Rachel Turner-King

Rachel Turner-King serves as Assistant Professor in Creativity, Performance and Education at the Centre for Education Studies, University of Warwick, within the Faculty of Social Sciences. She leads modules on 'Drama and Theatre in Theory and Practice' and 'Drama and Creative Learning,' connecting academic theory with practical performance applications.

Her research interests focus on drama pedagogy, creative learning, devising performance, eco-pedagogy, multiculturalism, internationalism, hospitality, conviviality, education and outreach, public engagement, and social justice. Turner-King examines how drama and theatre-based pedagogies can create hospitable and convivial spaces for interaction between multi-ethnic communities, with particular attention to how these methods foster civic engagement and social transformation.

Analysis of her publication record reveals a consistent trajectory exploring collaborative theatre-making with youth, ethical research practices, and the intersection of performance with social justice issues. Her work increasingly emphasizes ecological concerns and socio-ecological justice, particularly evident in her recent involvement with the Global Youth Citizen-Artists project. The publications demonstrate methodological innovation through practice-as-research approaches that blend academic inquiry with artistic creation.

• Warwick Award for Teaching Excellence (WATE) - 2015

Turner-King has led significant research projects including the UK site for Kathleen Gallagher's international SSHRC-funded project 'Youth, Theatre, Radical Hope and the Ethical Imaginary' (2014-2018) and currently collaborates on 'Global Youth (Digital) Citizen-Artists and their Publics: Performing for Socio-Ecological Justice' (2019-2024). She completed a City of Culture/GRP funded pilot project creating a 'Story Garden' in Canley, Coventry, and recently secured AHRC funding for 'With one Breath - Engaging young people with climate research' (2021). Her work consistently involves partnerships with community organizations like The Belgrade's Canley Youth Theatre.

She maintains strong connections with Warwick Arts Centre, where her doctoral research developed practice-led methods investigating multiculturalism and internationalism in programming and education activities. Her current work continues this institutional partnership while expanding into interdisciplinary collaborations with scholars from Theatre Studies and Global Sustainable Development.