My Teaching Philosophy

Transforming the student experience through imagined experiences has been a privilege. 

My philosophy of teaching is inspired by Aristotle’s principle of Eudaimonia. In his Nicomachean Ethics (1095a15–22), Aristotle says that deep happiness (eudaimonia) can only be achieved when private excellence engages the public.

Universities can change student perspectives about the efficacy of the arts in the community as a transformative experience of personal and social change. Students can learn to create and use digital learning experiences to transfer knowledge to communities, care for disadvantaged individuals and use their skills to improve their well-being. Students can learn to address concepts and issues in the use of the Performing & participatory Arts with Technology ethically and support audiences to develop a positive attitude to life, an empowering and creative process. 

There is a very human component to all my projects where the participatory arts meet with technology. This is the co-designed aspect of my work with children-patients-audiences, their families and paediatricians. My philosophy has shaped my Applied Theatre Practice in Paediatrics into a caring, digitally creative, interactive and well-established model with compassion for communities and passion for change at the heart of student personal and professional development. 

Concepts of teaching & Learning

My leadership lies in the balanced interconnectedness between 4 areas: (1) innovative cross-curricular teaching and learning in applied theatre, (2) inter-disciplinary research-led practice between Theatre, Health and Education, (3) creative use of digital assets to produce digitalised training resources and (4) community impact. The four key areas combine due to research.  

I was granted the Social Entrepreneurship HEfCE Award to set up the Community and Applied Drama Laboratory (CADLab) as an innovative, self-governing ‘laboratory’ within Newman University (2010-2021). 

Concepts of teaching & learning include embodied intimate performance in education (TiE), applied theatre in healthcare (TCH), mediated storytelling performance and the use of digital assets in hospitals; ethics of representation of illness on stage, arts & health, mental illness and recovery, social prescribing, arts for social engagement and dissemination of research. 

During my directorship of the Sidney De Haan Research Centre for Arts & health (SDHRC) at Canterbury Christ Church University, I launched and led webinars about Arts & Health for academics from the UK, Europe, United States and Australia. Webinars produced a Digital Library of evidence-based training resources for artists, educators, nurses and social workers.


Digital Transformation of Learning

When the Performing Arts and Technology meet something magical happens.  Educational, societal, health and cultural benefits happen.

The intersection of arts, creativity, innovation and technology create opportunities for the Digital transformation of learning with METAVERSE ideas (AR, Avatar, VR, gamification)and start-ups that will reshape learning and the future of the next generation for ever. Increasingly students and staff are asked to do more and more things digitally in the classroom but do we know where to start? 

  • Human-centred teaching experience with human caring and responsibility at the heart of learning.
  • Humane Artificial Intelligence approach to learning.
  • Create interactive and inclusive online learning experiences.
  • Better communication of the value of digital arts & technologies with students and staff.
  • Training opportunities on digital creativity to respond to student and staff needs.
  • Accelerate the digital classroom and teaching/research tools.

© Copyright Persephone Sextou