Ali Boucher is the Head of Drama at Ackworth School and has worked in English and Drama education since 2007. A passionate advocate for the transformative power of the performing arts, he leads an extensive programme of productions, enrichment and performance opportunities for young people. He is a Cambridge IGCSE Drama examiner and a volunteer judge for the English-Speaking Union’s Performing Shakespeare Competition. In 2026, Ackworth School’s Drama Department was recognised nationally with the Music & Drama Education Award for Outstanding School Drama Department.

Benjamin Turner is an award-winning educator, filmmaker and creative director, and founder of youth arts organisation Rap Club Productions and The Spit Game. A former Head of Music, he now develops ambitious music, film and youth-led creative programmes connecting education with the wider creative industries. His films have been selected at BAFTA- and Oscar-qualifying festivals, while his work with young people has received national recognition. Benjamin also lectures in higher education and works with organisations including Movember to explore new approaches to youth culture, storytelling and social change.

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Cecily O’Neill is an international authority on process drama and the arts in education. She has worked throughout the world, leading drama workshops, speaking at conferences, and carrying out research. Dr. O'Neill is an Associate Professor Emeritus at The Ohio State University and holds an Honorary Fellowship from the University of Winchester. She is the author and editor of several books including Drama Worlds: a framework for process drama, Worlds into Words: Learning a Second Language through Process Drama, andDorothy Heathcote: Collected Writings on Education and Drama. 

Conrad Cohen is a theatre director, teacher and independent scholar. A former Head of Drama, he is currently Teaching Manager for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Shakespeare Curriculum platform and manages their professional development programmes for teachers. He is also a Senior Lecturer at the Performers College in Essex, a Tutor at the British American Drama Academy, and a Visiting Lecturer at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama where he completed an MFA in Actor Training and Coaching with distinction. He trained as an actor at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and holds a PGCE in secondary education. He sits on the boards of Frantic Assembly and Elstree Screen Arts Academy.

Dice Wood is Director of Music at The Rochester Grammar School. She has a background in Thinking Skills and Metacognition, as well as an MMus in Russian Music Studies. Dice is a regular contributor to Music Teacher Magazine and is an advocate for healthy work/life balance. She has presented papers at Festival of Education, Festival of Metacognition and at the Drama and Music Expo among others.

Geoff Readman is currently a freelance Consultant in Theatre and Drama Education and has been chair of National Drama for the last five years. He has worked extensively in drama and theatre as actor-teacher, author, primary and secondary specialist, inspector and university lecturer. He founded the Wakefield Drama-in-Education Team in 1976, before becoming inspector for drama in Nottinghamshire. He then developed a Community Theatre Degree at Bishop University, Lincoln. International experiences include teacher training and applied theatre projects in India, China and South Korea. For several years he was Visiting Professor of Drama at the University of Hong Kong. His research interest is drama and theatre for social change.

Originally training and performing as a baritone, Edwin teaches singing and is the Head of Choral Music at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts. He is musical director of the Buckinghamshire County Youth Choir, an examiner for Trinity College London and a Deputy Vocal Teacher at the RCM Junior Department.  He was Chair of the Association of Teachers of Singing (2022–24) and is a board member of the European Voice Teachers Association. Edwin is passionate about engaging boys in singing and frequently leads workshops, teacher training days and presents at conferences. He will be presenting at Eurovox 2026 in Lucerne.

Elizabeth Hetherington studied Music and completed her PGCE in Secondary Music at The University of Southampton in 2003.  Since then, she has gained a wealth of experience of teaching Music at Key Stage 2 – 5 in a variety of different educational settings. She has also supported trainee teachers through the University of Southampton and the University of Buckingham.  Since 2013, Elizabeth has taught Music at More House School, Frensham, which is a special needs school that offers a full range of specialist support for boys with specific learning and language-based difficulties.  She has continued her professional development, with a focus on delivering Music in a neurodiverse classroom.  For eight years, Elizabeth has been a Foundation and SEND Governor at a local school.  In her spare time, she enjoys playing her French Horn with the Basingstoke Symphony Orchestra and is member of a local running club, having recently completed the London Marathon in aid of Treloar’s School in Alton. 

Emma King-Farlow is a theatre director, writer, actor and producer, and the Artistic Director of Shadow Road Productions. Her work spans theatre, education, community engagement, and creative consultancy, with productions staged in venues ranging from the West End and Fringe to historic houses, healthcare settings and site-specific locations.

Emma regularly leads workshops for actors, writers, and educators, and recently spoke at the Music & Drama Education Expo on character development and rehearsal-room practice. She is also the founder of the Fireside Folktales Fringe Festival and a professional member of Stage Directors UK and the Society of Authors. @ekingfarlow

John Johnson is Director of Drama and Theatre at The Leys School, Cambridge and is a Senior Examiner and Moderator for GCSE and A-Level Drama (Edexcel). John worked on the Edexcel A-Level Drama and Theatre student guide and is co-author of The Edexcel GCSE Drama Revision Guide (both Pearson Publishing). He is a current reviewer for The British Theatre Guide, has written various Digital Theatre Online Education Packs and was a regular contributor to Drama and Theatre Magazine.

Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE is Principal and CEO of The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and Artistic Director for The National Black Theatre of Sweden.

