Biography - Allan Owens

Professor Allan Owens is a UK National Teaching Fellow and a Distinguished Teaching Fellow of the University of Chester. He earned his PhD at the University of Warwick (Translating and Understanding in Intercultural Applied Drama Contexts), his MA (by thesis) at the University of Keele (Drama in a Community Context) and is a graduate of the University of Sheffield (BA Hons. English Literature and Politics). His professional qualifications include, a PGCE (Drama), ADB (Ed),  he is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA). In 2006 he was awarded a personal chair in Drama Education.
As Professor of Drama Education and National Teaching Fellow he continues to practice and research in a wide range of professional and social settings in the UK. He has also accepted invitations to work in Austria, America, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Japan, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and  Sweden. He currently has a brief to explore potential international developments for the Faculty of Education and Department of Performing Arts.
During his period working in Higher Education he has run regional workshops for the Higher Education Academy (Northern Ireland and North West), organized conferences (Arts into Employment 2005 in association with PALATINE), International symposia (Thinking Through Practice 2007), been a registered Ofsted Drama Inspector, and a specialist reader for the Higher Education Academy NTFS individual nominations in the Arts (2006), School Governor and external examiner for five universities. He was instrumental in launching the Post Graduate Certificate in Education in Drama (11-18), which led to the introduction of Secondary training at Chester and has grown into a flourishing programme of over 175 trainees in seven subjects. Whilst Programme Leader for all Secondary subjects at Chester (2000-2003) the Drama course was awarded the highest possible Ofsted grading (2003), and this was confirmed again in the 2005 inspection.
Prior to working in higher education he was advisory drama teacher for Cheshire LEA during which time he wrote, launched and ran the Advanced Diploma in Drama in Education. This  involved working alongside experienced drama practitioners from all sectors in a continuing professional development capacity and marked the start of his work in prisons (1989-2007). His advisory work built on the previous eight years spent working in a wide-range of education and community contexts in the Midlands and North West of England including; rural, inner city secondary and community schools and Further Education. During this time he founded and ran the Interactive Community Theatre Group (1983-87), launched and edited the Cheshire Association for Drama in Education Broadsheet (1983- 1990) and examined Drama for the North West Regional Exam Board (1984- 1990).