Maev Kennedy
Conference Chair
Maev Kennedy works for The Guardian, writing mainly on the arts and archaeology and is also a regular columnist for Museums Journal. Born and educated in Dublin, and now living in London, she has written and broadcast on cultural subjects for a wide range of media in England and Ireland.
Ric Green
Operations & Technical Director, Opera North
Ric Green is Operations & Technical Director of Opera North, and has been with them for 25 years. Prior to this he was with the National Theatre for ten years. He led on the Transformation Project to renovate the Grand Theatre and build a new purpose built Opera Centre in Leeds. Ric has a positive influence on skills development in live arts through his participation at Board level across several major organisations including Creative and Cultural National Skills Academy and the Creative and Cultural Skills Sector Skills Council. He is a founder board member and current Chairman of CIDA (Creative Industries Development Agency) and Skillscene. He is also Principal Consultant with Theatresearch, a theatre consultancy service specialising in buildings, management, and operations advice for threatres, and the renovation of historic theatres. He is a Trustee of the Square Chapel Arts Centre in Wales.
Pamela Lea
BA(Hons) BArch(Hons)RIBA FRSA
Director, NVB Architects Ltd
Pamela qualified at Nottingham University in 1975 and joined the practice in 1976 becoming a partner then director in 1981. She has considerable experience in all types of educational design and in particular Performing Arts projects. Pamela has a personal interest in the arts as her son is an actor and teacher of drama whilst her daughter is an artist and gallery curator. As Chairman of Rook Lane Arts Trust whose purpose is’ to educate the public in all aspects of the arts’, Pamela is able to pursue her interest and enthusiasm for the performing and visual arts. This role gives an insight into the practicalities and challenges of running a venue and combining arts, performance and community education events.
Imelda Staunton
Stage & film actress
One of Britain’s finest stage and film actresses, Imelda Staunton has received multiple Olivier Awards, and a Bafta award and Oscar nomination for her performance as Vera Drake. Her most recent roles have included Kath in the West End theatre production of Entertaining Mr Sloane, Miss Pole in BBC’s Cranford, Vera Drake, and Dolores Umbridge in Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix. Brought up in North London, there was no acting tradition in the family. Imelda became interested in drama through her inspirational elocution teacher at La Sainte Union school on Highgate Road, Camden and took part in many school plays before going on to study at RADA and then work as a stage actress throughout the UK, before embarking on her acclaimed television and film career.
Peter Rabbett
Education Consultant
Peter is an education consultant with over 20 years experience in the field of school improvement. He is passionate about the arts and their impact on the lives of young people. He is a director of ONO Theatre and a member of the CABE school design review panel. He has extensive experience of school design and in particular how effective teaching and learning can inform the design process through working alongside architects, designers and IT professionals. He has been involved in the BSF programme from the outset, supporting consortia through the bidding process and also working with LAs to develop their programmes. He led the project management, design and commissioning of several City Learning Centres across the UK. He is a leading figure in the field of Local Authority improvement and has lectured nationally and internationally. Peter is currently working with the BSF team in Hampshire and has taken a leading role in developing Hampshire’s Strategy for Change and the development of the Arts, Culture and Cultural Learning Stakeholder Group.
Sid Higgins
Executive Director, National Youth Theatre of Great Britain
Sid has had a long association with the National Youth Theatre, having started as a member in 1981. Since then he has worked on over 100 productions for the company, and has been Executive Director of the National Youth Theatre since December 2003. Sid became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2008.Theatre includes: Les Miserables, Follies, The Phantom of The Opera, Aspects of Love, The Boy Friend; Guys and Dolls (RNT); The Barber of Seville, La Traviata and Agrippina (Kent Opera); Don Giovanni, La Boheme, Faust and The Seraglio (Opera Northern Ireland); Also The Vortex, A Clockwork Orange; The Music Of Andrew Lloyd Webber; Anything Goes; Song and Dance; The Hunting of the Snark; Which Witch; The Complete Works of William Shakespeare; The Bible – The Complete Word of God; Once On This Island; 90 Years of Dance; Think No Evil Of Us – My Life With Kenneth Williams; Cyrano de Bergerac; Issey Ogata – City Life; Trainspotting; Shopping and F**king; The Snowman, Something Wonderful and Mother Clap’s Molly House all in the West End. He designed age sex loc@tion for the NYT (Lyric Hammersmith and Berlin) and was lighting designer for Puppetry of the Penis, Resident Alien and Julie Burchill Is Away The Merchant of Venice in London at the Royal Opera House and in Beijing at the National Centre for the Performing Arts, and Pam Ann.
