Warwick and RADA Collaborative Fellowship

PhD in Creative Industries funded 3.5 year UK scholarship with UKRI rate stipend

University of Warwick and Royal Academy of Dramatic Art

Acting on Organisations: How dramatic pedagogies shape work, culture and performance

The application of theatrical training and dramatic pedagogies extends beyond performance itself. Such approaches have been employed in professional development (Taylor & Ladkin, 2009), education (Schonmann, 2011), organisational change (Descubes & McNamara, 2015), and community engagement (Hepplewhite, 2024), reflecting a longstanding belief that drama-based learning cultivates capabilities with value across a wide range of contexts. However, despite growing interest in the wider applicability of these methods, there remains limited understanding of how their impact unfolds across the interconnected domains of individual development, organisational practice, and social contribution.

RADA occupies a distinctive position within this landscape. As a world-leading conservatoire with an internationally recognised approach to actor training, and through the work of RADA Business, the institution applies dramatic pedagogies in both educational and organisational settings. Together, these activities offer a unique opportunity to explore how skills developed through drama training are translated, adapted, and mobilised beyond the rehearsal room and stage.

Recent research has demonstrated that graduates from performing arts programmes apply skills gained through their training across a diverse range of professions and sectors (Ashton, 2023). Alumni frequently identify capabilities such as communication, collaboration, adaptability, creativity, leadership, and resilience as central to their professional lives. Yet relatively little is known about how these skills are enacted within organisations, how they contribute to organisational cultures and outcomes, or how organisations themselves understand and value such attributes.

This project invites applicants to investigate the broader value and transferability of dramatic pedagogies. It seeks to move beyond individual accounts of employability to consider the relationship between personal development and organisational impact. Potential areas of exploration include the experiences of RADA graduates as they navigate a range of career pathways; the ways in which dramatic pedagogies inform professional practice across different sectors; and the contribution of drama-based approaches to organisational learning, leadership, communication, collaboration, and change.

The project is intentionally interdisciplinary, and applicants will have scope to refine its focus according to their interests and expertise. Methodological approaches might include mixed methods research combining alumni career tracking, interviews, focus groups, surveys, organisational case studies, and evaluation of professional development interventions delivered through RADA Business.

This opportunity is fully funded at the cost of home fees and yearly stipend in line with UKRI (£21,805 for 2026/2027).

The project will be supervised by Dr. Heidi Ashton and Professor Chris Bilton.