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Children rehearsing a grounded drama scene on a small studio stage with a teacher directing

AMES for drama

Drama school software.Give your talent centre stage.

The platform that stage-manages your drama school from weekly workshops to end-of-term productions

Schedule rehearsals and workshops, manage auditions and casting, track LAMDA and Trinity exam progress, and coordinate everything from weekly classes to end-of-term productions.

Aligned with London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art (LAMDA)Live in under 48 hours100+ UK drama classes
No monthly platform fee

A small fee on payments. Processing and optional usage are charged separately.

Live in under 48 hours

Data migration and setup handled by our team.

Built by activity operators

Created by people who lived the admin problem.

UK-compliant + GDPR-ready

Stripe PCI DSS, TLS 1.3, tenant-isolated data.

The working day, connected

Every booking. A team ready for it.

AMES connects the moments that usually sit in separate tools: enquiries, class availability, payments, registers, team handover, and parent communication.

saved per production on logistics
8 hrs
LAMDA exam entries submitted on time
95%
faster rehearsal scheduling
3x
  1. 1

    Bookings

    Waitlist place converted

  2. 2

    Payments

    Fee captured automatically

  3. 3

    Team

    Register ready for the session

  4. 4

    Families

    Update sent to the parent portal

Operational pressure

You know the work.
We know the admin.

The best software does not add another dashboard to check. It removes the fragile handoffs that slow your team down.

The details are different for every activity. Explore the everyday challenges that AMES helps you manage.

01

Production logistics overload

Staging an end-of-term production means juggling far more than rehearsals and line-learning.Explore the challenge

Props need sourcing, cataloguing, and assigning to scenes, while set-building timelines must align with venue access windows that are often limited to the final fortnight. Licensing for scripted shows requires rights clearance weeks before the first performance, and missed deadlines can force a last-minute script change. Programme printing needs cast bios, headshots, and sponsor logos collated with enough lead time for proofing. Front-of-house volunteer rotas must cover ticketing, ushering, and interval refreshments, each with their own briefing. Tech crew scheduling for lighting, sound, and stage management adds another layer, especially when crew members are also students performing in other scenes. Without a centralised system, critical tasks surface too late to fix.

Read the guide
02

Mixed-age group timetabling

Drama schools routinely teach students ranging from age four to eighteen, and timetabling across that spread involves far more than avoiding room clashes.Explore the challenge

Safeguarding requirements govern how different age groups can be mixed, with younger children needing separate waiting and changing areas from teenagers. Content ratings matter too: a devised piece exploring mature themes cannot share a workshop space or rehearsal slot with a junior group, and parental consent must be collected before exposing under-sixteens to age-restricted material. Some families want siblings in back-to-back sessions to reduce trips, but age-appropriate grouping and staff-to-student ratios limit flexibility. Every timetable change triggers a cascade of safeguarding checks, room reassignments, and parent notifications.

Read the guide
03

LAMDA and exam preparation

LAMDA offers distinct streams including Acting, Musical Theatre, and Verse and Prose, each with its own syllabus requirements, marking criteria, and entry deadlines.Explore the challenge

A student entered for Grade 5 Acting needs two contrasting monologues, while a Musical Theatre candidate at the same level needs a song and a scene. Paired exam entries add coordination complexity, as both students must be equally prepared and available on the exam day. Self-taping options, introduced as a permanent alternative to in-person assessment, require recording setup, quality checks, and submission tracking against LAMDA's technical specifications. Examiner visit scheduling must align with your venue availability, and multiple exam boards running on different calendars means overlapping preparation windows. Tracking readiness across dozens of students sitting different grades in different streams overwhelms any manual system.

Read the guide
04

Attendance and commitment tracking

When a show is in production, attendance becomes critical in ways that go beyond normal class registers.Explore the challenge

Understudies need adequate rehearsal time to be genuinely performance-ready, not just familiar with the script, and tracking their attendance separately from the principal cast is essential. Ensemble numbers directly affect blocking and staging: if three members of a chorus scene are absent, the choreography breaks down and rehearsal time is wasted re-spacing. Parent commitment forms for show season set expectations around attendance, but enforcing them without clear data is difficult. Dress rehearsal attendance is non-negotiable for most schools, yet chasing confirmations manually consumes hours. Without centralised tracking linking attendance to casting, directors cannot make informed decisions about readiness.

Read the guide

What changes with AMES

Built around
your drama business.

A connected operating layer for bookings, payments, progress, communication, and team oversight.

Online Bookings & Class Booking System

Build your weekly timetable around workshops, technique classes, and ensemble sessions, then layer in production rehearsals as show season approaches.Explore this capability

Scene-by-scene rehearsal planning lets directors call only the cast members needed for each session, reducing wasted time for students not in those scenes. Generate call sheets grouped by cast, and share them directly to parent dashboards. For late rehearsals, parent pick-up coordination tools send automated collection reminders with confirmed finish times so no child is left waiting.

