Jo Ronan

Jo Ronan is the Interim Head of Contemporary Performance Practice and Interim Programme Lead in Contemporary Performance Practice at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She originated Dialectical Collaborative Theatre (DCT), a methodology challenging hierarchical theatre practices, and co-founded BloodWater Theatre (2012) to explore tensions between performance as product and process. Her work includes directing for 7:84 (Scotland) and founding The Necessary Stage in Singapore (1987–1995).

• Interim Head of Contemporary Performance Practice, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• External Examiner for BA (Hons) Applied and Contemporary Theatre Practice at Guilford School of Acting (University of Surrey)

Ronan’s research focuses on ethics in performance-making, disability inclusion, and pedagogical innovations. She has presented at conferences and published on DCT, devising, and participatory performance. Her teaching spans roles at Coatbridge College (1998–2005) and the University of the West of Scotland (2007–2020).

Her recent publications analyze DCT’s role in fostering equality and addressing ideological challenges in theatre production. She maintains a commitment to inclusive training, reflected in her writings on neurodiversity and physical disability in performance.