Mr Stephen Mason

About

I am the Head of Department of Performing Arts and Senior Lecturer in Dance.

I joined Kingston University in 2016 following a successful career as a dance artist, teacher and project manager working in a variety of community and education settings.  I continue some of this work as a Dance Artist for Trinity Laban Conservatoire for Music and Dance's youth programme and as a Teacher Training Mentor for the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing.

After completing my BA(Hons) Dance and Drama and MA Dance Studies I worked across the UK delivering outreach projects for dance companies and organisations, such as, Loop Dance Company, Richard Alston Dance Company, Candoco Dance Company, The Place and Surrey County Arts.  I have choreographed a variety of performance works (see Professional Practice) including works for Trinity Laban Youth Dance Company and worked as Deputy Choreographer for Royston Maldoom OBE for his Dance Umbrella commission in 2008 at the Royal Albert Hall.  I have performed with Danielle Jones' Collective Identity Project Loop Dance Company.

I have taught in several Further Education colleges in London and a specialist performing arts academy in the West Midlands working with gifted and talented young dancers and co-directing two youth dance companies. I have also lead a national cross-curricular dance project for primary schools in my role as Dance Development Officer for The Place.

Prior to becoming Head of Department I was the Course Leader for the BA(Hons) Dance course at Kingston University and continue to teach a variety practice-based modules that include exploring the dance industry (see Teaching and Learning).  This includes:

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

Academic responsibilities

Head of Department of Performing Arts & Senior Lecturer in Dance

Qualifications

  • Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
  • MA Dance Studies, Trinity Laban Conservatoire for Music and Dance, London
  • BA(Hons) Dance and Drama Studies, University of Winchester (formerly King Alfred's College of Higher Education, Winchester)
  • PGCE including Qualified Teacher Status, Institute of Education, UCL

Teaching and learning

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 and expertise

  • 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

Undergraduate courses taught

Professional practice, knowledge exchange and impact

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)

Leadership and management

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)

Videos of my work

Social media

LinkedIn Instagram