionally at either West End or equivalent level.  The MTA took a maximum of 22 students a year thereby ensuring that the students were always treated as individuals – never a number.

After just 3 years of being open The MTA was already challenging the more established colleges – winning the prestigious School of the Year Award in 2012 in The Stage 100 Awards with the citation commending its innovative approach to training. In 2017 the college won the award for an unprecedented second time. This time the citation commended the college on its groundbreaking approach regarding mental health, and the #time4change Mental Health Charter. It also commented on the number of graduates now regularly being seen in top productions.

2019 saw it celebrating its 10th birthday - it still had a 100% success rate in getting ambassadors agent representation on leaving college, and at any one time a staggering 62% of the ambassadors were in work (or had contracts pending).  Students from The MTA are now a regular feature of West End concerts and galas backing some of the biggest names in the West End (and Broadway) today including Rachel Tucker, Eden Espinosa, Shoshana Bean, Julie Atherton, Kathryn Jenkins, singing in theatres including The Palace, The Palladium, The Criterion, The Prince Edward, for writers including Scott Alan, Laurence Mark Wythe, Dougal Irvine, Craig Adams, singing on concept albums (Lift)…and so the list goes on.  Visitors to the college included Stephanie J Block, Jonathan Groff, Natalie Weiss, Georgia Stitt, Imelda Staunton, Kerrigan and Lowdermilk, Jenna Russell, Mike Leigh, Ria Jones, Michael Jibson, Michael Xavier, Hadley Fraser, Rosalie Craig, Bonnie Langford, Kerry Ellis…and so that list goes on too

For further information on The MTA please click here

The MTA closed its doors for good on 11th September 2022