Profile
I am an academic, teacher and senior administrator in Higher Education. I was born in working-class Scunthorpe and raised from the age of eight in multicultural Birmingham, where I was exposed to world-class performing arts and culture through my comprehensive education and local community. My reference points were the Midland Arts Centre, Birmingham Rep., The Drum, Symphony Hall, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, CBSO, BCMG and a thriving live music and arts scene.
I studied Performance Writing at Dartington College of Arts, and then undertook an PGCE in Drama at the University of Greenwich. I was a student on the innovative pan-London Teacher-Artist Partnership Programme (TAPP) whilst working as a Drama teacher at Newham Sixth Form College and undertook a Graduate Diploma in Professional Studies at the IoE as part of the TAPP programme.
My academic career – spanning twenty years - has been focused on the performing arts and creative industries; beginning as a drama and community arts lecturer in FE. In HE I have worked at the University of East London, the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance, Middlesex University and now Central. I have worked in senior leadership roles for over a decade, variously as Director of Performing Arts, Head of Education, Deputy Dean and now Vice Principal.
I have contributed London and national creative industries activity including as an executive member of Standing Conference of University Drama Depts. (SCUDD) (2010-13); Member of Advisory Review Panel for Pearson ‘A’ Level Drama awards (2012-13); member of Expert Review Panel for QAA Subject Benchmark Statement for Music (2015-16), and HE Chair of the West London Alliance HE/FE Creative and Cultural Skills Working Group (2021).
My research grant capture includes £45,000 (AHRC) as Principal Investigator of ‘Footwork: the Walking Artists Network’ (2012-2015) and £250,000 (JISC) as Creative Director of ‘CEDAR’ “Clustering & Enhancing Digital Archives for Research” (2009-2011).
I am a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Popular Music Education (Intellect).
I am a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Areas of Expertise
- Site-specific, responsive and sympathetic performance
- Walking as a performance and research practice
- Inclusive curriculum design
- Critical pedagogy
- Student voice and experience
- Transnational Education
- Industry partnership
Key Publications
I have published traditional research, practice-research and knowledge exchange outputs including:
2019. ‘Considering Techne in Popular Music Education: Value Systems in Popular Music Curricula’ in Bloomsbury Handbook of Popular Music Education. eds. Gareth Dylan Smith & Zack Moir. (London: Bloomsbury)
2015. Understanding Small Music Venues. (London: Music Venues Trust/ACE)
2015. ‘Welcome to…’ in Ways to Wander. eds. Claire Hind & Clare Qualmann. (Axminster: Triarchy Press)
2013. ‘Tracing Lines: walking and talking East London’ in Strollology in Practice: Formats in Locomotion. Ed. Bertram Weisshaar. (Berlin: Jovis Verlag)
Register of Interest
Nothing to declare.