QUALIFICATIONS & TRAINING

BA (Hons) Drama – University of Northumbria.
Youth Arts Award – Open College Network.
Working with Vulnerable and Volatile Groups – The Unit for Arts and Offenders
Arts in Criminal Justice – The Unit for Arts and Offenders
Dealing With Challenging Behaviour – Geese Theatre Company

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Facilitator

Hi8us, Birmingham – Drama Facilitator
Regularly employed as a freelance drama facilitator on various media projects with young people. Leading weekly drama sessions and facilitating group discussions of ideas, the projects usually culminate in the creation of posters and/or screen adverts.

Ride Out, Creative Arts for Rehabilitation, Stoke on Trent – Drama Facilitator
Employed as a freelance drama facilitator for a week long project at HMYOI Swinfen Hall, Litchfield (Sept 2004). Worked with Saul Hewish to lead daily drama workshops with young male offenders.

Gallery 37, Birmingham City Council, Birmingham – Drama Facilitator
Employed as a lead artist on a four week film/drama project working with young people aged 16-24 (Aug 2003). Responsibilities included leading group workshops, dealing with challenging behaviour, providing mentoring support to shadow artists and the young people, teaching key skills, directing the devising and scripting of the film and general organisation of the project. The final product of the four weeks was a short film entitled ‘20:20 Vision'.

Trainer

Dramatic Solutions, Birmingham – Trainer/Role Player
Regularly employed as a freelance trainer and role player delivering or assisting in the delivery of training sessions. Recent work includes Diversity & Equality training for employees of Birmingham City Council, Creative Business Success for students at University of Central England & Conversion training for employees of the General Post Office.

Applied Theatre Consultants, New Zealand – Trainer
Completed a contract of work for the Ministry of Education and the Mental Health foundation ( May 2003 – Sept 2004). Employed to write resources for teachers and to run training workshops for teachers and health professionals.

Teacher

Birmingham Theatre School, Birmingham – Tutor
Employed to teach the Theatre in Education module of the HND Theatre Acting course (Autumn 2003, 2004 & 2005). Responsibilities included planning and leading teaching sessions & assessing and marking students.

Creative Partnerships, Birmingham – Drama Facilitator
Regularly employed as a drama facilitator to work on various projects in Birmingham primary schools. The projects involve the children working in and out of role, debating issues, developing ideas and performing stories. The pupils involved are from both mainstream and special schools.

The Play House, Birmingham – Teacher/Actor
Full time permanent teacher/actor for Language Alive! Theatre-in-Education Company and Catalyst Theatre-in-Health Education Company (Sept 1998 – Jan 2002).Responsibilities included devising, scripting and touring participatory theatre-in-education programmes both locally and nationally, working with children and young people aged 3-18 years. Running INSET training for teachers, designing and making costumes, set and props, writing teachers resource packs, liasing with teachers and managing freelance staff.

OTHER EMPLOYMENT

Education Associate Birmingham Rep – Recent work includes Gallery 37 Lead Artist 2003 & Writing teachers pack for ‘Through the Woods' Children's Show 2004 & ‘Promises & Lies’ - UB40 Musical 2006.

PUBLICATIONS

'Headspin' A Mental Health Education Resource for Senior Students written by Dr.Peter O'Connor and Helen Blackmore for the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand. Published in 2005.

OTHER INFORMATION

Keynote Speaker at ‘Arts for Teachers’ Mini Conference Auckland, New Zealand 2002
Workshop Presenter at National Drama, York, UK 2000 and IDEA, Bergen, Norway 2001.
INSET trainer for teachers in UK, Mauritius & New Zealand 1999-2003
Governor for Chandos Primary School, Birmingham, March 2000- Dec 2001

Birmingham Theatre School, Birmingham – Tutor Employed to teach the Theatre in Education module of the HND Theatre Acting course (Autumn 2003, 2004 & 2005). Responsibilities included planning and leading teaching sessions & assessing and marking students.

Birmingham Theatre School, Birmingham – Tutor
Employed to teach the Theatre in Education module of the HND Theatre Acting course (Autumn 2003, 2004 & 2005). Responsibilities included planning and leading teaching sessions & assessing and marking students.