--- title: "Behind the Curtain: How to Have a Career in the Arts Beyond the Stage" url: https://burnaze.com/article/ea2937bc-fedf-4a59-aa2e-556596a9a730 source: "Franchising.com" original_url: https://www.franchising.com/news/20240319_behind_the_curtain_how_to_have_a_career_in_the_arts_beyond_the_stage.html category: "General" published: 2024-03-19T12:00:00.000Z modified: 2026-10-31T19:55:20.321Z image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1450101499163-c8848c66ca85?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop --- # Behind the Curtain: How to Have a Career in the Arts Beyond the Stage **TL;DR:** Matty Rayson, a former geography teacher aspirant, found his passion in the arts after watching his sister perform at Razzamataz Carlisle, and has since taken on various roles within the Razzamataz franchise network, including Principal of Razzamataz West Cumbria and now Operations Manager. Matty's career path is an example of the opportunities available in the arts beyond performing on stage. *originally published in Franchising.com on 2024-03-19. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/news/20240319_behind_the_curtain_how_to_have_a_career_in_the_arts_beyond_the_stage.html).* ## Story When Matty Rayson was just sixteen, he aspired to be a geography teacher. But after his sister joined her local theatre school, a new world of possibilities opened to him. “I actually didn’t do as well as I wanted to do in my geography GCSE so I quickly realised I would probably need to rethink,” laughs Matty. “I had always enjoyed drama, but I was lacking in confidence, and I really didn’t particularly enjoy being on stage. But when my sister joined Razzamataz Carlisle and I watched her in a show, it was sort of a lightbulb moment, and I knew I wanted to be part of it.” Matty approached the then Principal Denise Gosney who is also the Founder of the Razzamataz franchise network and asked for work experience. That was back in June 2010 and since then, Matty has gone on take on a range of roles including assistant, manager and currently a Principal of Razzamataz West Cumbria. Today, Matty is delighted to be the new Operations Manager, which he will do running alongside being the Principal of the West Cumbria school. Matty has been running his own school for the past five years, and during this time, has developed a real thirst for business. “There’s no hiding that I’m passionate about the Razzamataz brand and all that we stand for,” adds Matty. The Operations Manager role will encompass Matty’s experience of project management, leadership and being skilled in working with a range of people from different backgrounds and experience levels. He will continue to work on large scale projects such as Razzamataz performance opportunities in West End theatres, overseas trips to locations such as Disneyland Paris and the annual Conference. “If I could give my sixteen year old self any words of advice, I would say believe in yourself more,” says Matty. “What Razzamataz taught me was to seize every opportunity and not to worry about setbacks because they are a way for you to learn. Razzamataz helps every young person celebrate their uniqueness, because that is the thing that will help them forge a career path fueled by a passion and purpose." Denise has watched Matty as every stage of his career and couldn’t be prouder of what he has accomplished as she explains. “I’m delighted to offer Matty the role of Operations Manager and know that he will excel in it like he has in every role that he has taken on. He is a huge asset to the Razzamataz network, and his wealth of experience will help guide us to our ten year vision while giving so many of our students inspiration for their own careers.” ## Entities - Franchising.com (publication) - General (sector) - franchise network (topic) - career development (topic) - Razzamataz (company) - Denise Gosney (person) - arts education (topic) --- Originally reported by Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/news/20240319_behind_the_curtain_how_to_have_a_career_in_the_arts_beyond_the_stage.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/ea2937bc-fedf-4a59-aa2e-556596a9a730).