Alistair Boag
Theatre Director Stahl Theatre, Oundle School
Ali Boag was appointed Director of The Stahl Theatre, Oundle in 2006 to manage a programme of school and professional productions at the venue. From 2000 he was Manager of Opera East Productions for whom he directed a number of operas including Don Giovanni, The Rape of Lucretia and The Barber of Seville. For the Oundle International Music Festival he directed Tobias and the Angel, and The Cunning Little Vixen, both staged as community operas. He is an occasional actor, appearing on stage and in film and he teaches drama at secondary level.
Anthony Ruck
Arts and Cultural Adviser to BSF in the West Midlands, MADE - Midlands Architecture and the Designed Environment.
Anthony Ruck currently works at MADE (The Midlands Architecture Centre) as Arts and Culture Adviser to Building Schools for the Future in the West Midlands – in an Arts Council funded post to promote arts and culture across the BSF programme in the region. The role provides a strategic resource for Local Authorities to help their provision for arts and cultural learning and engagement in schools and communities, as well as supporting local authorities to think strategically about the role that arts and culture has in relation to the capital investment provided by BSF, both in terms of transforming education, and physical spaces. Before working at MADE – Anthony has worked on the pilot programme of the Sorrell Foundation’s JoinedUpDesignforSchools programme with University of the Arts London, and also ran a small graphic design studio working for the third sector in London for four years.
Mark Foley
Principal, Burrell Foley Fischer LLP
Principal in the architectural practice Burrell Foley Fischer LLP, Mark Foley has specialist expertise in the design of theatres, auditoria spaces and buildings for the performing arts. He has gained particular experience in the design of modern and classical dance facilities and he carries out consultancy and research in this field. His work has led to numerous publications, participation on advisory bodies and teaching positions. Theatre work includes the Almeida Islington, the Watford Palace Theatre, the Frensham Heights School Performing Arts Centre, the Yehudi Menuhin School Menuhin Hall and the recently completed refurbishment and remodeling of the Sheffield Crucible.
Geoff Halliwell
Director, Bond Bryan Architects
Geoff is a Director in Bond Bryan Architect’s Sheffield Studio. He has nearly 20 years experience at Bond Bryan and has worked for a wide range of education clients as well as within other sectors. He specialises in education design, masterplanning & feasibility studies and he has recently worked with such institutions as York College, Archbishop Grimshaw School, David Young Community Academy, Bradford Academy and Joseph Rowntree School, York. Geoff has a strong track record in working with stakeholders and end users to ensure they truly have ownership and understanding of their project.
Nicoline Harrington
Assistant Head Teacher & Director of Specialism, Rodillian School Leeds
Nikki is an Assistant Head Teacher at Rodillian School, Leeds, with specific responsibility for leading the development of the Performing Arts College, in all aspects of its work; maintaining academic standards, leading on innovative curriculum development, supporting the improvement of Teaching and Learning across the whole school and working in the community to provide opportunities and quality Arts experiences. Rodillian moved into a brand-new building in September 2008 and was involved in various consultation processes at different stages of the design. Nikki has been an English and Drama teacher for 18 years.
Oliver Haden
Vice Principal, The Langley Academy
Oliver Haden started his professional theatre career at the age of 14 at The Royal Court Theatre in London. After training as an actor, he embarked on an acting career spanning 20 years. He then trained as a Drama teacher at Goldsmiths College, London. In 2008, he joined a team setting up The Langley Academy of Science to replace a once- failing school and gaining authorisation to teach the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, set up a thriving Sixth Form. He is currently Vice Principal responsible for The Creative and Performing Arts Faculty, the Vertical House System and the Sixth Form. Oliver champions the arts in an academy that focuses on Science, Internationalism, Sustainability, Cricket, Rowing and Museum Learning.
