Graham Lea

Graham Lea is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Education of the University of Manitoba, specializing in Curriculum, Teaching and Learning. He joined the faculty in August 2016 after serving as an assistant professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and completing a SSHRC Post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Prince Edward Island.

• PhD, University of British Columbia (2014)
• MA, University of British Columbia (2010)
• BEd, University of Prince Edward Island (2004)
• BSc, University of Prince Edward Island (1999)

His research focuses on Research-based Theatre and Arts-based Research Methodologies, particularly examining Narrative in Mathematics Education and Theatre/drama in Health and Teacher Education. He explores how theatrical practices can bridge academic research and community engagement, using embodied spaces to address complex educational and psychological issues.

Recent publications analyze the intersection of arts-based methods with Health Policy and Veterans' Mental Health, including the 2024 study on Larry Saves the Canadian Healthcare System and the 2022 A Spotlight on Research-based Theatre. His work has been recognized with awards from the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry and Arts Researchers and Teachers Society.

• SSHRC Post-doctoral Fellowship (2015)
• Vanier Doctoral Fellowship (2014)
• Co-editor of Research-based Theatre: An Artistic Methodology (Intellect, 2016)

Lea collaborates with interdisciplinary teams including the Veterans' Transition Project, where he developed the acclaimed production Contact!Unload to support veterans transitioning to civilian life. His methodology integrates Gestalt and sensorimotor therapy, fostering tight-knit community support through theatrical practices.