Thomas Wilson

Programme Director - BA (Hons) European Theatre Arts and European Theatre Arts / Academic Coordinator for the Turing scheme

Summary

Thomas Wilson is Programme Director for BA (Hons) European Theatre Arts. He teaches across the degree, specialising in approaches to devised and physical theatres, practical artistic research and the ‘training of training’.

Thomas has a diverse performance background. He initially competed in voltige (equestrian gymnastics) before training in a range of physically based performance practices (contact improvisation, Butoh, theatrical biomechanics) and making work at the intersection of dance and theatre.

Thomas is an Associate Editor (Training Grounds) at the Theatre, Dance and Performance Training Journal. In this role he is particularly interested in exploring approaches to writing about training that lie outside of formal academic prose. His book Juggling Trajectories: Gandini Juggling 1991-2015 was shortlisted for the Society for Theatre Research’s 2016 Book Prize.

Thomas currently oversees the College’s Turing scheme activities. He is also one of Rose Bruford College’s Mental Health First Aiders.

Teaching Area

BA (Hons) European Theatre Arts

Qualifications

MA Physical Theatre (London)

PGCertHE Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (Manchester)

PGCE Secondary (Drama) (Open University)

BA (Hons) Drama and Theatre Studies (Surrey)

Memberships

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Professional Practice

Associate Editor (Training Grounds) – Theatre, Dance and Performance Training Journal (Routledge) (Sept 2013 – present)

Panel Member Periodic Review, BA (Hons) Theatre and Performance & BA (Hons) Theatre and Film – London Metropolitan University (2023)

Trustee – Curving Road/Theatre Delicatessen, London (Sept 2013 – April 2021; Chair 2016 – 2019; Co-Chair 2019 – 2021)

Educational Advisory Board Member – Accademia Teatro Dimitri, Verscio, Switzerland (Jan 2016 – August 2020)

Associate Artist – Gandini Juggling: Archive and Publications (Jan 2014 – 2020)

Panel Member Periodic Review, BA (Hons) Theatre and Performance & BA (Hons) Theatre and Film – London Metropolitan University (2018)

Publications

Books

Wilson, T. J. M. (2016). Juggling Trajectories: Gandini Juggling 1991-2015. London: Gandini Press.

Conference Papers

Wilson, T. (2019). ‘An Exercise is a Lever – Teaching Training’, TaPRA. University of Exeter, 4-6 September.

Journal Articles

Wilson, T. (2023). ‘There is no such thing as an accident’, Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, 14(1), pp. 44-45. https://doi.org/10.1080/19443927.2023.2182118

Wilson, T. (2020). ‘On horses and contact’, Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, 11(1), pp. 40-43. https://doi.org/10.1080/19443927.2020.1724736

Wilson, T. (2016). ‘An anatomy of an exercise’, Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, 7(2), pp. 212-213. https://doi.org/10.1080/19443927.2016.1210385

Crook, A. et al. (2015). ‘Training and… Sticks’, Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, 6(3), pp. 363-365. https://doi.org/10.1080/19443927.2015.1087220

Ylä-Hokkala, K. et al. (2014). ‘Answer the Question: ‘Where Does Training Begin?’’, Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, 5(3), pp. 336-344. https://doi.org/10.1080/19443927.2014.959367

Pluckrose, C. et al. (2013). ‘Answer the Question: ‘What training do you wish you’d received?’’, Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, 4(3), pp. 413-419. https://doi.org/10.1080/19443927.2013.849068

Online Articles

Wilson, T. (2019). ‘Collapsing Time’, Total Theatre Print Archive. Available at: https://totaltheatre.org.uk/archive/pathways/collapsing-time

Wilson, T. (2018). ‘LIMF 2018: Life is a Circus’, Total Theatre Magazine. Available at: https://totaltheatre.org.uk/limf-2018-life-is-a-circus/

Wilson, T. (2017). ‘Mossoux Bonté: Whispers’, Total Theatre Magazine. Available at: https://totaltheatre.org.uk/mossoux-bonte-whispers/

Wilson, T. (2016). ‘Nassim Soleimanpour: Blank’, Total Theatre Magazine. Available at: https://totaltheatre.org.uk/nassim-soleimanpour-blank/

Wilson, T. (2016). ‘ParalasosanjoS: Molhados&Secos (Wet and Dry)’, Total Theatre Magazine. Available at: https://totaltheatre.org.uk/paraladosanjos-molhadossecos-wet-and-dry/

Wilson, T. (2016). ‘Dood Paard: MacBain’, Total Theatre Magazine. Available at: https://totaltheatre.org.uk/dood-paard-macbain/

Wilson, T. (2016) ‘Abigail Conway: Time Lab’, Total Theatre Magazine. Available at: https://totaltheatre.org.uk/abigail-conway-time-lab/

Wilson, T. (2016). ‘Dante or Die: Handle with Care’, Total Theatre Magazine. Available at: https://totaltheatre.org.uk/dante-or-die-handle-with-care/

Wilson, T. (2016). ‘Oh! Productions: Flat Pack’, Total Theatre Magazine. Available at: https://totaltheatre.org.uk/oh-productions-flat-pack/

Wilson, T. (2016). ‘Bartabas & Andrés Marín: Golgota’, Total Theatre Magazine. Available at: https://totaltheatre.org.uk/bartabas-andres-marin-golgota/
Wilson, T. (2016). ‘Svalbard: All Genius All Idiot’, Total Theatre Magazine. Available at: https://totaltheatre.org.uk/svalbard-all-genius-all-idiot/

Wilson, T. (2016). ‘Compagnie Yoann Bourgeois: He Who Falls’, Total Theatre Magazine. Available at: https://totaltheatre.org.uk/compagnie-yoann-bourgeois-he-who-falls/

Wilson, T. (2016). ‘Yorgos Karamalegos: Home’, Total Theatre Magazine. Available at: https://totaltheatre.org.uk/yorgos-karamalegos-home/

Wilson, T. (2016). ‘Circa: The Return’, Total Theatre Magazine. Available at: https://totaltheatre.org.uk/circa-the-return/

Research Interests

Actor/performer training; Theatrical Biomechanics, visual and physical theatre devising practices; circus theatre and circus dance hybrid forms; the interaction of performers and animals in performance.

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