Staff

Short & Summer Course Leaders

Annie Blampied

Annie Blampied is an ordained Interfaith Minister and Spiritual Counsellor. She has a back ground of over 25 years in Steiner Waldorf Education and was a member of the Findhorn Foundation. She is a hospital chaplain and holds a regular absent healing group. She is a student and teacher of A Course in Miracles, and regularly gives workshops and talks on the theme of Forgiveness and Inner Peace. She is writing a book called "How Green is your Mind?".
www.annieblampied.co.uk

Peter Brinch

has worked for many years in Biodynamics, both in farming and gardening. He training initially at the Biodynamics seminar in Järna, Sweden. During the last 10 years his emphasis has been on horticulture and seed saving and production. He continues to grow seeds on a local farm for the Demeter seeds company in Yorkshire and works as a freelance gardener in Forest Row.

David Campbell

is a regular Emerson workshop leader and performer, he carries his repertoire of Celtic Scottish and Irish tales worldwide as a popular ambassador. His recent book 'Out of the Mouth of the Morning' expresses the lyricism and strength of the Celts in its selection of enchanting tales.

Catherine Cardon

is a Eurythmist and Visual Artist. She works in her Atelier in the South of France, and teaches courses internationally.

Jan Castle

is a fully qualified, accredited and experienced Life Coach who has been helping people make inspired and authentic change in their personal and professional lives for 10 years. Her varied background includes leading trips up the Amazon and making wildlife films. www.jancastlecoaching.com

Helen Chadwick

is a singer, composer and recording artist. Her song / theatre performances tour extensively from village halls to the Royal Opera House. She teaches voice workshops internationally. www.helenchadwick.com

Liz Chapman

studied at Reigate School of Art & Design and achieved an M.A. in Fine Art at Brighton University. She has taught for 15 years in Adult Education and 6th form college. She has exhibited extensively. Her current work concentrates on anonymity, and the breaking down, reconstruction and juxtaposition of colours.

Steve Charter

works with local authorities, SMEs and other partners on local and regional sustainability strategy and pioneering sustainability projects. He was one of the UK’s first sustainability coordinators from 1993-95, and has developed a particular focus on sustainable construction and related training issues since 1998.

Clare Coburn PhD

comes from Australia and is an experienced adult educator, storyteller and writer. She is passionate about using story wisdom to foster self-awareness and the potential for change. 

David Confino

works with groups and in business as a development consultant with 25 years of UK and international based experience. He helps individuals and teams to realise their ambitions through shared action, based in recognition of each participant’s integrity. David challenges preconceptions, entrenched habits and established thinking patterns. David uses coaching, humour and storytelling techniques to facilitate the acceptance of self, recognition of personal power and through that, the release of defences and acceptance of others.

Marianna de Croes

is an experienced Waldorf teacher and storyteller is all realms of education. She currently works at the Summerfield Waldorf School in California and has given summer courses at Emerson College for several years.

Roi Gal-Or

is co-leader of the School of Storytelling at Emerson College and teaches storytelling at the University of Sussex. He leads group and personal development workshops using stories, social games and biographical work.

Vivian Gladwell

founding member of Nose to Nose and Fool View, the social clowning group, Vivian Gladwell trained in France with the Bataclown working as a modern day Court Jester and teaching clowning internationally since 1988. He taught English at the University of Social Sciences in Toulouse for 16 years. His research into the applications of clowning to training teachers, doctors and carers regularly takes him to: Emerson College, Blackthorn Medical Centre, Maidstone, UK, Pedagogik Institute in Witten Annen, Germany and the Perceval Fondation, in Switzerland.

Heather Goodwin

has been teaching and performing in the Emerson College Puppetry workshop for many years.

Nir Halfon

holds and MSc in Energy and Environmental Studies and is co-leader of the Biodynamic Course at Emerson College. He gives workshops on permaculture, gardening and sustainable development.

Agnes Hardorp

was born in 1959 in Hamburg, Germany. She has worked as a singer, voice teacher, pianist and eurythmist and has a Master`s degree in History. For the past 5 years she has been teaching courses in Anthroposophical Meditation all around Germany and Switzerland.

Richard Heys

is a trained sculptor and painter. He works as a freelance artist and teaches art and art history. He is a graduate of the Emerson College Sculpture training and has a BA (Hons) in Fine Art, Sunderland University.

Sue Hollingsworth

has been a member of the Faculty of the School of Storytelling since 1999. As well as performing and teaching, she is the Director of Storymatters Ltd., a consultancy which takes storytelling into the world of business. She also enjoys working with story in the environment, with woman's groups and biographical storytelling.

