We have appointed a number of Adjudicators to provide feedback and advice in the following disciplines this November: Speech and Drama, Art and Photography, Film, Creative Writing and Classical Guitar. Read all about their qualifications and experience here…

SPEECH AND DRAMA

PATRICIA HAMMOND LLAM PGCA. HON FLAM.,

Patricia Hammond has been a teacher of speech, drama and theatre studies since 1968 having established a theatre school with her late husband. She transferred ownership of the school to an ex-student several years ago.  Many of her students have worked professionally in theatre, television, film and radio appearing in numerous productions in Europe, London and the provinces including The National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Seventeen ex-students have now opened their own schools of performing arts both in the UK and overseas.

She has been examining and adjudicating for very many years and has travelled frequently for the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).  Her work has taken her to all parts of the British Isles, Kenya, California, Singapore, Ireland, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Hong Kong.  She is an adjudicator member of the British and International Federation of Festivals.  Patricia has provided demonstration classes and Master Classes in Verse Speaking and Devised Performance a LAMDA McGowan Theatre and has co-written with Alison Muir a book entitled “Mime and Improvisation” published by LAMDA/Oberon Books and is currently writing another book.  She is actively involved in community arts and serves on a number of consultative panels relating to conservation, arts projects and animal welfare, serving also as a Drama Officer for Bromley Arts Council.  She is very much looking forward to her first visit to the Wootton Bassett Arts Festival 2011.

Tish Nicoll  LGSM,  Dip CE,  MSTSD,  FESB

Tish Nicoll is a Fellow of The English Speaking Board; a member of The Society of Teachers of Speech and Drama; a member of The British Voice Association, and a Member of the Panel of Speech and Drama Adjudicators of the British and International Federation of Festivals.

Born in Aberdeen, Scotland, Tish is a Licentiate of The Guildhall School of Music and Drama.  She has a wide range of experience in teaching all age groups in schools, colleges and the business world.  Tish now lives in Oxfordshire and works freelance. She is visiting lecturer in Vocal Communications in colleges in the UK and in Italy. She also examines for The English Speaking Board (International) Ltd. and was their Chief Examiner for seven years. She has travelled widely both in the UK and overseas lecturing, running workshops, examining and adjudicating and in 2007 was honoured to become Patron of “Oracy Australia Assoc.”

As well as “Voice Over” work for advertising, Tish has television experience as a performer and stage experience as a performer and a director. She is also a trained singer, specialising in recitals of poetry and song.

From an early age Tish took part in Festivals and well remembers how it feels to be a participant!  Now, herself a Festival organiser and adjudicator, she knows the importance of these events and welcomes the opportunities offered to performers of all ages, giving them a platform for their work and a chance to celebrate music, poetry and drama.

ART & PHOTOGRAPHY

Barrie Willerton

Barrie Willerton has spent a life-time in art and design education.  He was Head of Faculty; Design Technology and Art & Design, at Wootton Bassett School for 25 years.  He has been involved in the development and implementation of vocational education working for City & Guilds and examination boards, in establishing GNVQ courses in Art & Design at Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced levels.  He was also Principle Examiner for GNVQ Art & Design at all levels for AQA.  He is co-author (with Sylvia Willerton) of books for art courses in secondary education and for Business and Professional Practices in Art & Design.  As an artist, he works from studios at home, principally in print-making and has exhibited in Birmingham and locally.

Sylvia Willerton

Sylvia Willerton has a wide range of experience in the field of Art, Craft and Design as a practitioner, teacher and writer.  She was Chair of Examiners for VCE, GNVQ and GCSE applied art and design qualifications at AQA and Chief Examiner at CGLI.  She has extensive experience as a consultant, researcher and adviser with national and regional authorities and councils, including National Council for Vocational Qualifications; Schools Curriculum Assessment Authority; Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and Awarding Bodies.  She has been involved in the specifications, development and assessment of a wide range of art and design qualifications from National Curriculum to National Diplomas.  Her 24 years in teaching was spread across Secondary and Further and Higher Education. Publications have mainly focussed on assessment, professional practice and vocational assignments, while her work has been exhibited mainly in London and Birmingham. She studied fine art at St Martin’s, London; education at Leicester and has a doctorate from Sussex University.

