Principal - Craig Ryder
Principal - Craig Ryder
"Be who you want to be..."
Principal - Craig Ryder
I am incredibly proud of what Ryder Academi has become.
For more than a decade, we have been giving young people a place to discover the performing arts, build confidence and, most importantly, feel that they belong.
Over the years, our students have created plays, musicals, pantomimes, concerts, dance pieces, short films and new work. Some have gone on to professional careers as actors, singers, dancers and creatives within the industry. Others have followed completely different paths.
I am equally proud of them all.
Because Ryder Academi has never simply been about creating performers.
It is about creating confident young people.
From the very beginning, I wanted the Academi to be a safe and inclusive space where every child could be themselves. A place to play, create, learn, grow and take risks without being afraid of getting things wrong.
A place where you can be who you want to be.
There is something very special about watching a young person find their confidence. Performing arts can give children a voice, a sense of belonging and a belief in what they are capable of - qualities that can stay with them long after they leave the stage.
As a young boy growing up in Llanrwst, I was incredibly fortunate to have a teacher, Mrs Ostle, who inspired me and made me believe that anything was possible. She saw something in me before I was able to see it in myself.
I have never forgotten that.
Throughout my career, from those early days in Llanrwst to performing in the West End, I have carried that belief with me. It is something I want to pass on to every young person who walks through the doors of Ryder Academi.
I will never promise a parent that I can turn their child into a West End star. That isn't what Ryder Academi is about.
What I can promise is that we will encourage them, challenge them, celebrate what makes them different and give them opportunities to discover just how much they are capable of.
Whether their future is on a stage, behind a camera, in a classroom, running a business or doing something they haven't even discovered yet, I want them to leave us believing in themselves a little more than when they arrived.
Because if I can get from Llanrwst to the West End, who knows where they might go?
Craig Ryder
Founder & Artistic Director
Ryder Academi CIC
TRAINING: NATIONAL YOUTH THEATRE OF WALES & LIVERPOOL INSTITUTE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS (LIPA)
A former pupil of Ysgol Bro Gwydir and Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy, Craig Ryder is a multifaceted creative who has worked over the last 20 years as an actor, director, writer, producer and teacher. He has a wealth of experience across TV, Film and Theatre, in both English and Welsh language.
Craig is currently playing Harold Zidler in the West End production of Moulin Rouge - The Musical!
Having trained as a performer at The Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts (LIPA), Craig went on to perform in many West End productions such as 'Bat Out of Hell', ‘We Will Rock You’ and the original West End cast of ‘Priscilla Queen of the Desert'. Craig played Khashoggi in the UK touring production of ‘We Will Rock You’, and closed the UK and European touring production of ‘Priscilla Queen of the Desert’ playing Tick at the Menora Arena in Tel Aviv.
More recently he played Bill Austin in a new production of Mamma mia in Cyprus. He has performed all over the world onboard Cruise ships.
Alongside theatre, Craig has appeared in both film and television. This includes the second series of "We Hunt together" and the Welsh soap ‘Pobol Y Cwm’ where he played series regular Dylan. He played Dafydd in the welsh drama ‘Caerdydd’. He also appeared in two series of ‘Tim Talent’ and was a Guest Actor in Channel 4’s ‘Paradise Hotel’.
Feature films include galloping around the Welsh mountains as Sir Percival in Dragons of Camelot (Titan Global Entertainment). Other films also include David Redgrave in The Indian Bride (FFP New Media) and David in Five Days in August (JNP)
Craig’s voice can also be heard on a range of the ‘Talking Books’ for the RNIB and he has also enjoyed voicing projects for BBC Radio 4.
Craig has also appeared in many adverts over the years, including Hula Hoops, Brighthouse and Tena.