Arjen Huese

trained as a biodynamic vegetable grower in the Netherlands, and worked in biodynamic farming in Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands and Brazil. He is the course leader for the Biodynamic Organic Agriculture Training at Emerson College. His special interest is the study of the formative forces in plants.

Michael Jacobs MCFM

is qualified mediator with 15 years of professional experience. He deals with a wide range of disputes, from divorces to divided teams and divisive organisations. Formerly a consultant and trainer with Stepping Stones Consultancy Ltd he is now a partner at Kenosis.

Sarah Kane

is a freelance director and teacher who has taught Michael Chekhov’s approach to of acting and Rudolf Steiner’s Creative Speech internationally to both amateurs and professionals since the 1980s. She has a particular interest in the transformative power for the individual of both the art of theatre and of speaking.

Ruth Kirkpatrick

from story- and song-rich Aberdeenshire farmer and fisher stock, has honed her balladry under the mentorship of great travellers Shelia Stewart and the late Stanley Robertson and has garnered a robust repertoire of tales.

Paul Matthews

poet and teacher, lives in Forest Row. His book, Sing Me the Creation (Hawthorn Press) is an invaluable sourcebook for both teachers and writers. Other publications include The Ground that Love Seeks (Five Seasons Press). He has travelled widely with his work, giving poetry readings, talks and workshops in the UK, Germany, Sweden, USA, New Zealand and Australia.

Thomas Mayer

was born in 1965 in Kempten, Germany. He was co-founder and director of “More Democracy” and has organized many referendums in Germany. He has recently published a book on elemental beings. For the past 5 years he has been teaching meditation together with Agnes Hardorp.

Michael Mulready

trained at the Tobias School of Art and was a Stage Painter & Designer for 17 years before teaching with Edinburgh Community Learning & Development and summer courses across the Scottish Highlands, at Tobias and Indigo in Stroud.

Olivia Olsen

studied acting in London England and since has worked as an actor in Britain and Canada. She holds an MA in Voice from Central School of Speech and Drama, London, and a Post Graduate Degree in Voice from York University Toronto, where she taught voice, speech and acting Shakespeare in the Theatre Department of York University. 

Richard Ramsbotham

is a writer, lecturer and performer and author of Who wrote Bacon? (Temple Lodge 2004) and editor of New Selected Poems of Vernon Watkins (Carcanet 2006). A central theme of his work is the spiritual and cultural life of Britain and the West, as this connects with that of Central and Eastern Europe.

Ashley Ramsden

founded the School of Storytelling in 1994. His unique methods of teaching voice and the skills of the storyteller have received international acclaim. He runs workshops, tours with his one-man-shows including A Christmas Carol, The Amazing Adventures of the Hodja Nasrud'din, The Titanic and Tistou of the Green Thumbs amongst others and is a speaker of sacred poetry. www.ashleyramsden.com

Pammy Riggs

keeps the highest welfare standards and alternative methods a priority in all aspects of practical poultry keeping. A hands-on farmer herself, Pammy is also ‘Chicken Whisperer’ to the River Cottage team and writes regularly on poultry and smallholding subjects.

Jürgen Schumacher

Jürgen's work includes over twenty years of biodynamic farming as well as teaching, lecturing and tax and financial advice. 

Roswitha Spence

trained in theatre arts and then worked at The English National Opera and Royal Shakespeare Company back stage. She joined Emerson College in 1967 and taught various arts and crafts until retirement. She is now writing a book on colour, texture and style in costume, set and lighting called: Clothing the Play.

Betty Staley

is an internationally acclaimed Waldorf educator, with over 40 years experience as a grade school, high school and adult education teacher. Betty is the author of several books including, Between Form and Freedom, Soul Weaving and Tapestries.

Carol Thompson

has been a teacher of English and Theatre Arts, an actress and director, a corporate Communication Skills trainer, a Psychosynthesis therapeutic counsellor and a Laughter Leader. She is now a Clowning Facilitator, combining her interests in education, theatre and psychology.

Andrew Wolpert

has been actively involved with the Arts of the Renaissance in adult education as lecturer, course leader and author both in England and abroad, and is particularly interested in the evolution of consciousness as it manifests in Shakespeare´s work. 

Brane Žilavec

has been penetrating into the mysteries of human nutrition through personal and working experiences and independent study of anthroposophy. He worked in various fields of nutrition: public promotion of natural foods, setting organic standards, environmental lobbying, running a bakery, food marketing, cooking, curative therapy, writing and teaching. He is guest teacher in biodynamic course at Emerson College with introductory course on anthroposophic nutrition.