Diverse City, London > promoting equal access to performance arts

Claire Hodgson

Chief Executive

c.hodgoson@diversecitylondon.org

A trained actor, dancer and director Claire has worked in higher education for the last 12 years as a senior lecturer in performing arts. As a university subject leader for the last six years, Claire has designed, developed and managed performing arts courses at degree and access level and has extensive experience coordinating both the admission and assessment processes.

Claire has always strived to enable under represented groups to access higher education, particularly in performing arts training, and she is a specialist in the field of disability and performance. Claire initiated, with Graeae Theatre Company, The Missing Piece: a unique training course for adults with physical and sensory impairments based at London Metropolitan University .

Claire has published work on disability and performance and the contemporary British identity in theatre, and in the last year she has been invited to speak about her work in Poland, Washington DC and throughout the UK

Dimitris Tourountsis

Education and Company Manager

d.tourountsis@diversecitylondon.org

Combing hands-on classroom experience with a strong research and project management background, Dimitris Tourountsis started off as Diverse City’s School Projects Manager in 2006 and quickly became an integral part of the team.

Before joining Diverse City, Dimitris’ professional experience ranged from primary school teaching, including 7-years in both public and state schools all over London, and higher education lecturing as visiting tutor at Goldsmiths College, University of London, to working as programme coordinator at Open House London and acting as the Learning Consultant in the setting up of inIVA’s architecture education program.

Adding to his multi-faceted professional experience, his academic background, which features degrees in Education, Visual Cultures, and Media and Communications, Dimitris has developed, not only a thorough and deep understanding of both the formal and informal education sector, and the young people’s needs, but also a unique cross-disciplinary approach to education and the arts.