Paul Herbert

Paul has a career that encompasses music and theatre. As a musician, he is a former Director of Music at mac, and has also worked as musical director for numerous regional theatres, as well as composer for radio, TV and theatre. He has appeared as guest conductor at national music festivals, the English Symphony Orchestra and with Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG) and is a former director of music with City of Birmingham Touring Opera (now Birmingham Opera Company). He has also worked extensively with children and young people, particularly in the field of music theatre. As Head of Productions at mac from 1992-2008 he was responsible for numerous productions, including original commissions and national tours of original children’s theatre work.

Philip Monks 

Philip has written over 12 professionally-produced plays as well as plays with and for youth theatres and schools. He was Playwright In Residence mac 2004-5. He worked for many years on drama productions for Central Television, was Associate Producer for Teachers’ TV and was scriptwriter for the 2009 Birmingham City Council DVD-Rom Journey To A Brighter Future. Since 2003, he has run many creative writing workshops & projects for young people and adults, including for the Write On scheme, Birmingham Rep, Creative Partnerships & Theatre Works. He has edited 3 anthologies of writing for secondary students and regularly performs his poetry. He co-created Word Lab, which uses a game structure to engage secondary students in GCSE English Language. In 2011 he was the first writer in residence at The Barber Institute of Fine Arts. You may find The Act Of Looking of interest. He is chair of Writing West Midlands.

Jenny Stephens

Jenny is a freelance director, writer and producer. She was a Lecturer in Drama at Birmingham University, won the BP Young Directors’ Award and was subsequently Artistic Director of the Worcester Swan Theatre before becoming a Radio Drama Producer for BBC Birmingham. She has produced, directed and commissioned many new works for both theatre and radio, including several music-theatre plays which she has directed. She regularly directs The Archers and Silver Street for BBC radio and is a visiting director (theatre and radio) for Bristol Old Vic & E15 Theatre Schools. She has written for BBC Radio 7 and Birmingham Repertory Theatre and has worked as a director on many drama projects with young people both in and out of a school setting.