When I first started Perform, one of my friends told me that ?staff would be my biggest problem?. She had her own business and said that finding the right people was her main challenge.

In many ways, she was right. It is continual challenge to keep recruiting brilliant people and over the years we have experimented with different ways of finding our teachers. Nevertheless, the one thing I am resolute about is to use working professional actor-singer-dancers as Perform Teachers. We've tried qualified school teachers, child psychologists and those with childcare qualifications but realised quite quickly that it is only actors who have trained in the performing arts and worked in "the business" who have the skills and energy to deliver Perform classes.

Of course, it's unusual to recruit actors who are actively focused on finding other work. However, dynamism and passion is at the heart of the way we communicate with children and using professional performers is best for our method of teaching. Yes, they might go off to do a commercial and miss a week, but using the most talented people available means that the children will be equally inspired and motivated by the other teacher who stands in for them that day. The challenge is finding and training the very best and never ever settling for second-best.

With almost 200 schools currently across London and the South-East extending as far out as Oxford, Cambridge, Hove and Tunbridge Wells and around 20-30 new schools opening every January, April and September, this is a BIG challenge! Next year, we'll be opening in Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and environs - our first big push outside London and the South-East - and of course these areas are even harder to recruit in as most actors are based in London.

So, my focus is now on recruiting fantastic new actors. I'm looking for ?triple threats' (people who are great at acting, singing and dancing), those who love children and want a stimulating and rewarding job in between their acting work. We provide a full training and, because we work after-school time and at weekends, attending meetings and auditions is never a problem.

We run auditions every month in Central London so, if you have any suitable friends, please do spread the word and ask them to send their CV and photo to [email protected]. I'd love to hear from them.