Robert West

Education and Curriculum Manager

Robert.west@ccskills.org.uk

Robert West joined The National Skills Academy in October 2008 as Education & Curriculum Manager, having spent the previous academic year as Director of Link-Ed - the Learning & Skills Council funded Education Business Link Organisation for Essex, Southend and Thurrock. Prior to that Rob spent two years as Project Director of the innovative Artsgenerate programme Insite (www.insite-essex.co.uk).

Rob previously worked at Arts Council England (1997 – 2005) in the drama and theatre departments both in London and at national level, holding a wide range of senior management responsibilities. He led on the Drama and Small Scale Touring programme, and several initiatives involving theatre, education and young people. Rob was a member, and for a time, Chair, of the committee which reviewed Roles and Functions of the English Regional Producing Theatres. The final report, known as the Boyden Report, was published in May 2000 and helped the Arts Council persuade the Government to provide additional resources for the regional theatres.

Rob was Associate Director (Education) at the Theatre Royal Stratford East from 1991 to 1997 where he set up the department, running a comprehensive programme of workshops, courses and main stage performances. A lecturer with the Inner London Education Authority at the Cockpit Theatre Arts Workshop in the 1980s he went on to become Resident Director of Harlow Theatre Van - leaving them as the largest funded theatre-in-education and community touring theatre in the South of England. Rob has also produced, directed, written and performed in a range of events for the stage including creating the first approved stage adaptation of Angela Carter's Company of Wolves.

After becoming interested in the arts as a teenager in East London and working on a variety of local arts festivals, Rob went on to get a degree from Rose Bruford College of Speech & Drama and later in life another in Literature from the Open University. As a freelancer Rob has written articles for a variety of publications and is a regular contributor to the Theatrical Management Association's magazine Prompt. He was a consultant to the recent Discover Children's Centre project 'Ways In', which explored training for artists and early years workers, and continues to teach creative writing programmes for Mid Essex College.