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Professor Mike Wilson is Professor of Drama, Head of Creative Arts, and Director of the Storytelling Academy at Loughborough University's School of Design and Creative Arts. He joined Loughborough in September 2014 after serving as Dean of Research and the Graduate School at Falmouth University. In June 2025, he was appointed UNESCO's first ever Chair in Storytelling Education for Sustainability, reflecting his international reputation in the field.
Wilson earned his PhD from the University of Exeter in 1997 for a study of oral narrative traditions among teenagers in Britain and Ireland. His academic journey began in community theatre in southwest England in the mid-1980s, where he discovered storytelling's power for community engagement. After completing his PhD, he joined the University of Glamorgan as Professor of Drama and Head of Research.
Professor Wilson's research focuses on storytelling's applications across multiple domains. He explores how storytelling can make public policy debates more accessible, particularly in health and environmental contexts. His work examines the interface between storytelling and digital technology, investigating how the internet enables widespread sharing of everyday experiences. Recent research has focused on storytelling as a framework for sustainability and environmental policy development.
His current research portfolio includes the Branching Out project funded by UK Research and Innovation, which examines the social and cultural values of urban treescapes across York, Cardiff, and Milton Keynes. This work combines biophysical analysis of urban trees with narrative accounts of their meaning to local communities.
- Member of RCUK's Programme Advisory Board for the Digital Economy
- Member of AHRC's Programmes on Digital Transformations
- Chair of British Council's Arts and Humanities Panel
- Founding Director of The Storytelling Academy
Professor Wilson has established the Storytelling Academy as an international leader in applied storytelling research, securing over 30 externally funded interdisciplinary projects with funding from AHRC, NERC, ESRC, MRC, EPSRC, British Academy, and the European Commission. His work spans health, environmental, and social justice issues, collaborating with partners worldwide from grassroots NGOs to major cultural institutions.
