About us

412. Excellence is what we do.

Established in 2012 and based in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, 412 is the UK’s leading independent provider of Dance, Cheer, and Gymnastics training for children and young people.

Our acclaimed arts academy is committed to training and empowering the next generation of professional UK artists.

Our dynamic independent performance company, 412 Productions, produces professional shows worldwide and student showcases a little closer to home.

Our lessons provide children and young people with a clear progression route and a unique approach to learning. Our elite training is fun, disciplined, inspirational, and successful. Many of our students have gone on to have very successful careers in the arts.

"The arts sit at the heart of communities and any societal change. One such example can be found in Pontefract. The former pit town in West Yorkshire is home to 412, led by playwright Philip Stokes and choreographer Ella Daley. Since 2012, it has consistently delivered creative access opportunities for young people in an area that has suffered from significant social deprivation. Stokes and Daley have created an independent artistic space that has brought about change and inspiration to a community with limited resources. The journey has required resilience and determination, offering many lessons for the wider sector. This is where the arts can play and have played a vital role in unifying cultural and community connections."  The Stage, July 2024

+ Ella Daley - Company Director

Ella is a professional dancer, choreographer, workshop leader, fully qualified dance teacher, and former professional Cheerleader. She is a Level 2 gymnastics coach and BCA Cheer/ADC Pom Dance coach. With a BA Hons Degree in Dance and a PGCE, Ella opened 412 in 2012 and is responsible for all the high-quality teaching and our renowned Winter/Summer Dance & Cheer Showcases. Ella has toured the UK as a freelance dancer and performed in major shows for 412, including Super Cool Love (2014) and the critically acclaimed Night + Daze (2015/16). She has won many awards for her distinctive choreography at prestigious UK competitions. In addition to running the school, Ella serves as the Executive Producer for 412 professional productions, working alongside notable venues such as Pleasance Theatre, Lawrence Batley Theatre, Jersey Arts Centre, Harrogate Theatre, and Richard Jordan Productions, among others.

+ Philip Stokes - Company Director

Philip is a professional playwright and director. His critically acclaimed plays have had sell-out runs across the globe, including New York, London, Adelaide, Dublin, Chicago, and Edinburgh. His plays have won the Fringe Review Outstanding Theatre Award, Adelaide Critics Circle Award (x2), Theatre Weekly Best Theatre Award (x2), Adelaide Holden Street Theatre Award (x2). He was appointed Associate Artist at The Lawrence Batley Theatre in 2025. Philip’s work has gained 5* reviews from international press, delighting audiences and critics worldwide. Acknowledged by the British Library as a Culturally Important Playwright of the 21st Century, Philip writes and directs 412 Productions’ professional work. In recent years, notable examples include Jesus, Jane, Mother & Me, LASH, Shellshocked, and Brighton ‘84.

Patrons

+ Richard Jordan – Patron

Richard Jordan Productions is a leading London-based multi-award-winning creative production company. For the past 26 years, it’s been driven by a strong social agenda, committed to developing, commissioning, and producing plays and musicals by new and established writers and artists from around the world. Recipient of the TONY, Olivier, and EMMY Awards, the company has produced over 260 productions in 28 countries, including 80 world premieres, producing and collaborating with many of the world’s leading theatres. In 2022, the company became the first international producers to present work in Ukraine since the outbreak of war with the Russian Federation in a collaboration with the country’s national arts festival, which brought art and humanitarian aid into the country. At the Edinburgh Fringe, Richard Jordan Productions is the recipient of 17 Scotsman Fringe First Awards for New Writing – the highest number awarded to any independent producer in the Fringe's history. In 2013, Richard Jordan Productions became the first UK producer to have been awarded every notable Best New Play Award On and off-Broadway. Richard Jordan Productions was the first recipient of the Society of London Theatre New Producers Bursary Award and has been named seven times in The Stage Top 100 UK Arts and Entertainment Professionals. In 2011, Richard was selected for lifetime inclusion in A & C Black’s annual publication Who's Who for his creative work and achievements in the UK and international arts industries.

+ Yvette Cooper MP – Patron

Yvette is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Normanton, Pontefract, and Castleford since 2010, having previously been the MP for Pontefract and Castleford from 1997. In 2024, Yvette was appointed Home Secretary by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in his ministry. Yvette is highly impressed with our work with young people, our plans, and the renovation of our iconic building. Yvette has met with students and teachers, taken a tour of our home, and watched our 412 students in action. In her role as patron, Yvette will support us over the coming years and be an active advocate for 412.