Shirley Coen joined the College in 1998 as Finance Director. She was appointed to the Boards of Directors and Trustees in 2002 by Doreen Bird and was promoted to the post of Principal/CEO in 2005. She graduated from Oxford Brooks University with a BA Honours degree in English and Education. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts and a Trustee of the Council for Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre.
Shirley is an accountant and has gained extensive experience in both practice and the commercial sector but she is particularly interested in education management and the ‘Not for Profit’ charitable sector. She is very interested in managing change in education – ensuring that an organisation is innovative with appropriate strategies and teams in place to ensure excellent financial health and best practice. Only in doing so will an organisation be able to deliver its strategic vision, including its artistic and educational vision and its objectives for the future.
During Shirley’s time with Bird College it has grown from a small, specialist dance college with 100 students to one which has 600 full time students. Correspondingly, turnover has increased from £1 million to £6 million. The College has transitioned from a group of buildings which the organisation had outgrown, to an attractive campus with state of the art facilities, making it an outstanding place to learn and work. Bird College is an excellent college delivering outstanding education and training programmes, with an international reputation.
Luis trained at the Doreen Bird College of Performing Arts, under the direction of Doreen Bird, and then went on to train in Drama at the Poor School where his tutors included Paul Caister, Bardy Thomas, George Hall and John James. Other training has included a Script and Story Structure Course with Robert McKee, Approaches to Physical Theatre at Middlesex University a Mask Workshop with the Pleiades Company and Kasm Mask, and Commedia dell’Arte with Antonio Fava. He has also completed an MA in Physical Theatre at the University of Surrey and Royal Holloway University of London, and a PGCE at Canterbury Christ Church University College. Performing roles include Heinz in Today, Albert Parker in When We Are Married, Toby in Ways and Means, Mr Burnum in Hands Across the Sea, Gideon in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Ensemble in Sweet Charity and South Pacific, God Spell, Chitterlow in Half a Sixpence and Lucio in Measure for Measure. Luis was also one of the original Bird Theatre Company members.
He joined the College as a Drama Tutor in 1996 and was later promoted to Head of Drama and Performance Studies. He was also Agency Manager for Bird Personnel Management from 1998 – 2005. He was appointed Deputy Principal & Artistic Director of Bird College in 2005, Executive Director and Trustee of Bird College in October 2008 and was most recently appointed Joint Principal and Artistic Director in 2019. As a director, he has worked on Hands Across the Sea, Bouncers, Barnum, The Wiz, The Owl And The Pussycat, Line, Teechers, Infidelities!, Road, Habeas Corpus, Private Wars, Commedia dell’Arte, Children of Eden, The Life, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, Fascinating Rhythms, Who Could Ask for Anything More?, Bat Boy, Kiss Me Kate, Songs for a New World, Legends, Icons and Idols, 42nd Street, Sweet Charity, Elegies, Noitamina, Crazy for You, Fame The Musical, Burlesque and Other Distractions, Hello Dolly, Footloose, Broadway Then and Now, West Side Story, Curtains, Hooray for Hollywood, Cabaret, Hot Mikado and Joie de Vivre. Other productions include choreography and direction for Dentro Da Minha Cabeça and choreography for Metamorphosis (Dance Theatre). Publications include A Career into Dance for CDET. Luis was part of an AHRB Innovation Research Project, 19th Century theatre rehearsal process, which was headed by Dr. G. Bush-Bailey & Dr. J. Bratton at Royal Holloway University of London. He wrote and designed the Foundation Degree in Creative Industries: Acting for Bird College which was successfully validated by University of Greenwich for five years as well as the Pre-Vocational Foundation programme in Dance and Musical Theatre. He was External Examiner for the BA (Hons) Physical Theatre programme at St Mary’s College, Surrey University from 2005 -2009.
Luisa trained at Escola Superior de Danca in Lisbon graduating with a BA in Choreography in 1993. She continued her studies at Laban where she obtained a Professional Diploma in Dance Studies and was part of Transitions Dance Company in 1996. As a professional dancer, Luisa worked with BI MA Dance Company, The Cholmondeleys, Protein Dance, Theatre En Corps and First Person Dance Company. Luisa also worked with the Cholmondeleys and The Featherstonehaughs in the role of Rehearsal Director for the revival of Anderson’s piece ‘Flesh and Blood’. Luisa began teaching at Bird College in 1997 as a contemporary dance teacher and has been managing the Student Wellbeing Services since 2016 working closely with staff to create a holistic approach to health and wellbeing. This approach considers the student as a whole person with the aim to support each and every student in their drive to succeed in their studies despite the challenges they may be faced with along the way. A deep interest in the connection between mind and body led Luisa to start practicing yoga in 2008 and complete a 200 hours Yoga Teacher Training in 2012. Luisa regularly teaches Yoga and meditation as part of the Wellbeing sessions offered to all students.
Donna is a qualified teacher within the Post-Compulsory sector specialising in education.
Since 2002, she has worked in a range of education roles, predominately in the Further Education sector.
Since 2012, she has been managing higher education and quality assurance.
