Sylvia Amanquah
My love for performing arts began when I attended Anna Scher’s drama school in North London at the age of fourteen. Growing up in the inner city was not easy as I was exposed to a lot of things which made me have to grow up very quickly.
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I was fortunate that these experiences led me to my involvement with Clean Break Theatre Company which enabled me to do a 3-years degree course in Applied Drama & Education at The Royal Central School of Speech & Drama.
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I believe the creative arts is powerful tool that can be used to empower, inspire and inform. Personally, I feel blessed to able to use my platform to explore life’s challenges using story telling through films/theatre to educate, highlight and bring about positive change through our youth culture.
Darren Heppolette
My interest in acting and passion for the arts began from an early age in school and as a young performer at Greenwich Young Peoples Theatre in South London.
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I graduated in 2004 from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama with a BA Honours in Applied Theatre and Education. Following my degree, I continued to develop my skills and knowledge as a teacher and theatre practitioner working with young people and adults in a variety of educational settings. I gained a PGCE from the institute of education and currently teach in Further Education.
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My eventual union and partnership with Sylvia at Hardknock Productions was brought about by a strong friendship and shared commitment to creative education and a belief in the arts capacity to empower enrich and young people’s lives.
Rashid Matabaro
The buz and energy I get from performing is priceless. It’s my way of escaping from the pressures of the real world. But my passion for the arts was discovered late.
Being born and raised in Hackney East London I was faced with many challenges.
I spent time perfecting my craft by attending Identity Drama School, Anna Schers and even Kingdom Drama School. In addition I’ve been lucky enough to have starred in some short films, webseries and even commercials.
I believe the performing arts industry is a real important tool into challenging social and political views. And I’m just grateful to be in a position where I can educate and uplift people with my talent.