معرفی
Dr. Heather Lilley serves as a Senior Lecturer within the Cambridge School of Creative Industries at Anglia Ruskin University's Faculty of Arts, Humanities, Education and Social Sciences. She holds dual leadership roles as Course Leader for Drama, Drama and English Literature, and Drama and Film undergraduate programs, and as School Lead for Learning, Teaching and Assessment. Additionally, she directs the Anglia Ruskin Community Theatre, demonstrating deep integration of academic practice and community engagement through the performing arts.
Her academic credentials include:
- PhD in Vital Contact: Community and Negotiations of Audience-Performance Relationships (2000-2005), University of Nottingham
- MA Theatre Practices, University of Nottingham
- BA (Hons) English and Theatre Studies (European/Oslo), University of Leeds
Lilley's research program centers on contemporary devised theatre and adaptation processes, with pioneering work in applied theatre for elderly populations through reminiscence theatre practices. Her scholarship investigates how performance spaces facilitate intergenerational dialogue and community building, particularly through archival resources like the Reminiscence Theatre Archive of Pam Schweitzer which she established at the University of Greenwich and continues to develop at ARU. This work bridges theoretical frameworks with practical community applications, emphasizing theatre's role in health and social care contexts.
Analysis of her 2010-2013 publications reveals consistent exploration of audience-performer relationships, narrative adaptation mechanisms, and therapeutic applications of theatre. Her research demonstrates methodological innovation through archival utilization in intergenerational projects, fairytale reinterpretation in devised contexts, and theoretical modeling of interpretive communities during live reception. These works collectively establish her contribution to understanding theatre's social impact beyond traditional performance spaces.
Her professional recognition includes:
- Senior Fellow, Higher Education Academy
In academic leadership, Lilley shapes curriculum development across multiple undergraduate programs while mentoring emerging practitioners through the Anglia Ruskin Community Theatre. Her applied theatre projects, particularly those engaging elderly communities, reflect strategic partnerships with health and social care organizations though specific grant funding details are not documented. Her work exemplifies practice-based research with direct community impact.
Lilley founded the Reminiscence Theatre Archive at the University of Greenwich and continues this legacy at ARU through the Community Theatre initiative. Her current projects focus on creating performance opportunities with elderly populations using archival materials, fostering intergenerational connections through adapted narratives, and developing frameworks for evaluating theatre's therapeutic applications in aging communities.