Read the guide

LAMDA & Trinity Exam Tracking

Track every student through LAMDA Acting, Musical Theatre, Verse and Prose, or Trinity exam pathways with built-in syllabus checklists per grade.Explore this capability

Teachers log exam piece selections against each entry, so you always know who is performing what. Self-tape submissions are managed within the platform, with upload tracking and quality review notes before final submission. Exam readiness assessments let teachers flag students as ready, nearly ready, or needing more time, giving principals a clear picture of who should be entered for the next session.

Read the guide

Automated Payments & Direct Debit

Collect term fees, workshop charges, and exam entry fees without manual chasing.Explore this capability

Production levies covering costumes, set materials, and licensing costs are added as separate line items and collected alongside regular fees. Workshop deposits secure places in popular holiday courses with automatic balance reminders before the start date. Bursary and scholarship tracking applies configured discounts at checkout, maintaining a clear audit trail so you know exactly who receives financial support and how much has been allocated each term.

Read the guide

Parent App & Communication Portal

Give families a single hub for everything related to their child's drama education.Explore this capability

Distribute scripts securely through the portal so every student has the latest version without loose photocopies. Push rehearsal schedule notifications directly to parent devices as dates are confirmed or changed. Share costume requirement checklists that parents can tick off as items are sourced. On performance day, publish logistics including arrival times, backstage access points, seating allocation, and parking information, all in one place.

Read the guide

Production & Show Ticketing

Plan every production from first read-through to final curtain call.Explore this capability

Maintain a prop and set inventory with photos, storage locations, and condition notes so items carry over between shows. Track licensing compliance with reminders for rights renewal deadlines and performance reporting obligations. Build digital programmes with cast bios, headshots, and sponsor logos pulled directly from student and partner records. Integrate box office sales with seat maps and family group booking to manage ticket allocation and front-of-house planning from the same screen.

Read the guide

Chaperone, DBS & Safeguarding Compliance

Manage teacher qualifications, DBS check expiry dates, and specialist skills across acting, voice, movement, and musical theatre disciplines.Explore this capability

For performances, chaperone ratio tracking ensures you meet local authority requirements based on the number and ages of children involved. License-to-perform documentation for young performers is tracked per student per production, with automated reminders when applications need submitting. Working with children regulation compliance is maintained centrally, so every adult involved in your school has verified, up-to-date clearance visible at a glance.

Read the guide

The platform

One platform.
Everyone has their place.

AMES gives you everything: a management hub, a parent portal, a branded booking engine, and a teacher app. All connected. All real-time.

AMES Admin
Admin application interface

Your command centre

Classes, payments, marketing campaigns, staff payroll, task management, and reporting. A complete business hub, not just a booking tool.

Explore Admin
  • Real-time KPI dashboard
  • Class scheduling and timetable management
  • Marketing campaigns and CRM
  • Staff payroll, timesheets, and leave
  • Automated waitlist-to-enrolment conversion
  • Member database and family management
  • Lesson plan builder for teachers
  • Noticeboard and announcements broadcast
  • In-depth reporting and analytics
AMES Connect
Connect application interface

Parents manage everything

A dedicated portal where parents book classes, report absences, manage payments, track progress, shop, and message teachers. All from their phone.

Explore Connect
  • Book and manage class enrolments
  • Top up credits and view payment history
  • Track child progress and achievements
  • Direct messaging with instructors
  • Report absences in seconds
  • Book drop-in sessions and one-off events
  • Manage child health records and medical notes
  • Access noticeboard updates and class photos
  • Browse and purchase from the shop
  • View and download receipts and statements
AMES Booking Engine
Booking Engine application interface

Your branded booking page

A fully customisable online booking experience that replaces your website. Parents browse classes, book drop-ins, join waitlists, and pay — all in one place.

Explore Booking Engine
  • Class timetable with real-time availability
  • Integrated checkout with Stripe
  • Automated waitlist and auto-enrolment
  • Drop-in session and event booking
  • Workshop and one-off session booking
  • Mobile-first PWA — works like a native app
  • Custom colours, logo, and welcome messaging
  • Branded to match your business identity
AMES Teach
Teach application interface

Teachers in control

Instructors mark attendance, log observations, track progress, capture class photos, and message parents — all from their phone, mid-class.

Explore Teach
  • One-tap attendance marking
  • Student progress and skill tracking
  • Shift schedule and class details
  • Direct parent messaging
  • Student notes and lesson observations
  • Class photo capture and sharing
  • Assessment tools with instant parent visibility
  • Teacher feedback forms for every session

From the people running classes

“AMES transformed how we manage our drama school. LAMDA tracking, rehearsal scheduling, and parent communication all in one place has saved us countless hours.”
Rachel ThorntonDirector, Spotlight Youth Theatre

Your industry, understood

The details that shape your day.

Key data about running drama classes in the UK.

Typical Class Size
10-20students per session
Typical Pricing (UK)
£7-£15 per class
Age Groups Served
5distinct categories
Qualifications
4+recognised pathways

Recognised Qualifications

  • LAMDA Teaching Diploma
  • Trinity College London Teaching Certificate
  • Drama degree or PGCE Drama
  • National Youth Theatre Leader Training

Age Groups Breakdown

  • 3-5 (early years)
  • 5-8 (juniors)
  • 8-12 (intermediates)
  • 12-18 (seniors)
  • Adult

Industry frameworks

Aligned with industry standards

AMES is built to work with the frameworks and requirements set by the governing bodies that matter to your drama business.

