Graduate James Clarke wins at the Music & Drama Education Awards

Congratulations to Central graduate James Clarke, a teacher at Whitefield School and partner on Central’s Innovating Knowledge Exchange (IKE) project, on his recent win at the 2022 Music & Drama Education Awards! 

James was awarded the Drama Inspiration Award for his work on the IKE intergenerational project, with the judges remarking that they were “impressed by the element of social justice in this teacher’s work, as well as their advocacy and willingness to challenge prejudice”.  The judges commented on James’s “clear passion for the subject”, and they especially noted the intergenerational nature of the work James was partnering with IKE to create. The IKE project is a partnership with Dr Nicola Abraham, Rachel Hudspith, Central students and the Dementia Care team staff from Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. 

Central’s Dr Nicola Abraham and fellow Central graduate Rachel Hudspith (who is also working on the IKE project as Activity Co-Ordinator for the Dementia Care Team and Acting Project Co-Lead) were also shortlisted for the Drama Inspiration Award for their work on the Innovating Knowledge Exchange intergenerational project with James, and the project itself was named a finalist for the Outstanding Drama Initiative Award 2022. 

The nominations and win at this year’s award recognised the team’s intergenerational and collaborative work run between Central second year BA Contemporary Performance Practice collaborative outreach students, year 9 and staff from Whitefield School, and NHS staff and patients.  For patients on Auchi Ward, an acute dialysis ward in Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, the project offered engagement, companionship, enjoyment and cognitively stimulating activities. The students, in turn, learned about the importance of drama and the arts, raised their aspirations and opened their eyes to the possibilities of careers in arts and health.  Above all, it improved the wellbeing of everyone involved.

Maura Appelbe, Matron for Auchi Ward and Jo James, Consultant Nurse in Dementia and Delirium, were instrumental in both dreaming up, and setting up this intergenerational project to support patients and school children missing family members through collaborative creative exchange. The Central team would like to thank Jo, Maura and the wonderful staff of Auchi ward for their ongoing support for this and many other projects they are continuing to run in collaboration for the IKE project. 

Of the Intergenerational project, Maura Appelbe commented: 

The Auchi Acute Haemodialysis Unit is based at Imperial College Renal and Transplant Centre at Hammersmith Hospital, London. The Intergen Project was an exciting opportunity to link two groups in society who would otherwise never engage. Patients isolated on dialysis in hospital and Yr 9 students studying drama at school. I was not sure how the two groups would manage to communicate and collaborate to generate material for performances. This concern was soon eradicated. The facilitators (Rachel, Nicola) used tablets to link the two groups over Teams in a creative dialogue. They bounced ideas off each-other and came up with inspiring and creative ideas for character and plots. Both groups were from diverse backgrounds with the majority of patients being over 65yrs. 

In the midst of the pandemic when patients were very fearful of attending hospital. It was wonderful then to hear the project in action and the laughter and giggling of patients while I walked around the unit. Patients chatting with teenagers in an animated and energetic manner. Patients reported recalling the events of the project to their family and enjoying having something new to talk about and having a general increased sense of self-worth. They felt that have a lifetime of knowledge and wisdom to share and were delighted to have for an opportunity to do this. They also felt they were learning new relevant words and phrases from a different generation and that there was a “coolness” to this! Using the format of Teams was new for all of them and they were very interested in how to develop this in their own lives. Patient said they looked forward to the meetings and that it took away that feeling of having “wasted time “on dialysis and replacing it with “time well spent” instead. This is a project that I feel could be replicated in other dialysis units to promote intergenerational collaboration and improving patients’ wellbeing. 

You can learn more about the project here.  

Of his win, James Clarke said: 

I’m truly humbled and taken back to have been named the winner of the “Drama Inspiration Award” at the 2022 Music &Drama Education Awards.  There were so many incredible individuals and organisations represented, that to be shortlisted amongst them both individually and as a group in a different category for our intergen project on Auchi Ward, was honour enough.  

I dedicate this award to my students, teachers, patients on Auchi Ward and staff at the NHS. All of whom make me the teacher I am today. They inspire me to be the best version of me possible.  To know that I was awarded for the Intergenerational work we’ve been doing between The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Whitefield School and Imperial College Healthcare Trust NHS is extra special.  

My hope is that this award will share with others the collaborative and unique work happening out there in the applied theatre world today, and particularly the power we have as educators and practitioners to make positive change. 

Central’s Dr Nicola Abraham, Senior Lecturer in Applied Theatre Practices and Central’s Project Lead for the Innovating Knowledge Exchange Project, said: 

Incredibly proud of everyone nominated as finalists from our IKE project and huge congratulations to James for winning the Drama Inspiration Award for his work on the Innovating Knowledge Exchange Intergenerational project.  

The simple fact is that James is an inspirational teacher. He is incredibly talented and very humble to work with, his students clearly have nothing but respect for James and he is devoted to his work with his students. It has been our great pleasure to work with James and his wonderful students.  

James has worked incredibly hard with us to make the intergenerational project the success it is and made a huge difference to patients. Our undergraduate BA DATE students have also benefited from James’s guidance working with us on Intergen. James is generous, kind and understands the need for responsive practice in clinical settings. I was proud to call him my student, I am ridiculously proud to call him my colleague, but I am now fortunate enough to call him my friend.  

To my friend James then, thank you, you are brilliant, I hope you know how privileged I feel to be able to continue our work together. The profession needs teachers like you to innovate, take a chance, and take learning to a whole new level. Your students need teachers like you who care, offer new opportunities, and never give up on the potential to be ignited within the young people you work with. Applied theatre needs people like you to advance practice, see what’s possible in partnership, and not only talk about change but actually enable spaces for new possibilities to exist. Cheers! 

Fellow nominee Rachel Hudspith, a Central Graduate and the Activity Co-Ordinator for the Dementia Care Team at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said: 

I felt honoured to attend the Music and Drama Education Awards as a finalist with a truly brilliant and inspirational team of people.  

I am thrilled to have seen James Clarke receive his award and to witness the excitement and joy from one of his students who attended the event. You could see just how important teachers like James are in young people’s lives and James clearly has such a positive and lasting impact on the students he works with. The award is incredibly well deserved, and I am overwhelmed by the exceptional support we have had from James whilst working on the intergen project. 

Following their recent success at the Music & Drama Education Awards James and Whitefield School, together with Central and the Dementia Care Team at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, have been shortlisted for the Award for Impact through Partnership at the Pearson National Teaching Awards for the IKE intergenerational project. 

They have also been shortlisted, through Whitefield School, at this year’s Tes Schools Awards for Community Engagement Initiative of the Year for their work on the IKE Intergenerational project with Central and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. 

Congratulations to all involved!