Who We Are

Creative Characters has been running since 2000 and is currently in the following venues: Kyalami Prep School, Jules Verne French School, Buccleuch Montesorri Primary/Pre-Primary School, Happy Days Nursery School(at Summit college), The Lifestyle Montessori Primary/Pre-Primary School, Land of Oz Pre-School Fourways and Broadacres, Buttercup Pre-School, Crawford Preparatory Lonehill, Panda Pen Nursery School, Maria Montesorri House Pre-School and Primary, Little Great Hearts, Stirling Pre-Primary, and Monaghan Montessori Primary/Pre-Primary School.

We have also have a branch in Pretoria and are currently working in 3 schools including Loretta Convent, French School Pretoria, CBC, and The Deutshe School. We are rolling out at a number of Nursery schools this year. We launched our East Rand branch last year and we are currently working in Kathstan college, with further schools unrolling soon.

Our staff comprises of qualified drama teachers. It is our aim for the children to have fun and learn at the same time. Using fun methods, we instill confidence and a positive self-esteem. At pre-school level we are not aiming to turn them into full scale actors but rather give them a confident base to work from and a love of the arts from a young age. Thereafter a lot more acting technique is taught.

Creative Characters is suitable for any child, it is great for those who need a bit of the spot light, and it also a wonderful fun activity for children with problems specifically, low muscle tone, ADD and speech problems.



A little bit about us

Justine Heydra

I started Creative characters 11 years ago, it started as a small business running from the Sandton Field and Study Center and gradually through word of mouth only, it grew to where it is today. The Creative Characters programme has been instrumental in helping thousands of children get a confident start to life and I am so proud of what it has become.

I have loved everything about starting and running this business. I always say, it is my fourth child. I no longer teach permanently, but I love to fill in occasionally, when I am needed. I now run Creative characters from home, managing the parent contact and information, continuously updating the syllabus and providing the teachers and franchisees with all the training and support they need. I am married to a very supportive husband Hans and in my spare time I raise my three gorgeous children (a daughter and 2 sons) who are aged 8, 6 and 1 and are the light of my life. My experience with my own children has really helped me to understand all the ages and stages that children go through.


Yvette Wilson

Yvette received her degree in Live Performance from AFDA in 2008. She then has gone on to perform in some short films, a few adverts and corporate DVDs. Yvette joined Creative Characters about three years ago. Yvette has a growing passion for children, she loves to watch them grow in confidence and especially those that are shy and do not want to get up and perform. There is nothing better than watch a child succeed.


Kim Rose-Mathew

Kim's love for drama and the stage began at age 3 when she went to her first ballet lesson. She has been a dancer her entire life, performing in shows and competitions. She even competed in an international hip hop competiton in Prague. After school, she decided to take her passion to the next level. She completed her honours degree in drama in 2010 from the University of Pretoria. Teaching drama part time during her studies sparked her love of kids and teaching, and so she decided to continue teaching after she completed her studies. Her other main passion is choreography, and since leaving university she has choreographed musicals such as Fame, West Side Story, and Dracula.


Lisa Butler

Graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand with a bachelor's degree in Dramatic Art (BADA) in 2011. I enjoy teaching children because they are very special and imaginative human beings, thus their development is very important. Confident, self-disciplined and focused children are able to succeed in their future and gain a pivotal edge in life.



Melissa Lottering

Melissa completed her BA Degree with honors in 2002 from AFDA. She has since acted in various theatre productions, been in a few adverts and held a supporting role in Generations. Since then her love for children has brought her to teaching, from shorts courses to English, Dance & Drama at a Pretoria high school, and finally to Creative Characters. Here she branched out into the Pretoria area, and has recently spread into the East Rand as well.