Ali Godfrey
Theatre Educator, Director, Facilitator
"Exceptional skill in creating secure yet artistically challenging spaces for diverse groups. Ali nurtures both artistic excellence and inclusive practice... to build rapport enabling participants to take creative risks while feeling fully supported."
Head of BA Theatre Arts, Utah State University
ABOUT
- Founder & Artistic Director of Generation Arts
- Professor of Performance Teaching at Guildhall School of Music & Drama
- Visiting Lecturer in Applied Theatre at Royal Central School of Speech & DramaI am founder of Generation Arts: providing free acting and theatre training to disadvantaged young people since 2012. GA has helped hundreds of young people in the margins progress to drama school, university, and careers as actors.I have a passion for engaging young people from all backgrounds and circumstances in theatre, and working with diverse groups.I've directed countless theatre productions with young people over the years at venues including The Arcola, The Yard, Central, Hackney Empire, Lyric Hammersmith, The Pleasance, The Roundhouse and Stratford Circus, and I specialise in a form of "risky devising", a collaborative process where a piece of work is created from scratch with the ensemble, without imposed themes.I co-founded Sharing Voices, an international theatre-for-development project for Tsunami-affected children in Sri Lanka. I've also facilitated lots of drama projects for PRU's, The Barbican, Lyric Hammersmith and for nearly a decade I was a Head of Drama & Performing Arts in inner London schools, an A'Level & GCSE Drama examiner and INSET trainer. I've designed educational workshops for professional theatre productions like The Railway Children at Kings Cross Theatre and The Scoop.At National Youth Theatre I managed the Playing Up social inclusion programmes for two years, delivering accredited training for young people NEET increasing their pass rate to 100%. Randomly I was a West End Supernumerary in An Inspector Calls directed by Stephen Daldry (2010-2017).I have a PGCE in Secondary Drama and an MA with Distinction in Applied Theatre. I'm a Fellow of The School for Social Entrepreneurs. In 2017 I spoke at TEDx London. Recently I served as Artist in Residence at the Caine College of Arts, Utah State University.
Book Chapter:
“Trusting the Process: Risky Devising and Mapping Radical Change”
in Witnessing Change: Applied Theatre and Youth Agency (Palgrave Macmillan, 2025)This chapter explores Generation Arts’ practice model of ‘safe space’ and ‘risky devising,’ tracing how our approach to applied theatre with young people in London has evolved in response to shifting social and funding landscapes.
Courses
WORKING WITH CHALLENGING GROUPS
CPD Training - 1-day course
further dates tbc, London
A practical day exploring processes, approaches and techniques for working with a range of groups, whether as a facilitator, workshop leader, youth worker, theatre director or drama teacher. An opportunity to explore exercises and delve into the dynamics of group work, and learnt how we can support our groups to take creative risks in practical ways.When: Further dates coming soon
Where: Theatre Deli, 107 Leadenhall St, London EC3A 4AF
Pay What You Can options
I aim to ensure my training is accessible so there are various Pay What You Can options. If you are able to pay full price please do, as it means I can continue to offer discounts to others. I ask organisations to pay full price.
Acting Strong Podcast