FILM

Mark Kenna, BEng. (Hons) | AMPS

Mark started his career in 1989 with Rolls Royce, specialising in Electronics, Music Technology, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics at the University of York.  In 1997 Mark joined Dolby Laboratories and as Senior Consultant, provided technical and creative support to the international motion picture industry, helping many first time productions and independent filmmakers through post production, working on over 600 films in more than 100 film studios, cinemas and film laboratories worldwide.

Mark has worked with all the major studios including Disney and Warner Bros.; toured Scandinavia with Baz Luhrmann; provided support at the Cannes Film Festival; completed the first Dolby Digital mixes in the Czech Republic and Egypt; provided consultancy services for new studios in Thailand and Denmark and has completed work for George Lucas, Tim Burton and Ken Loach.

In September 2009, he started Dreambase Studios Limited, a sound post facility specialising in bespoke sound for independent films and digital media.  He continues to provide international sound consultancy services and produce high end media content.

Mark is a full member of AMPS (Association of Motion Picture Sound).

Alex Hudd, BSc | AMPS

After studying for a degree in Electronic Engineering, Alex worked for professional audio company Dolby Laboratories and spent eleven years as a Sound Consultant to the film industry, working on over 200 original film productions.  Alex has extensive experience in film sound post production all over the world, including motion picture film laboratory, digital cinema work and product development.

He continues to provide a variety of sound services for independent films and digital media from his company Dreambase Studios, based in Wootton Bassett, who also provide high quality video productions.  Alex’s picture editing was shortlisted for the BBC’s Digital Revolution short film competition in 2010.

He is writing several screenplays and developing his own music catalogue, and is a full member of AMPS (Association of Motion Picture Sound) and the PRS (Performing Rights Society).

CREATIVE WRITING

Phil Kirby

Phil began trying to write things around 1984, just after starting an English teaching career. In the late 80s he had couple of journalistic pieces published in a local newspaper. In the early 90s Phil started getting poems published in literary magazines/journals. His first poetry pamphlet of work that had appeared in magazines was published through his own Waldean Press in 1993. A second one in ’94 to coincide with the fact that he was awarded an East Midlands Arts Writer’s Bursary ‘94 and a place on their ‘New Voices’ reading tour. A third pamphlet was published through Shoestring Press, Nottingham, in 1997. He ran Waldean Press from 1993-98, publishing work by 8 other poets and receiving an East Midlands Arts subsidy for quality work. Also during this time he taught many adult writing classes, mostly through WEA. A short story was published by ‘nthposition’ on-line journal 2005. And his first full poetry collection: ‘Watermarks’, was published by Arrowhead Press, 2009. He has given subsequent readings in Cirencester and Islington. New poems continue to appear in magazines and he is expecting a group of poems to appear in the near future in an anthology being prepared by Brittle Star magazine. He has recently completed his first children’s/teenage novel and is hoping, eventually, to find a publisher for that, too.

CLASSICAL GUITAR

Mark Ashford ARAM, GRSM (Hons), Prof Cert (Hons), LRAM

Mark Ashford is an internationally renowned performer and teacher. He began his formal musical education as a scholarship student at Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester at the age of 12. He then won a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music, London from where he graduated with first class honours. Mark then completed his studies with the eminent guitarist David Russell in Vigo, Spain.

He is a prize winner at many national and international competitions including the Guitar Foundation of America, Alessandria International Guitar Competition (Italy), Scandinavian International Guitar Competition, Julian Bream Prize, and BBC Radio 2 Young Musician. He has performed as a soloist at major venues including, Buckingham Palace, the Wigmore Hall, South Bank Centre, Queens Hall (Edinburgh) and St George’s (Bristol). In 2004 Mark was honoured to record Rodrigo’s ‘Concierto de Aranjuez’ with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Nicholas Cleobury. This led to a successful concerto tour of many venues throughout the UK including Fairfied Halls (Croydon) and Bridgewater Hall, (Manchester). He was course director at the Bath International Guitar Festival for six years and is now head of guitar at the Birmingham Conservatoire of Music. He regularly gives masterclasses at the leading Conservatoires of Music and is an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music for his achievements in the music profession.