Natasha Coccia-Clark
Head of Drama, The Bridge Academy, Hackney
Natasha studied Drama and Theatre Studies at Trinity College Dublin and then later trained as a classical actor at The Central School of Speech and Drama, London. As well as having worked as part of a theatre company in the Rep. of Ireland and for the Arts Council of England, Natasha has worked in the arts and education sector for the last decade and trained in secondary drama at Goldsmiths College, University of London. She is the newly appointed Head of Drama at The Bridge Academy Hackney, having previously taught in two all boys comprehensive schools in London. Natasha has most recently created a number of significant partnerships with local theatre companies in order to raise attainment in Drama at The Bridge. This is a significant part of her PhD research at Royal Holloway under the supervision of Prof. Helen Nicholson.
Andrew Perry
Assistant Head (Arts), Townley Grammar School for Girls
Andrew has successfully combined a professional theatre career (as a principal opera singer) with a teaching career, specialising in music and drama. He is the Assistant Head Teacher in charge of the arts programme at Townley Grammar School for Girls in South East London. Previously Director of Arts College at Tiffin Boys School, Kingston, he was responsible for introducing dance to the curriculum to GCSE level. Andrew has never recognised a division between professional and school theatre. He continues to teach and direct. As client, he was responsible for the infrastructure of the Townley Theatre, working in partnership with the architects and contractors.
Paul Durose
Chairman, School Theatre Support Group
Paul Durose is Chairman of the Schools’ Theatre Support Group, an organisation he helped to establish in 2005 to benefit those working in school and college theatres. The Group is now well-established with members from educational venues around the country. Paul is also the Theatre Manager and Senior Technician at The Leys in Cambridge, a small independent secondary school with a busy theatre. As well as staging the school’s productions and events, supporting the academic Drama programme, providing facilities for local community groups, and overseeing the student ‘Backstage Club’, Paul is also involved with the design and specification of a £8.5-million new theatre and performing arts building. Paul has 6 years experience working in school theatres, prior to which he worked in Newcastle and Cardiff, and trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Further information www.stsg.org.uk
Dan Aldridge
Head of Operations, Stage Electrics
Dan is responsible for the successful delivery of installed theatrical projects in the education and professional theatre sectors each year, amounting to approximately £9 million. He has worked for Stage Electrics, the UK’s leading theatrical installers, for 5 years. He trained as a Mechanical Engineer and has an extensive background in engineering; research & development management and has had experience in international consulting for governments and defence contractors. Dan has been responsible for re-structuring Stage Electrics approach to installations by promoting a greater engagement with a broad range of project stakeholders and is passionate about seeing this initiative adopted more widely. He believes all too often the intended beneficiaries of a project are too remote from the project specification, development and costing phases, which sometimes results in unnecessary and unintended compromises in the final delivery. Dan has always had an active interest in performance and the associated technologies. He still manages to find time to actively participate most weekends in performances as the technical manager for the creative arts team at a large Bristol based church.
Richard Jones
National Specialism Coordinator Music and Performing Arts, Specialist Schools and Academies Trust
Richard Jones was educated in Newtown, Powys and is a graduate of York University and UCNW Bangor. His MA in Applied Educational Studies, focussed on the impact of extra – curricular music on students and parents. He gained the NPQH qualification in 2003. The bulk of his work in the classroom was at Richmond School, a large rural comprehensive in North Yorkshire. As well as sending a constant stream of young musicians into the music profession and teaching world Richard is renowned for his work with school wind bands world wide, sharing his expertise in the Netherlands, USA, Canada and Australia. In September 2005 Richard became the National Specialism Coordinator for Music and Performing Arts for the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust working with over 600 schools with specialist arts or music status. In this role he is a member of the Government Music Programme Board, Music and Dance Scheme Expert Panel and the Board of the Music Education Council.
