Course Team Leader, HND Musical Theatre

Steve Titchmarsh is Course Team Leader HND Musical Theatre. After obtaining a B.Ed at Leeds University, Steve spent 11 years as Head of Expressive Arts at Padgate High School ,Warrington teaching music and drama. During this time he directed the Cheshire Youth theatre and founded Warrington Youth Theatre. He then moved to Knowsley, Liverpool where as Head of the Performing Arts Service he was involved in a variety of arts projects involving schools and the community. He was founder and director of Knowsley Music Theatres who performed at the Millenium Dome, and toured to Germany and Paris. Other projects include residencies with Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the Everyman theatre and Ludus Dance. He has worked extensively in Musical Theatre and directed a wide range of productions from Shakespeare to A Chorus Line.

Course Leader, HND Acting

Lizzie Philps is Course Leader of HND Acting. She is also Artistic Director of Full Beam Visual Theatre – a professional touring theatre company which combines mask, puppetry and performance. Lizzie has worked on shows for Bath Theatre Royal, with Bristol Old Vic and At Bristol, and more recently toured two Commedia Dell Arte shows in northern Italy. She has also led drama workshops in Lebanon, Turkey and New Zealand. A graduate of Exeter University Drama Dept, Lizzie has a particular interest in comic theatre, and has studied Commedia Dell Arte and Clown with internationally recognised teachers Antonio Fava and Phillipe Gaulier. She is also developing skills in creating theatre in non-theatre spaces, and continues to find possibilities for site-specific performances in cafes, cycle paths, science centres and car parks.

Course Team Leader and Lecturer, BND Acting course

Bridget O’Donnell is the course team leader and lecturer on the BND Acting course. Originating from the sunny shore of New Zealand she brings a wealth of experience in acting. She graduated from the New Zealand Drama School in 2001 and has been working as a professional actress till her journey to Britain in 2005, (productions include Six Character in search of an Author, Abigails Party, Cooking with Elvis, Suddenly Last Summer and Road). She worked extensively with the New Zealand Children’s Theatre touring the country as well as being producer/publicist on “Vula” - a pacific Island work which is now touring Europe with the Conch. She has also worked as a director (productions include Midsummer Nights Dream, Wind in the Willows and Blood Wedding) and most remarkably a sheep shearer! Bridget’s speciality is physical theatre and mask with a strong focus on the development of movement and voice of the actor.

Course Team Leader, BFD Acting and Lecturer

Rebecca Morgan is the Course Team Leader for BFD Acting and lectures on all level courses. Originating from the cloudy moors of Yorkshire she brings a wealth of experience in performance. She studied Musical Theatre in Newcastle and worked for a number of local professional drama companies. Rebecca worked as a professional singer and toured the notorious northern club circuit with comedian Max Lemon. After moving to Bristol in 1994, Rebecca developed and facilitated numerous drama workshops, working therapeutically with various client groups and worked as a children’s entertainer. Rebecca’s speciality is improvisation and Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed with a strong focus on the therapeutic value of drama, particularly action methods such as psychodrama and socio-drama. Rebecca has also written and directed a number of Pantomimes and is in the process of completing her first film script.

Lecturer, Acting, Movement and Dance

Saba McKinnon is Lecturer in Acting, Movement and Dance. She trained at Bush Davies Ballet School studying all performing arts’ disciplines and specialised in classical ballet, dancing with New York City Ballet and English National Ballet. Saba moved into drama-based theatre whilst gaining a BA Joint Honours in Philosophy and Literature. This led to further study at University of Bristol in Performance and the development of a small-scale touring theatre company in Bristol called Public Transport. With three core members Public Transport writes and devises its own material, recently touring their show throughout the South West, culminating in a sell-out run at Bristol Old Vic Studio. Saba has extensive experience of acting, dancing, directing and producing and teaches across all four levels in the department.

Learning Area Manager, Performing Arts

Jonathan James was an orchestra conductor for ten years, with professional engagements in Europe and in Boston, USA. He founded the New Bristol Sinfonia and was its artistic director for seven years, during which time he was also active in the city press and radio as a music commentator and critic. He is a keen jazz pianist and is open to all sorts of music, as long as it is original and has something to say! He also holds a first class degree in modern languages and has a business background as head of a corporate law department and strategic advisor for new charities.

Course Leader, National Diploma Technical Theatre

Matt's interest in Technical Theatre first began whilst working on productions at secondary school. He went on to study at Filton College, completing a BND in Technical Theatre and progressing on to the HND course. During his educational years he worked as a freelance technician for many local companies as well as a DJ around the clubs of Bristol. After completing his HND he was appointed as the resident technician of the Olympus Theatre, in this role he has made the theatre his own improving installations and facilities. Matt is now the Course Team Leader of Technical Theatre at Filton College.

Course Leader, First Diploma Dance

Claire began learning to dance at the age of five at the Keyford Dancing School. From there she went on to further her training at the 344 Dance Centre where she completed her ISTD Associate teaching exams and vocational graded exams. She has taught in various dance schools in the Bristol, Bath and Somerset area as well as in Secondary and Primary education. Claire has performed in numerous pantomimes and cabarets and has also choreographed many musicals and dance productions. As well as teaching at Filton Claire is also an appointed External Verifier with Edexcel for their Level 2 and 3 Dance programmes.

Qualifications: AISTD Dip (Modern) AISTD (Tap, National) MBTDA
Course Leader First Diploma Dance
Lecturer: Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Musical Theatre

Head of Department, Performing Arts

Mark is a full member of Britsh Actors Equity, and has been working professionally in Theatre since 1989. He has performed in many productions as diverse as Panto and Shakespeare. He is currently studying for an MA in Leadership, Management and Professional Practice in Performing Arts at Chester University. He is also due to complete a Postgraduate Certificate in Staging Shakespeare at Exeter University.

Lecturer

Ginny Burbidge has been teaching at Filton College for 5 years. She initially trained in ballet, tap, jazz and modern before developing her focus of training into contemporary dance. Ginny completed a BA (Hons) Degree in dance at Bretton Hall University. Ginny was co founder and member of dance company ‘Fervent Defacto’ in which she performed and taught across the UK. Ginny has completed many courses developing her Dance Training including FACETS, an international Choreographic Laboratory which took place in India. Specialist skills include; improvisation, Contact work, Choreography, Physical theatre and Yoga. As well as developing her dance training and skills, Ginny focuses on her teacher training and has completed a PGCE in Further Education.