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Senior lecturer, Leeds Beckett University

Director and founder of the Story Makers Company, a practice-based research centre which champions creative pedagogies and relational learning, Lisa’s research focuses on using story/drama pedagogy to empower learner co-agency, wellbeing and transformative competences. A former Primary School teacher, she works with schools and cultural organisations to implement creative curriculum and pedagogy through professional development.

For her PhD, Lisa explored children’s (aged 10-11) perceptions of using drama and story making processes across two years. Her approach to teaching drama (Drama Worldbuilding) centres on creating fictional worlds where children are challenged to negotiate and build democratic futures, on their own terms through drama, free writing and art. Her research findings present a model of 8 Creative and Wellbeing Dispositions and transferable competencies, incorporating critical thinking, emotional literacy and 21st century skills which empower children as change agents.

Her research has had significant impact nationally on teachers' pedagogy and childrens' classroom experiences. Her research and practice underpin Story Makers Press, a publisher which co-creates stories with children, which she leads. Lisa has recently developed a series of immersive digital story experiences, blending off and online creative practices, called Story Weaves, used widely during Covid as pedagogy and curriculum.
Currently, she is leading a number of related national and international research projects (www.arted-eu.org) which explore the contemporary role of creative arts learning and wellbeing. Empirical research from these projects includes a dispositional model of Oracy and conflict resolution, developed with teachers across schools in Bradford.
Lisa works extensively with a wide range of artist educators, schools, communities, marginalised young people and cultural organisations, developing research opportunities in areas of social change through creative pedagogy.

Research:

Stephenson, L., (2022) Collective creativity and wellbeing dispositions: children's perceptions of learning through drama. Thinking Skills and Creativity, p.101188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2022.101188

Stephenson, L. (PhD, 2021) Rewilding Curriculum through drama: creative-critical thinking in the classroom. Affective Stories of creativity-struggle-hope-wellbeing

Stephenson, L., Daniel, A. and Storey, V., (2022) Weaving critical hope: story making with artists and children through troubled times. Literacy, 56(1), pp.73-85. http://doi.org/10.1111/lit.12272

Stephenson, L. and Dobson, T. (2020) Releasing the Socio-Imagination: Children’s voices on Creativity, Capability and Mental Wellbeing. Support for Learning. 35(4). Available online: http://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9604.12326

Dobson, T., and Stephenson, L. (2020) Challenging boundaries to cross: primary teachers exploring drama pedagogy for creative writing with theatre educators in the landscape of performativity. Professional Development in Education. 46(2), pp.245-255. Available online: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19415257.2018.1557240.

Dobson, T., Stephenson, L. and De Arede, A. (2019). Disrupting aetonormativity: involving children in the writing of literature for publication. English in Education. Available online: https://doi.org/10.1080/04250494.2019.1679622.

Dobson, T. and Stephenson, L. (2019) “I think it fits in”: Using Process Drama to Promote Agentic Writing with Primary School Children. Literacy. 53(2), pp.69-76. Available online from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/lit.12145.

Stephenson, L. (2019). Story Makers: A New Generation. Pen and Inc magazine, Diversity and Inclusion in Children’s books. CILIP.org.uk https://content.yudu.com/libraryHtml/A43ror/Penampincautumnwinte/reader.html?page=30&origin=reader

Dobson, T. and Stephenson, L. (2017) Primary Pupils’ Creative Writing: Enacting Identities in a Community of Writers. Literacy. 51(3), pp.162-168. Available online: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/lit.12118.

Dobson, T. and Stephenson, S. (2017) “Teachers can use drama to bring writing to life for children.” The Conversation. Available from: https://theconversation.com/teachers-can-use-drama-to-bring-writing-to-life-for-children-71164.

Podcasts:
Stephenson, L (2021) Creative Spaces for Wellbeing. The Emotional Curriculum Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/s04-e08-story-makers-creative-spaces-for-wellbeing/id1484954368?i=1000527790225

Stephenson, L. (24.05.21) Immersive Story Making with children during Covid. Wellbeing and Hope through story. United Kingdom Literacy Association Conversation Series https://ukla.org/ukla_resources/ukla-conversations-series-story-making-in-troubled-times/

Stephenson, L. and Chetty, D (14.09.2020) Race and children’s literature Talking Race Series
(https://www.bameednetwork.com/resources/audio/race-and-childrens-literature-with-darren-chetty-and-lisa-stephenson/

Experience

  • 2017–present
    Director Story Makers Company, Leeds Beckett University
  • 2009–2016
    Senior Lecturer, Leeds Beckett University
  • 1996–2004
    Primary School Teacher and Senior Manager, Wilsden Primary School

Education

  • 2022 
    Leeds Beckett University, PhD
  • 2016 
    Leeds beckett University, MA Performance Matters
  • 1994 
    Leeds University, PGCE Primary Education
  • 1993 
    Liverpool Hope University, BA Comb Hons Psychology/Drama