In this month's conversation Ali Warren is in conversation with Jacqui O'Hanlon MBE, Director of Learning and National Partnerships at the Royal Shakespeare Company.  Jacqui talks with great passion and honesty about the work of both the departments (Learning and National Partnerships) she oversees and gives us an insight in to the work that they do to support 2000 teachers a year via approx. 1000 schools.  Jacqui comments very honestly about the barriers the company can sometimes face, that she refers to as the 'perception barrier' "...what we've got with the Royal Shakespeare Compa ..read more

In this month's conversation Ali Warren from Open Drama UK is in conversation with playwright Mark Wheeller.  Mark opens up about where it all started for him, his passion for David Bowie and why he wants to tell the stories of others through the power of theatre and performance.  With authenticity and passion he talks us through his reasons for why he does what he does with top tips, how he has benefited from festivals and why he doesn't feel what he does is challenging it is interesting. "He did it by a simple lighting technique... he was there all along in the shadows... lights on ..read more

In this month's episode, Jack Beswick (Merseyside champion for Open Drama UK) is in conversation with Cate Hollis, the Founder of Voices of the Holocaust. Jack has first hand experience of how wonderful the work of Voices of the Holocaust is and wanted to share the important work that is achieved with more Drama teachers and theatre educators. Voices of the Holocaust is the only specialist Holocaust theatre in education company in Europe.  Within the conversation they talk about 'Kindness: A Legacy of the Holocaust' a 1-hour play without an interval co-written by Cate Hollis and Mark Whee ..read more

In this month's episode, Carl Dunnington is in conversation with Patrick O'Sullivan, Head of Creative Learning at Mayflower and MAST theatres in Southampton. This conversation gives us an insight into running an engagement/participation department in a professional working theatre. Patrick is currently writing a 3 year business strategy and shaping his vision for his new team of 13 colleagues to ensure more people engage with the venue... "bringing more people into the venue who might not consider drama/theatre as something for them!"  Patrick is all about 'evolution not revolution' and i ..read more

In this month's episode, Holly Barradell is in conversation with Katie Day. Katie has just started a new role as the Head of Drama at Radnor House Sevenoaks Prep school. Katie qualified as a Drama teacher in 2010 and worked in state, secondary education for 12 years before making the change to independent and primary age teaching.  Katie and Holly talk openly and honestly about the change in culture, the different demands and considerations working with primary aged children in a fee-paying setting.  The power of play, creativity and freedom. Katie explains how her move to a new sett ..read more

In this month's episode Carl Dunnington (Dorset Champion for Open Drama UK) is joined by Kerry Frampton to talk all things Splendid! Kerry is so open, honest, reflective and warm as she discusses her life through the lens of theatre and why she creates the work she does today for young people.  Splendid's vision and approach is to create theatre that: makes complex things straight forward through doing rather than just reading about it by finding joy, connectivism and things that are universal whilst looking out and after each other with mischief Splendid "go in, encourage young people ..read more

Welcome back to Series 3 of Open Drama UK's Half Hour Call CPD Podcast.  We start this series with our South London Champion, Quin Golding, in conversation with Sinead O'Callaghan, Head of Engagement at Les Enfants Terribles. Sinead and Quin talk through so much of what Les Enfants Terribles has to offer to support young people and their teachers.  You can read more about the company here, a company that started with humble roots having met at National Youth Theatre and heading to the Edinburgh Fringe on a low budget and look where they are now! Sinead talks about how the founders sa ..read more

Welcome back to Series 3 of Open Drama UK's Half Hour Call CPD Podcast.  We start this series with our South London Champion, Quin Golding, in conversation with Sinead O'Callaghan, Head of Engagement at Les Enfants Terribles. Sinead and Quin talk through so much of what Les Enfants Terribles has to offer to support young people and their teachers.  You can read more about the company here, a company that started with humble roots having met at National Youth Theatre and heading to the Edinburgh Fringe on a low budget and look where they are now! Sinead talks about how the founders sa ..read more

In this month's episode, and the last episode for Series 2, Holly Barradell is in conversation with Dr Krystal Wilkinson and Caroline Biddle.  "What do we really know about family formation?" and how can we educate and empower people to understand more about the work life interface, the complex journey of fertility and how can we raise awareness with different stakeholder groups? Through Drama - well Ethnodrama to be specific. This episode discusses the huge challenges people face when faced with infertility and Caroline Biddle, a former Drama teacher herself now turned Fertility coach an ..read more

In this month's episode, Ali Warren is in conversation with Janet Shell. Janet provides voice coaching and communication skills to teachers. Janet is an experienced classroom teacher herself who has also had a long career as a professional opera singer and singing teacher. She now brings her broad expertise and her technical knowledge of the voice to offer personal and targeted training in healthy voice use. Alison and Janet talk all about the vocal health for teachers, how voice communicates meaning, how voice supports behaviour management and considers the importance of teacher well being wi ..read more