Mr Stephen Mason

I teach across a variety of modules on the BA(Hons) Dance and BA(Hons) Dance and Drama courses.  My areas of interest include:

• choreography and performance
• dance technique and training 
• employability, leadership and professional practice
• teaching and leading in community dance and dance in education settings.

I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) awarded in recognition for collaboration and co-creation of curriculum and assessment with students and the development and application of inclusive practices.  I am particularly interested in working with students to co-create curriculum and assessment, decolonise the curriculum, and embed employability.  I have presented the impact of this work at university events, including:

• Mason, S. "Inclusive Education: provocation and workshop" at CHEAD Conference 2023 (Council for Higher Education in Art and Design), Kingston School of Art, London, March 16, 2023.
• Mason, S & Reid T. "The Race Degree Awarding Gap: Case Study: BA(Hons) Dance" at Learning and Teaching Enhancement Centre's The Race Degree Awarding Gap event, Kingston University, London, October 26, 2022.
• James, A., Jarvis, B., Mason, S., Munday, K., Webster, J. "Maximising students' potential: developing graduate confidence, employability, and future skills" at Festival of Learning 2022, Kingston University, London, June 24, 2022.
• James, A., Mason, S., Munday, K., Webster, J. "Empowering students through assessment: co-creation and collaboration of assessment and learning" at Festival of Learning 2022, Kingston University, London, June 24, 2022.
• Mason, S. "Embedding graduate attributes and competencies throughout the student journey" at Kingston University's Employability Summit, Kingston University, London, March 10, 2021

I am the Academic Mentor Champion for Dance leading a team of level 5 and 6 students who support the delivery of classes across the BA(Hons) Dance and BA(Hons) Dance and Drama courses.

I hold and have held a range of external examiner and validation panel member roles:

• External Examiner for BA(Hons) Dance, De Montford University (October 2022 – present)
• External Examiner for FDA, BA(Hons), & BA(Hons) top up in Professional and Commercial Dance, Shock Out Arts, validated by the University of Bolton (April 2020 – present)
• Validation Panel Member for MA Dance, London College of Music (University of West London) & Singapore Raffles Music College, (May 2023)
• Validation Panel Member for BA(Hons) Dance Performance, Liverpool Media Academy & University of Northampton, (May 2021)

Qualifications

• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
• Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA)
• PGCE including Qualified Teacher Status, Institute of Education, UCL
• Adult Mental Health First Aid

Course director

• Dance BA (Hons)

Courses taught

• Dance and Drama BA (Hons)

My professional practice spans the learning & teaching and dance.  This includes working with a variety of dance organisations supporting the community dance and dance in education sectors.  Currently, this includes:

• Dance Artist (Youth Programme) - Learning and Participation, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (2014 - present)
• Teacher Training Mentor - Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (2019 - present)

Previous dance companies and organisations I have worked for include:

• Trinity Laban Youth Dance Company, Artistic Director
• Danielle Teale Dance, Dance Artist Collaborator for Dance for Parkinson's programme
• Greenwich Dance, Dance Artist for Community programme
• Richard Alston Dance Company, Animateur
• Dance Umbrella, Deputy Choreographer (assistant to Royston Maldoom OBE): Overture 2012
• Loop Dance Company, Dancer
• The Place, Dance Development Officer
• Various specialist schools and colleges

Selected choreographic work:

• Mason, S. (chor.) (2020) Speak Out? Performed by Trinity Laban Youth Dance Company [Broadway Theatre, Catford, London. March 2020]
• Mason, S. (chor.) (2020) What is in your life's blueprint? Performed by Accelerate (Trinity Laban Youth programme) [Laban Theatre, London as part of U.Dance. March 2020]
• Skapin, Jaka. (m. dir.) & Teale, D. (chor.) (2019) A Single Thread - CID Project, Dancing with Parkinson's. Performed by Stephen Mason as part of a collaborative cast. [Popular Union, London & Performance Film. July 20, 2019]
• Mason, S. (chor.) (2017) Atten ... Shun! Performed by a community cast as part of Rosie Kay Dance Company's '5 Soldier's' tour. [Yeomanry House Drill Hall, London, as part of Sadler's Wells Theatre's off-site programme. September 2017].
• Mason, S. (chor.) (2015) Coniungere: Music and Dance Collaboration. Performed by Lewisham Southwark College and Rose Bruford College. Commissioned by Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance [Laban Theatre, London. March 2015]
• Mason, S. (chor.) (2014) Those Who Dare to Fall. Performed by Modus Dance Company [Laban Theatre, London. Februaryruary 2014. Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome. June 2014]
• Mason, S. (deputy chor.) (2008) Overture 2012. Performed by mass youth dance cast as part of Dance Umbrella 2008 (assistant to Royston Maldoom OBE) [Royal Albert Hall, London. November 2008].

I have also presented and hosted university events (see Learning and Teaching and Leadership and Management sections).

Professional and scholarly affiliations

• External Examiner: BA(Hons) Dance, De Montford University (2022 - present)
• External Examiner: Foundation, BA(Hons) & BA(Hons) Top Up Professional and Commercial Dance, ShockOut Arts / University of Bolton (2020 - present)
• Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA)
• Member: Safer Dance: Dance School Safeguarding Working Group (2022 - present)
• Member: One Dance UK's Children and Young People's Dance Expert Panel (2016 - present)
• Validation Panel Member for MA Dance, London College of Music (University of West London) & Validation Panel Singapore Raffles Music College, (May 2023)
• Validation Panel Member: BA(Hons) Dance Performance, Liverpool Media Academy & University of Northampton, (May 2021)
• Co-opted Board Member: National Dance Teachers Association (2014-2016)

I am interested in inclusive and intersectional leadership.  I currently hold leadership positions in both the performing arts department and supporting the university's equality, diversity and inclusion offer.

As one of the co-chair's of STTB / LGBTQ+ Staff Network I organised and hosted two university events for LGBT+ History Month 2021:

• Mason, S (chair). "Creating a culture of visibility for the LGBT+ staff and student community. In conversation with Daniel Tomlinson-Gray, co-founder of LGBTEd" at Staff LGBTQ+ Network's LGBT+ History Month Talks 2022 in partnership with the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Centre, Kingston University, London, February 23, 2022.  (More info: https://www.kingston.ac.uk/aboutkingstonuniversity/equality-diversity-and-inclusion/lgbt-history-month/)
• Mason, S (chair). "Becoming an Angelic Troublemaker … in conversation with Bisi Alimi" at Staff LGBTQ+ Network's LGBT+ History Month Talks 2022 in partnership with the Staff BME/PoC Network, Kingston University, London, February 9, 2022.  (More info: https://www.kingston.ac.uk/news/article/2650/30-mar-2022-more-positive-lgbt-role-models-needed-in-schools-and-universities-to-support-students-campaigner-on/)

Qualifications and expertise

• Core Skills in Coaching For Leaders & Managers: Guildhall School, London

University responsibilities

• Head of Department of Performing Arts (March 2023 - present)
• Co-chair: Staff LGBTQ+ Network (2019 - present)
• Interim Joint Head of Department of Performing Arts (Sept 2022 - March 2023)
• Course Leader: BA(Hons) Dance (2018 - 2023)
• University Liaison Officer for Edinburgh College (2018-2019)