James Else

Dr. James Else is Head of Postgraduate Studies at Northern School of Contemporary Dance (NSCD), where he oversees programme development, timetabling, and chairs key academic committees. With 17 years in higher education including 12 in management roles, he teaches film, music, and contextual studies. His qualifications include a PhD in Music Composition from the University of York and a PGDip in Arts Learning and Teaching.

Else's research examines interdisciplinary connections across artforms, particularly exploring:

• Paradoxes in art-research relationships
• Virtual reality applications in movement-based arts
• Decolonization and inclusive assessment strategies in dance education
• Arts management frameworks within conservatoire settings

His creative output includes compositions performed by BBC Philharmonic and international ensembles, alongside award-winning BBC television productions. Scholarly work focuses on reimagining arts pedagogy through EEDI principles.

Honors include:

• BAFTA Scotland (2011) and Scottish Adventure Award (2014) for film production
• MacFarlane Prize for Composition (2002)
• Advance HE Fellowship