Viv Aitken is Senior Lecturer in Education at the University of Waikato, Hamilton New Zealand, where she contributes to pre-service programmes for primary and secondary teachers and supervises postgraduate research. Viv also works with teachers in schools across New Zealand providing professional development in drama and Mantle of the Expert. Over the last ten years, Viv has researched, presented and published in the fields of curriculum integration, arts education, drama in inclusive settings and relational pedagogy. She has also convened several conferences, including Weaving Our Stories (2009) at which Dorothy Heathcote gave one of her final keynote addresses.
Beatriz A. V. Cabral (Biange Cabral) is a drama professor at the State University of Santa Catarina. Formerly she also worked as a theatre director at the Federal University of SC and from 1996 to 2003 coordinated research and extension projects which linked both universities – theatre students and teachers. Among these projects, a research link with the University of Exeter (1997-2001) backed by CAPES and British Council. She takes part in the Pedagogy Group of ABRACE (Brazilian Research and Post-Graduation Association), and was member of its directory from 2002-2004. Her former researches investigated ‘impact in drama’, ‘reception analysis’, and presently, ‘the interpretation game: subjectivities in group’s creation’. She was granted a Productivity and Research Scholarship by CNPq.
Anna Carter currently works as an independent education adviser based in Northampton, having previously worked for the Local Authority as a Learning Advisor for Drama. Anna is co-lead in the Drama for Writing initiative, a method of teaching, progressing from Foundation Stage through to Key Stage 3; developed and trialled over many years to develop pupils’ ability in reading, writing, oracy and analytical thinking, through their enjoyment and practical engagement in well-structured dramatic activity. Anna works closely with local Arts Partners including Act Out Graduate Theatre Company and The University of Northampton. She also co-organises an annual Schools’ Arts Festival. Anna has also co-written the resource Protective Behaviours Activities for Teaching Behaviours in Schools by Jodie Bodsworth, Anna Carter and Simon Sneath, Speechmark.
Sue Davis is Senior Lecturer in the School of Education, Central Queensland University. She is a writer/director and professional learning consultant with expertise and experience in facilitating creative projects and community engagement. Her research and creative practice interests include exploring the ways that creative processes (including digital technologies and drama processes) can be used for engagement and learning. Sue regularly presents at national and international conferences and has had a number of book chapters and refereed articles published. She has also written curriculum and assessment materials for syllabus and assessment projects and sits on the Queensland Studies Authority state panel for Senior Drama and the Learning Advisory Reference Committee for The Arts.
Stig A. Eriksson is Professor of drama education in Norway at Bergen University College ( Høgskolen i Bergen), Drama Department, Centre for Arts, Communication and Culture. Eriksson’s research interests are related to historical and actual developments in the field of drama/theatre and education, including the broad field of ‘applied theatre’. In 2008-2010 Eriksson was involved in the EU-funded international research project DICE (Drama Improves Lisbon Key Competences in Education), together with two colleagues in the drama department. In 2011-2013 he was involved in an arts education research program within the faculty, which resulted in a book edition, Theatre as Bildung (Teater som danning), where he was one of 3 editors (2013). Currently Eriksson is involved as one of 3 coordinators in a national research program: Drama/Theatre and Democracy (2013-2016). Eriksson has published in several professional journals in the field, in Norway and abroad.
Sally Harris began her teaching career as an English, Dance and Drama teacher. During this time she was head of Expressive and Performing Arts (her students include Scott Graham, artistic director of Frantic Assembly and Neil Bettles, artistic director of Thickskin company) and Assistant Head/Director of the Performing Arts Specialism. After completing her PhD she is now a freelance theatre/drama practitioner.
Eva Hallgren isdrama pedagogue, teacher, PhD student, Drama in Education in Stockholm. She has been teaching at different levels, in different school forms, for many years. For the last ten years she has been working at the University of Gävle, mainly in education for drama pedagogues and in teacher education. Her research interest is what happens when all are in role, both teacher and participants, and how that could be used in education without becoming too mechanical.
Brad Haseman is Professor and Assistant Dean (Academic) for the Creative Industries Faculty, Queensland University of Technology. A drama teacher and researcher for over forty years, Brad is well-known as co-author with John O’Toole, of Dramawise and as a workshop leader and speaker. In 1995 he was co-convenor of the IDEA Congress held in Brisbane, Australia. Most recently Brad has been recognised for his research into practice-led methodologies for arts and creative practice. He is developing these research strategies in the Australian Research Council funded project Developing applied performance programs for HIV and AIDS education in Papua New Guinea and in March this year was keynote speaker at the third Colloquium on Artistic Research in Performing Arts in Helsinki. In 2012 Brad received the President’s award from National Drama Australia for excellence in Drama Education.
Christine Hatton is a lecturer and early career researcher in the areas of drama, creative arts education, curriculum and technology at the University of Newcastle, Australia. Her research and publications have explored the intersections of gender, narrative and identity in the drama classroom and the potential for curriculum-based drama to open spaces for critical dialogue and change. She has recently been awarded the 2014 ECR Research Fellowship at her university. She is a chief investigator in the Fresh Air Initiative Research Study (2014 – 2016) funded by Arts NSW examining the impacts of sustained artists in schools residency programs. She has published Young at Art: Classroom Playbuilding in Practice (Routledge 2009), with her co-author Sarah Lovesy.