  • United Kingdom

    London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art (LAMDA)

    Standards aligned
  • United States

    Educational Theatre Association

    Standards aligned
  • Australia

    Drama Australia

    Standards aligned

More about AMES for drama

AMES integrates LAMDA and Trinity exam tracking directly into your drama school workflow, managing the full production lifecycle from auditions and casting through rehearsals to performance night. Whether you run youth theatre workshops or professional performing arts training, every administrative detail is handled so you can focus on the craft.

Getting started

We help untangle the admin. You keep running classes.

Migration, configuration and launch support come as standard — with real people who know how activity businesses actually run. No consultant fees. No being left to work it out alone.

Activity business operator reviewing AMES on a desktop screen
01
Step 01

We migrate your data

Spreadsheets, another platform, or years of paper — send what you have and our team imports classes, members, balances and history. You do not rebuild from scratch or lose your waiting lists.

02
Step 02

We configure it with you

A real person sets up payments, registers, staff access and your parent portal alongside you, so the disconnected pieces become one connected system. Most operators are live within 48 hours.

03
Step 03

We stay with you after launch

Launch-week check-ins, answers when parents ask something new, and a human on the other end of a message when you need help. AMES should make the operation calmer, not give you another system to manage.

Different by design

Built for your business.
Priced around its activity.

One small transaction fee covers the standard AMES platform. No monthly platform subscription, setup fee or per-member charge.

See what it means for you.

Compare the tools you use today and calculate the AMES platform fee for your member numbers and payments.

Explore your pricing

Payment-processing fees, SMS, phone services including number rental, and metered AI are charged separately. We confirm your rates and service charges before launch.

Read how pricing works
Security & Compliance

Built to protect, designed to be transparent.

Activity businesses handle sensitive member data, payment details, and children's records. AMES treats that responsibility as a product feature — not a checkbox.

Enterprise-grade security

Your data is protected by design

AMES is built on Supabase with row-level security policies, encrypted-at-rest storage, and role-based access control. Every tenant's data is logically isolated so one operator never sees another's information.

PCI DSS compliant payments

Payments handled by Stripe, not spreadsheets

AMES Pay runs on Stripe Connect — meaning card data never touches our servers. Parents pay through Stripe's hosted checkout with full PCI DSS compliance, tokenisation, and 3D Secure authentication.

GDPR-ready data practices

Transparent data handling, full user control

Parents and operators can export their data at any time as CSV. Data retention policies are configurable, and account deletion is a single action with full data purging guaranteed within 30 days.

99.9% uptime infrastructure

Always available when operations depend on it

Deployed on Vercel's global edge network with automatic scaling and failover. No single point of failure, automated backups every 6 hours, and disaster recovery tested quarterly.

Zero data lock-in

Leave whenever you want, with everything

Export every booking, payment, member record, and progression entry as structured CSV files. We believe great software earns retention — it should never rely on data hostage-taking.

Audit trail & compliance

Every action logged, nothing hidden

Staff actions like booking changes, payment adjustments, and policy modifications are captured in an audit log. Managers can trace who changed what, when, and why — essential for growing teams.

Integrations

Works with the tools you already rely on.

AMES connects to the tools you already rely on — payments, inboxes, calendars, accounting, and social — so you keep your favourites while replacing everything else.

AMES Pay

Card payments, Direct Debit, Apple Pay, Google Pay, automated payment recovery, and recurring billing — built in.

Google Calendar

Automatic calendar sync for class schedules, term dates, and staff availability. Never miss a room booking.

Xero

Financial reconciliation sent directly to your accounting software. Invoices, payouts, and taxes — all synced automatically.

QuickBooks

Alternative accounting sync for businesses already on the QuickBooks platform. Full transaction history export.

Gmail

Send and track parent emails from your existing inbox — conversations sync back to AMES so the whole team stays in the loop.

Outlook

Connect Microsoft 365 mailboxes for staff communication and parent threads — messages flow into the AMES inbox automatically.

Facebook

Reply to comments and DMs from one inbox, schedule posts, and track engagement against enrolment growth.

Instagram

Manage Instagram DMs and comments alongside other channels, and publish posts and stories on a schedule.

Google Reviews

Surface, respond to, and request reviews — track your rating across every location from a single dashboard.

Need something custom? Our team can build API integrations for your specific stack during onboarding.

Practical guidance

Guides & resources for drama providers

Expert articles, templates, and practical advice to help you start, run, and grow your drama business.

View all resources
FAQ

Common questions about AMES for drama

Everything you need to know about managing your drama business with AMES.

and we will map AMES to the way your business runs.

AMES works for every activity type

Same platform, tailored to how each sector actually runs. Explore the dedicated page for your discipline.

Your next chapter

Build the business you love running.

Bring the way your business works today. We’ll show how AMES can support your teaching, your team and the people who come back each week.

No monthly subscription
Connects your daily admin
Live in under 48 hours