Spotlight On CCG Members :- Mr. James Wilson
Apr, 3 2019
~~It’s alright walking the walk but how many people can say they can also ‘talk the talk’. By infusing theatre based presentations into his teaching sessions, Mr. James Wilson lives, sleeps and breathes his profession by cleverly using sound based techniques so that learners can gain a deeper, more appreciative understanding of the methods he uses in his working life. Let us uncover more about this month’s ‘Spotlight on CCG Members’.
Hampshire bases James is a highly experienced Registered Mental Health Nurse (RMN) and an award winning Principal Teaching Fellow at the University of Southampton.
He is a leading champion when it comes to interactive theatre. His practical demonstrations teach students the complexities of delivering care to vulnerable people. This performance led exercise describes a range of techniques designed specifically to facilitate audience interaction with a live theatre-based presentation.
James has recently been awarded the prestigious National Teaching Fellowship award for his innovative contributions to teaching about mental health via his advances in interactive theatre. He hones in on five specific areas which make him a unique worker in his field :-
• Writing
• Directing
• Presenting
• Facilitating
• Occasionally performing in the interactive theatre experiences.
All of which can be found at the following website :-https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/person/james-wilson
One of his productions was a highly innovative piece. ‘Falling down the rabbit hole’ explored a service users narrative and developed the consequences of flawed clinical decisions by professionals and how this led to a stay in hospital under a section of the mental health act.
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James’ performance led teaching sessions can be summarized in four simple ways:- •
- o An innovative interactive theatre method enacting service user narratives
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- o Combines a theatre based approach with an electronic student response system
- o •
- o Method offers students chance to analyze clinical decision making in a classroom
- o •
- o Enhancing the learning experience through students teaching students
- o
It’s not surprising then that in 2016 James was a nominated finalist in the Times Higher Education awards in the individual category as the ‘Most innovative teacher of the year’.
In his youth James played football at a high level with Raith Rovers F.C and achieved every boyhood dream of playing internationally for Scotland. No doubt his adult peer group are slightly envious of the enormity his stellar career has flourished into.
And as fellow CCG members we are privileged to welcome you on board, am sure we can all learn a thing or two about your craft. Welcome Mr James Wilson.
^Alex Ashworth
