2007: Rebecca Patterson, Manchester Metropolitan University

Rebecca Patterson is a Senior Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan Institute of Education Didsbury where she teaches Drama in Education. Before joining MMU Rebecca was Head of Drama and Community Arts co-ordinator at Poynton High School and Performing Arts College in Cheshire. Rebecca began her career with Box Theatre Company touring schools and colleges in the Greater Manchester region. Since then she has acquired a degree in Law, a PGCE in Drama and English and a Masters in Performance Practice. During this time Rebecca also worked with Cheshire Youth Theatre and other Community theatre projects as director and choreographer. Rebecca is very much involved with ISTA (International Schools Theatre Association, an organisation that has had a major impact on international theatre in education in recent years). This role has enabled her to travel to Europe, Africa and Asia as a theatre practitioner and she has also contributed to a number of publications for ISTA, most recently ‘The Theatre Arts Support Materials for the International Baccalaureate’ (to be published in March 2007).

Last year Rebecca was part of the HEARTS team at MMU. She was responsible for coordinating a project funded by the Esmeé Fairbairn Foundation. The project enabled year-three BA Education students to develop their own skills as creative learners and teachers. The funding has been extended for a second year offering similar opportunities to PG Primary trainees. At present Rebecca is also involved in a Creative Partnerships project initiated by Wakefield LEA and co-ordinated by Integrate-Arts-Education. She is working with a number of schools in the area assisting them in the development of a creative curriculum for the future.

Rebecca will use the UCET/AACTE travel scholarship to attend the 'Drama across the Curriculum’ conference at the New York University Steinhardt School of Music and Performing Arts in April 2007. She will present a practical workshop and then plans to do some interviews and possibly carry out some action research into the ways in which drama pedagogy is being used in North American schools and HE institutions in the training of teachers.