Brian Heap is Senior Lecturer and Head of the Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica. He studied with Dorothy Heathcote at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, and has worked in Drama and Education for over thirty-five years. With Pamela Bowell he co-authored Planning Process Drama: Enriching Teaching and Learning (2001, 2013) as well as several conference papers and articles for refereed journals. He is an international consultant and served as Conference Director and Convener of the Fifth International Drama in Education Research Institute (2006) in Kingston, Jamaica.
Lidwine Janssens
The Ludic element was always there, as long as she remembers. As drama teacher she found Dorothy Heathcote on her road of ‘I do it my way’. She guided schools, developed play compositions out of storylines, moments of Teacing in Role and Mantle of the Expert. Over the years all the arts played with. She published drama books and articles. She trained at teacher universities (national and as guest lecturer international), established with others the start of IDEA. These last years her theories came together in the pyramid of Ludic Pedagogic, you will find a summary in English in www.ludic-arteducation.eu
Muriel Yuen-fun Law obtained her Master of Drama Education at Griffith University, Australia, and PhD (Cultural Studies) at Lingnan University, Hong Kong. Her research interests lie in areas where cultural studies, education and drama intersect in the contemporary social world, and her research foci include critical pedagogy and drama in social inquiry; performance and everyday life; English learning and cultural writing. Currently, Muriel works as an independent researcher, conducting researches in drama/theatre-in-education, school curriculum and pedagogy. She also teaches part-time at Hong Kong Art School, supervising masters students’ applied theatre and drama teaching practicum, and facilitates drama workshops at school and post-secondary levels. Muriel publishes in both local and overseas academic journals in the fields of cultural studies and drama education. She also serves on the editorial board of a bilingual journal, The Journal of Drama and Theatre Education in Asia (DaTEAsia).
Mary Mooney is associate professor at the University of Western Sydney. She teaches and researches in the fields of drama education, critical and creative pedagogy and effective teaching. Mary is interested in theoretical framings around the cultural practices of young people ranging from investigations into creative, digital and performative youth arts.
Jennifer Nicholls teaches at Macquarie University, Sydney. Her research interests have focused on online learning and the creative arts. As one of the first academics at Macquarie to introduce elearning in her courses she has been at the forefront of creating innovative and dynamic online learning spaces to promote collaboration and engagement of her students. Jennifer has published in national and international journals. In 2008 she was awarded a Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council for her work in student engagement in drama and online technology.
Eva Österlind, drama pedagogue, Ph.D. Ed. Sc., associate professor Drama in Education, has long experience of teaching drama in higher education, mainly teacher education. Her research focus is instructional design – especially form as content – and the potential of drama in education, in relation to students’ social backgrounds. She initiated a Bachelor Program in Educational Drama at the University of Gävle, Sweden, and now works at Stockholm University, where she teaches at master level and tutors doctoral students. She is interested in drama and leadership, Forum Theatre as a tool for active citizenship, and drama methods in teaching for sustainable development.
Shelley Piasecka is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Chester, with a specialist interest in educational drama and theatre practice and theory. Shelley has twenty years’ experience of teaching and leading theatre in the post 16 and HE sector and has a PhD with MMU Cheshire, which explored drama pedagogy in the primary school curriculum.
Erika Piazzoli is currently completing her PhD at Griffith University (Brisbane), in the aesthetics of process drama for additional language learning. Erika is a teacher of Italian and a part time tutor at Griffith University in process drama and communication courses. She recently presented a panel keynote on Aesthetic Engagement at the International Drama in Education Research Institute (IDIERI), held in Limerick in July 2012. She has a growing number of international publications in the field of drama for language learning.
Ross Prior is the founding editor of the international Journal of Applied Arts & Health and became a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health in 2011. He is Associate Professor at The University of Northampton, UK. He has held a range of posts both within the profession and education, having taught at all levels of education for many years. In 2007 he was awarded the distinguished ‘Teaching Fellow of The University’ for excellence in teaching. Dr Prior has been closely involved with the Drama in Education movement for much of his life, as a researcher, teacher and practitioner. His latest major contribution is his book entitled Teaching Actors: knowledge transfer in actor training (2012 Intellect/University of Chicago Press).
Jo Raphael is head of drama education at Deakin University, Australia. She teaches in Deakin’s graduate and undergraduate education courses and regularly provides professional development for teachers. She has a strong interest in applied drama and theatre with a commitment to working in communities of disadvantage and disability. Jo is also Artistic Director of Fusion Theatre, an inclusive community-based theatre company. She has won awards for her university teaching and her extensive contributions to her professional community. Her research and publications span the areas of arts curriculum and pedagogy, drama and digital technologies, drama in teacher education, inclusive education and teaching for diversity.
Ruth Sayers is Dean of the School of Culture, Education and Innovation at Bishop Grosseteste University. She was a drama teacher and Head of an Arts Faculty in Nottinghamshire for the first 18 years of her career. She also worked as a support/advisory teacher for the Dance and Drama Support service, under the leadership of Jonothan Neelands, with whom she worked extensively. Ruth was an Executive Committee of National Drama for several years. She is is a Teaching and Learning Fellow at BGU and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Polyxeni Simou is from Greece. She holds a degree in Greek literature and ancient theatre and a MSc in Drama in Education (Trinity College, Dublin). She is a secondary school teacher and organises school theatre groups. Her main interest is in drama/theatre pedagogy. She is a facilitator in workshops on Drama in Education and has delivered papers at a variety of conferences. She played an integral role in the Water Reckoning project.
