I am Senior Lecturer in Acting, Performance and Directing at The University of East London, the Course Leader for MA/MFA Directing for Stage and Screen and MA/MFA Theatre Directing. My teaching focuses on actor and director training, ensemble devising skills and emerging contemporary performance practices. I have taught in HE since 2015, including across BA Drama at De Montfort University and BA Drama and Performance at The University of Worcester.
CORE FIELDS OF TEACHING:
I particularly enjoy teaching modules that focus on integrating practical theatre skills with critical, theoretical analysis. I am also passionate about creating opportunities to develop student’s experience in collaborating with outside organisations and creating work for public performance. Over the past nine years, I have developed mutually beneficial links between Universities and outside organisations, museums, archives and community interest groups to create public, site-specific performances. I am also experienced in supervising both written and practice-based dissertation projects across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, as well as practice-based PhD projects.
I am committed to decolonising the curriculum, enabling students of all abilities to develop excellence in their studies, designing an inclusive curriculum and implementing innovative and flexible methods of delivery to best support this.
CORE FIELDS OF TEACHING:
- Metamodern Performance Practice & Theory
- The relationship between Contemporary Performance & the Millennial Generation
- Activist Performance & Postdramatic Political Theatre
- Devised Performance processes
- Theatre Director Training
- Actor Training
- Site-Specific Performance
- Archival Performance
- Research Methods and Practice-as-Research
- Theatre & Performance Theory / Cultural Enquiry
I particularly enjoy teaching modules that focus on integrating practical theatre skills with critical, theoretical analysis. I am also passionate about creating opportunities to develop student’s experience in collaborating with outside organisations and creating work for public performance. Over the past nine years, I have developed mutually beneficial links between Universities and outside organisations, museums, archives and community interest groups to create public, site-specific performances. I am also experienced in supervising both written and practice-based dissertation projects across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, as well as practice-based PhD projects.
I am committed to decolonising the curriculum, enabling students of all abilities to develop excellence in their studies, designing an inclusive curriculum and implementing innovative and flexible methods of delivery to best support this.
Student Testimonials
‘The courses & modules developed by Tom are exemplary at: Establishing boundaries for the student learner, offering world class work experience, safely challenging student as worker/professional throughout their work [and] enabling them to reflect on their own industry perceptions, bias, inclusivity, professionalism creating a student/professional with a superb skillset for employability. These are an outstanding set of PG courses with experiential learning situated at the core of each course and module. Impressive student work, exemplary marking, module design, delivery and leadership’ – External Examiner Report, UEL, 2023
‘It has been an absolute pleasure learning from Tom the last two years. I came to UEL with zero knowledge of the London theatre scene and now at the end of this course I feel completely prepared to jump into the professional theatre world. Tom has opened my eyes to different types of theatre practices and has given me insightful feedback in regards to my own practice. He has guided me every step of the way as I’m about to finish my final project at a professional theatre, and I wouldn’t have achieved any of this without him. He challenged me to think outside the box and push beyond what I thought was possible. Overall, it’s been an absolute privilege having him as a lecturer.’ – MFA student, UEL, 2022
‘Tom is an excellent supervisor. He provides detailed insight around a broad range of topics demonstrating a wealth of knowledge and delivers it in an accessible and stimulating way. Tom takes great care of his students' wellbeing and will alter work accordingly so not to overwhelm. His resources are well put together and easily digestible. He is always happy to point you in the direction of more information and other materials to further learning. Tom is also really approachable with any concerns and his feedback on work - practical and written - is thorough and designed to push you further. His teaching style is overall inspiring, well-considered and suitably challenging.’ – Doctoral student, UEL, 2022
‘Tom is at the forefront of his specialism, and it shows. Vitally, Tom is also able to turn [sessions] into active, practice-based inquiry for the students so that the ideas engaged with can be interrogated by the group as a whole and individually - opening the potential for innovative methodological discoveries as well as critical understanding of this field of work. Tom is able to create an environment that is critical, interrogative, dynamic and enjoyable for the students not least because of the clarity and variety of the tasks he introduces. He creates an open learning environment where students are actively encouraged to reflect and comment on ideas / practice explored in the class. Vitally, when the students do respond they are listened to attentively, encouraged and supported in a respectful way.’ – PG Cert Observation, UEL, 2021
‘It has honestly been a pleasure to have been able to work with Tom over the course of this year. At a time where I was having doubts over the course and considering dropping out, Tom’s classes reminded me of why I love what I do, and helped me find motivation to continue, without him even realising. He is one of the most genuine, down-to-earth and approachable tutors I’ve ever met, and this is only trumped by his commitment to work and the talent he so obviously has for it. I know I speak for the whole class, year, and course when I say he will be sorely missed, and I hope to work with him again in the future.’ - BA Student, DMU, 2020
‘It has been an absolute pleasure learning from Tom the last two years. I came to UEL with zero knowledge of the London theatre scene and now at the end of this course I feel completely prepared to jump into the professional theatre world. Tom has opened my eyes to different types of theatre practices and has given me insightful feedback in regards to my own practice. He has guided me every step of the way as I’m about to finish my final project at a professional theatre, and I wouldn’t have achieved any of this without him. He challenged me to think outside the box and push beyond what I thought was possible. Overall, it’s been an absolute privilege having him as a lecturer.’ – MFA student, UEL, 2022
‘Tom is an excellent supervisor. He provides detailed insight around a broad range of topics demonstrating a wealth of knowledge and delivers it in an accessible and stimulating way. Tom takes great care of his students' wellbeing and will alter work accordingly so not to overwhelm. His resources are well put together and easily digestible. He is always happy to point you in the direction of more information and other materials to further learning. Tom is also really approachable with any concerns and his feedback on work - practical and written - is thorough and designed to push you further. His teaching style is overall inspiring, well-considered and suitably challenging.’ – Doctoral student, UEL, 2022
‘Tom is at the forefront of his specialism, and it shows. Vitally, Tom is also able to turn [sessions] into active, practice-based inquiry for the students so that the ideas engaged with can be interrogated by the group as a whole and individually - opening the potential for innovative methodological discoveries as well as critical understanding of this field of work. Tom is able to create an environment that is critical, interrogative, dynamic and enjoyable for the students not least because of the clarity and variety of the tasks he introduces. He creates an open learning environment where students are actively encouraged to reflect and comment on ideas / practice explored in the class. Vitally, when the students do respond they are listened to attentively, encouraged and supported in a respectful way.’ – PG Cert Observation, UEL, 2021
‘It has honestly been a pleasure to have been able to work with Tom over the course of this year. At a time where I was having doubts over the course and considering dropping out, Tom’s classes reminded me of why I love what I do, and helped me find motivation to continue, without him even realising. He is one of the most genuine, down-to-earth and approachable tutors I’ve ever met, and this is only trumped by his commitment to work and the talent he so obviously has for it. I know I speak for the whole class, year, and course when I say he will be sorely missed, and I hope to work with him again in the future.’ - BA Student, DMU, 2020
© Tom Drayton 2024