Introducing the new Chair of the Council for Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre

INTRODUCING THE NEW CHAIR OF THE COUNCIL FOR DANCE, DRAMA AND MUSICAL THEATRE

CDMT, the only industry body in the UK offering quality assurance and membership services to institutions delivering training, education and assessment across the performing arts, announces its new Chair, Baroness Wilcox of Newport, who takes over from Roger Bramble DL.

Glyndwr Jones, Director of the CDMT explains:

 “I am delighted to introduce Baroness Wilcox of Newport as the new Chair of CDMT.

I have liaised continuously with Lady Wilcox since November 2020, when she first took part in a House of Lords panel for our members—alongside Lord Vaizey of Didcot and Lord Clement-Jones—during the Covid-19 conditions, and subsequently through the work of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Performing Arts Education and Training, which CDMT established in January 2021. Her opening speech at our recent House of Commons reception was an inspiration for all practitioners working in the sector.

The charity has been blessed with Roger Bramble’s chairmanship for many years and a suitable reception in his honour will be arranged. The CDMT membership and I would like to mark our appreciation for his immeasurable service to us and the industry.”

Baroness Wilcox of Newport elaborates:

“CDMT’s mission in advancing outstanding artistic performance and creative opportunity for all chimes strongly with my own personal and professional experiences both within and outside the political arena.

As someone who taught performing arts for over 30 years in schools from London to South Wales I am incredibly honoured to bring that lifelong engagement with education to this role. Drama and Theatre Studies has been an essential part of every school curriculum and it continues to be an important element of supporting young people’s learning experiences whether or not they continue to undertake further training.

As the former Principal Examiner for A level Theatre Studies I saw excellence across the UK, and many of those young people studying A level went on to further training in the Arts at the institutions that as the incoming Chair of CDMT I will continue to uphold in terms of quality assurance and membership services.

The significant roles of CDMT industry Accreditation and Validation in securing the voice of employers, sector bodies and teachers in the design and delivery of professional training and qualifications across the full range of performing arts make an enormous contribution to the sustainability and international profile of the UK creative industries.

I very much look forward to working with the organisation. Diolch yn fawr iawn.”

Roger Bramble DL, the outgoing Chair of the CDMT, states: 

“It has been a great privilege to serve as CDMT’s Chairman. The organisation has worked and will, I know, continue to work vigorously with government to ensure that the UK creative industries provide superior opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds to develop as artists of the highest calibre, according to their potential.

I would like to thank the Director, Glyndwr Jones, for steering the organisation through the significant changes of recent years, and of course, the wider CDMT membership for their enormous contribution to the UK’s reputation for world-class performing arts training, education and assessment.

Finally, I wish Baroness Wilcox every success as she takes on the role of Chair of CDMT. Her energy and passion for the arts will be of huge value to the organisation for time to come.”

CDMT’s mission is to:

• Ensure the consistent application of standards across professional schools, conservatoires and awarding organisations through formal Accreditation and Validation processes
• Promote outstanding industry-approved institutions, allowing prospective students, candidates and parents/guardians better to understand what constitutes excellent provision
• Advocate powerfully on behalf of members, increasing their public profile and influence with key industry and political stakeholders
• Act as an authoritative source of information on high quality provision across the sector, informing practitioners and government education authorities in their work.

Baroness Wilcox of Newport is a:

• Life peer
• Shadow spokesperson for Education
• Shadow spokesperson for Work and Pensions
• Past shadow spokesperson for Equalities and Women's Issues
• Commissioner on the Lifelong Learning Education Commission
• Member of the APPG for Performing Arts Education and Training
• Graduate of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
• Past Secondary School Teacher and External Examiner (AQA) for Drama.