She is an award-winning actor and director whose career has included performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre and the Manchester Royal Exchange. Awards include H.M. The King’s Medal 8th Order of the Seraphim by H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf, CinemAfrica Arts and Culture Award 2023 , Freedom of the City of London,2024, Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to the Arts, The Judy Craymer Award for Innovation, and Southbank Cultural Diversity Award. 

Julian Whittaker is an experienced music educator, conductor, and examiner, currently serving as Director of Music at The Crypt School in Gloucester, the Gloucestershire Schools’ Music (GSM) Lead School for Music. With a career spanning nearly three decades, he has built a strong reputation for leading ambitious and inclusive music programmes in both state and independent schools. At The Crypt School, Whittaker oversees a vibrant musical life, combining high-quality classroom teaching with a rich programme of ensembles, concerts, and performances. He is committed to ensuring that all students, regardless of background or prior experience, can develop as confident and expressive musicians. His approach emphasises creativity, technical skill, and musical understanding, while fostering a lifelong appreciation of music.

Katie Neilson is an early childhood music specialist, educator, researcher and author with over 25 years' experience. She is a founder and Director of The Family Music Hub, supporting those who include music in their work with babies, young children and families through professional development, resources and research. Katie also runs her own family music practice, supports primary school music and delivers training across the UK. She is the author of Inside Music: Early Years. As a Music & Drama Education Awards judge, she brings expertise in early childhood music, family engagement, inclusive practice and practitioner development.

Liz Gleed is Head of Music at Bristol Cathedral Choir School, a state music specialist academy in the heart of Bristol. She is also the Music Subject Tutor for Five Counties SCITT. She has taught secondary music since 2001 and leads a thriving music department with strong uptake at GCSE and A Level and an extensive co-curricular programme. Liz is passionate about curriculum design, teacher development and broadening access to high-quality music education. Her current interests include curriculum development, initial teacher education and supporting music teachers at all stages of their careers.

Mimi Munro is Head of Music at Channing Junior School in Highgate, London, and former Subject Advisor for Music at IAPS (the Independent Association of Prep Schools). She holds a jazz degree from Leeds, a specialist strings teaching PGCE with Dalcroze from RNCM, an MA in Primary Education (Distinction), and is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Berklee College of Music. She has taught internationally, including eight years in Singapore at Dulwich College Singapore. Mimi is the producer and host of the podcast Talking Music Teaching and writes on music education via her Substack, exploring pedagogy from Kodály-informed practice to classroom technology. She is also developing an online platform for music teacher training. Mimi brings a practitioner’s eye to judging this year’s entries.

Patrice Baldwin is a ‘Drama for Learning’ specialist, teacher trainer, Higher-level Action Learning Facilitator (ILM recognised), educational author, conference speaker and workshop leader.  She was Oak National Academy’s Primary Drama Leader during the pandemic, is Former President of the International Drama Theatre and Education Association (IDEA), Former Chair of National Drama (ND), and Former Chair of the Council for Subject Associations (CfSA). Patrice was a primary headteacher, School Improvement and Arts Education Adviser, Ofsted inspector, and a national curriculum Editorial Expert. She is a TV series Drama education consultant and was a BBC Education radio drama series consultant and scriptwriter.

Peter Dowse has worked across two centuries — the 20th and the 21st. That’s over 35 years at Chickenshed, in roles from writing and directing to teaching and management, championing inclusive theatre for both adults and children in the UK, Europe, and the USA. He is currently Head of Performance to Children at Shed. Peter is a Trustee for Action for Children’s Arts, Co-Artistic Lead of Pretend People, an international collective specialising in site-specific, inclusive visual storytelling, and Artistic Director of Ticket Theatre Company. A lifelong maker and advocate for theatre that welcomes everyone, he brings decades of practice, rigour, and a keen eye for bold, visually led, inclusive storytelling to the judging panel.

After completing postgraduate studies abroad, Phil was head of music at an independent prep school in London. He then pursued a career in publishing, joining the New Grove Dictionary of Music as editor and then ABRSM Publishing Ltd as music editor. He joined Oxford University Press as commissioning editor and left as head of editorial, before becoming editor of Music Teacher in 2022. He has composed educational music, and in his spare time advises on concert programmes, having held long-standing interests in contemporary music, folk, and jazz.

Rachel Hawker is Chief of Education at Rocksteady Music School. A professional teacher and musician, she's a leading voice in primary music education, dedicated to making music inclusive and accessible for all. Rachel and her team bring decades of experience teaching in primary schools, developing innovative and progressive approaches to help children engage with music in meaningful and exciting ways.

Biog and Image coming soon...

Biog and Image coming soon...

Biog and Photo coming soon...

Zeena enjoys teaching in Barnsley, and previously enjoyed learning and leadership in different phases. She is vice chair of National Drama, chair of Lung and works as a counsellor too. She studied at Bretton Hall, Central School, and Homerton and achieved AST and Leadership certification. CPD and conference highlights include BSME 2017, Expo in London most recently in 2026, examining for Eduqas GCSE, The National Theatre’s Drama Teachers Conference and ND’s 2025 Empowerment Conference. Special interests include representation, diversity, inclusion, and campaigning for curriculum equity. She is a slow runner and tries hard at gardening.