Following the County Council decision in Feb 2010 to withdraw funding from the Arts Education Service over two years starting in April 2011, the various elements within the service were reviewed.  Significant work on costing the Drama element of the service to see if it could be run at full cost (it is currently subsidised 65% by council funding) demonstrated that although a few programmes might be cost neutral, overall it would not be financially viable.  

As it was recognised that many of the Drama programmes could be “bought in” by schools, the exit strategy for the closure of the service includes support and help for the Drama staff to set up on a freelance / small business basis after their redundancy on April 30^th 2011, to offer their services to schools and parents for the benefit of the children and young people of Leicestershire and Leicester City.  

Through this route, staff will offer drama advisory support, including CPD, teaching and festival support for individual or groups of schools on a consultancy basis.  

The list below gives brief details of the staff and the work that they will offer to schools after May 1^st 2011:

Linda Burton is currently a Drama Advisory Teacher for Arts in Education.  After May 1^st 2011 she will be able to work with schools and colleges on a freelance basis.

Areas of expertise:

CPD Drama for Teaching and Learning KS1 and 2

Performance projects for individual schools and groups of schools – all phases

Design for performance – all phases

Tailor-made drama/design projects linked with curriculum areas

David Cross was the Senior Advisory Teacher for Drama and will be working freelance from May 1^st 2011.  He will be offering drama support in both Primary and Secondary phases and community settings.  His expertise is in teacher CPD, performance projects, classroom demonstrations, schemes of work and examinations.  Tailor made support in all aspects of drama as both a pedagogy and performance art, for individual schools or development groups.  

From May contact on: davidrcross@btinternet.com