Donna has completed a BA and a MA in Education and is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Donna is passionate about transforming students lives and providing a high-quality experience for all.
Sue trained at Laine Theatre Arts and in her early career taught and performed around Europe and Canada. Choreography has always been a strong passion for Sue and she loves to explore the relationship between the musical phrase and body movement. Sue received Distinctions in all her teaching examinations and was made a Modern and Tap Examiner for the Imperial Society in 2000 and a Major Vocational examiner shortly afterwards. She has held full time posts at other leading dance colleges and has freelanced in other leading establishments. Sue began working at Bird College in 1999 and has remained at the College ever since, believing in its ethics, energy and commitment to outstanding training in dance and musical theatre. Sue became head of the Jazz Department in 2005. Sue is a freelance tutor for the Imperial Society, often lecturing on Syllabus but more prominently on uses of free work within the syllabus framework and free Jazz technique for all Vocational and Pre-vocational Levels. Sue has joined the creative team for the new Advanced 1 and Advanced 2 modern syllabus and is part of the teaching team travelling around the country and the rest of Europe. Sue completed her Certificate of Education in 2003 and is currently training to become a qualified registered Nutritionalist.
Nick trained at Laine Theatre Arts, whilst in training he completed a contract performing cabaret in Algiers. After completing three years training, he joined the London company of West Side Story and continued the run at the Opera House in Manchester as Jet Swing and understudy to ‘Krupke’ and ‘Glad Hand.’ West End credits include 42nd Street Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Me & My Girl Adelphi Theatre, Thin a Thon Piccadilly Theatre, Cavalcade of Coward Piccadilly Theatre, Mack & Mabel In Concert Theatre Royal Drury Lane, La Cage aux Folles In Concert London Palladium as well as performing in two Royal Variety performances at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Nick has also performed in numerous Pantomimes throughout the country. As a teacher, Nick has worked at several of the leading vocational colleges.
Nick has also choreographed musicals such as 42nd Street, Crazy for You, West Side Story, The Hot Mikado, Cabaret, Damn Yankees, Parade and Hello Dolly for the 3rd Year Bird College Students as well as musical numbers for the College annual showcase and Agents showcase. Nick also creates, directs and choreographs 1st and 2nd year Musical Theatre Workshops/Projects at the College.
Nick also lectures and examines both in the UK and internationally for the ISTD Tap and Modern Theatre Faculties. He was fortunate to have been included on the creative team responsible for choreographing the new Tap grades.
Jackee’s vocal training started at The Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff where she was awarded a scholarship.
In 1996 she understudied the Principal female role in the 10th anniversary National and European tour of Chess. Jackee went on to perform in the cabaret room The Talk of London in London’s West End. She also performed as lead female vocalist in production shows and as a solo cabaret artist on many cruise ships: The Zenith (Celebrity Cruises), Silver Cloud (Silver Seas), Black Watch (Fred Olsen) etc. Her singing career included performing in Cabaret venues across Wales, England, Jersey, and the Middle East. Being a fluent Welsh speaker, she sang on numerous Welsh Television and Radio programmes. In 2010 Jackee gained her Professional Certificate in Education from University of Greenwich, London. And in 2015 she qualified as an EMT (Estill Master Trainer) in The Estill Model, mentored by Anne-Marie Speed.
Ed has been teaching at Bird College since 2009. He has taught and directed at many performing arts schools and colleges including The Poor School, Rose Bruford, Mountview, GSA, The Royal College of Music and Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Productions include: 42nd Street, Baby, Betrayal, Oklahoma!, Entertaining Mr Sloane, Absolute Hell, A View from the Bridge, The Beggar’s Opera, Blues in the Night, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and 9 To 5. He worked as a singer, actor, musical director and director in theatre for over 25 years. Directing credits include: The Threepenny Opera (Birmingham Summer Festival); Pipe Dream (Barber Institute); Grand Hotel (Edinburgh Festival); Alfie (Drayton Court Theatre); How He Lied to Her Husband and Overruled (King’s Head, Islington); Royal Variety (The Man in the Moon); Stig of the Dump (Tabard, Chiswick); Tin Pan Pals (Drayton Court Theatre); Charlie Sexboots (The Man in the Moon, Chelsea; The Circus, Stratford; The Boxer Rebellion Theater, Chicago); Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? and Lonely Heart (Workhouse Theatre); The Other Woman (Tricycle, Bath and Edinburgh Festivals); Phantasmagoria (East Midlands Youth Theatre), and Carousel (Opera North and UK tour). As Associate Director opera credits include productions of The Cunning Little Vixen and La Vie Parisienne (Royal College of Music), Kiss Me Kate (Welsh National Opera) and The Marriage of Figaro (Opera North). Ed was the Resident Director for the West End musicals: Whistle Down the Wind, The Woman in White, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Billy Elliot – the Musical. Ed directed Kiss Me Kate (London Coliseum and UK & International Tour) and was the Associate Director for The Fantastic Follies of Mrs Rich for the Royal Shakespeare Company and Beautiful – The Carole King Musical.
