Anna McNamara

Professor Anna McNamara is a leading academic and educator at the University of Surrey, serving as Director of Internationalisation at the Guildford School of Acting (GSA), part of the Faculty of Arts, Business and Social Sciences and affiliated with the Surrey Institute of Education. She holds the academic rank of Professor and has previously held key leadership roles including Director of Learning and Teaching and Interim Head of School. Her work spans actor training, inclusive pedagogy, crisis management, and gender equity in the creative industries.

• PhD in Contemporary Actor Training, University of Surrey
• MA in Education
• BA Theatre Studies, Rose Bruford College
• Diploma in Dance Education (DDE), ISTD
• Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), University of Gloucestershire

Anna’s research focuses on transformative pedagogies in performing arts education, with an emphasis on inclusivity, student voice, and decolonising curricula. She has pioneered initiatives such as the Be the Change digital conference and book series, which bring together global experts to reimagine actor training. Her work integrates playful learning, flipped classrooms, and intimacy coordination into conservatoire education.

Her recent publications include edited volumes such as Actor Trainers on Acting: for the Twenty-First Century (Routledge, 2024), Inspire: Learning for Teaching in Higher Education (Nova, 2024), and the groundbreaking The Women Who Shaped UK Actor Training (Routledge, 2024), which centers the contributions of women in UK drama education. Her articles explore themes of lived experience, crisis leadership, and gender empowerment, reflecting a strong interdisciplinary and action-oriented approach.

Anna has received numerous accolades for her teaching and leadership, including:

• National Teaching Fellow (NTF)
• Principal Fellow of Advance HE (PFHEA)
• Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA)
• University of Surrey Vice Chancellor’s Award for Teacher of the Year (2017)
• Finalist, Creative Businesswoman, Great British Businesswoman Awards (2023/24)

She actively supervises PhD candidates in theatre and dance, has served on multiple university and faculty committees, and acts as an external examiner for institutions across the UK. Her outreach includes national inclusion projects with Get Into Theatre and The Mousetrap Foundation, supporting underrepresented youth in accessing creative careers. She also chairs a primary school governing board and is involved in LIPA Sixth Form College’s local governance.

Anna leads the GSA People’s Network initiative to diversify staff recruitment and has developed mental health training with Mental Health England. She founded the GSA Gillian Lynne Choreography Competition and other student voice initiatives, reinforcing her commitment to student empowerment and institutional change.