Allan Owens

Professor of Drama Education

My practice and research centre round the professional and social applications of drama and theatre

Qualifications

PhD MA BA (Hons) PGCE ADB (Ed) FHEA FRSA

Overview

I am particularly interested in the use of process drama to create spaces for dialogue both within and between disciplines and cultures. This leads me to work in a wide range of professional contexts in the UK and overseas including education, theatre, health, community, business organisation and justice settings.

International work to date includes co-operation and long-term collaborative projects with colleagues in; Austria, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Japan, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and Sweden.

I am a UK National Teaching Fellow and a Distinguished Teaching Fellow of the University of Chester. I completed my PhD at the University of Warwick (Translating and Understanding in Intercultural Applied Drama Contexts), my MA (by thesis) at the University of Keele (Drama in a Community Context) and I am a graduate of the University of Sheffield (BA Hons. English Literature and Politics).

My professional qualifications include, a PGCE (English and Drama), ADB (Ed), I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA). In 2006 I was awarded a personal chair in Drama Education.

Teaching

Teaching on academic programmes: My work is based in two Faculties, Education and CS and Arts and Media-Department of Performing Arts. At undergraduate level I teach Applied Drama Practices and Advanced Drama Theory on the BA Drama and Theatre Studies programme. At Postgraduate level I lead the MA Education (Drama) Program pathway in the Faculty of Education & CS and contribute to the PGCE (Secondary Drama) and the MA Performance Practice in the Faculty of Arts & Media.

 

Current PhD/MPhil supervision of students researching into: Drama and sustainable business; Drama and social enterprise; The role of the artist-teacher in intercultural settings; How learning takes place in drama. Applications for research supervision are welcome.

 

I lead international developments in the Faculty of Education & CS. Current projects include:

Teachers Intercultural Awareness and Competence: with partner universities in Germany, Sweden, Austria, Estonia and Spain. 2010-2013 Life Long Learning, Erasmus Intensive Program funding.

Consultant University in the Revitalising Palestinian Schools Program- New Learning and the holistic approach: working with partner universities in West Bank, Palestine. 2011-2012 World Bank funding.

Research

Research projects include:

The expert practitioner :aesthetic and pedagogic adjustment. With La Neveva, Barcelona & Girona, Spain 2010-2011. Santander & EU Lifelong Learning funding .

Gypsy Roma Traveller and settled communities: pre-texts for dialogue 2011-2014, Cheshire West Local Authority & Knowledge Transfer funding.

Men Under the Sun: falling silent in the Palestinian –Israeli conflict. With Hala Al Rashid, Funding University of Bethlehem, Palestine.

Published work

Recent publications include:

Owens, A. and Green, N. (2010). Applied Drama : Communication through Pretexts, Tokyo: Tosha Bunka Publishing (192 pages). Foreward by Professor Yuri Kobayashi.

Owens, A. and Yamani, H. (2010). Returning to Haifa: a practise as research case study. Chapter in: Freeman, J. Blood, Sweat and Theory: Surrey: Libri Press.

Holtham, C.Ward, V. and Owens, A. (2010). Slow Knowledge Work-designing space and learning. European Group for Organisational Studies, 26th Colloquium, Lisobon, Portugal 28-30th July 2010

 

 Artistic practice, courses and key note addresses - recent work includes:

Stories from different directions: the drama practitioner and ideology. National Course, Vesterbergs, Sweden, funded by RAD, the National Swedish Drama Pedagogue Association. January 7-9th 2011.

Dreaming Dream Waltz and Urashima: Performance and pre-text tour of Finland in collaboration with Taichi Kikaku Theatre Company, Tokyo, Japan. 2-14th August 2010. Funded by Theatre Academy of Finland/Metropolia/, Espo and Kokola City Theatres.

The drama practitioner and the third space: Keynote address to the Estonian National Applied Theatre Conference, 18th March, 2010. Funded by Viljandi Culture Academy, University of Tartu.

Who to contact