Jayne Gold

Biography

Dr. Jayne Gold is a theatre educator, applied theatre researcher, and creative producer. Her work spans early years through higher education and reaches from inner-city London schools to elder care facilities, consistently placing community at the heart of practice. Jayne is the 2026 recipient of Utah State University's Presidential Award for Community-Engaged Teaching and Scholarship Jayne's scholarship is rooted in participatory methods. Her doctoral research at the University of Bristol — examining Brecon as a theatrical centre between 1699 and 1870 — underpins her forthcoming Routledge monograph and her innovative "archival resident" methodology, recognised as a replicable model for community-embedded research. She has published in the International Journal of Heritage Studies, Theatre Notebook, and the Palgrave McMillan collection Witnessing Change: Applied Theatre and Youth Agency. A committed advocate for accessible and inclusive theatre, Jayne has developed relaxed performance practices, interdisciplinary projects exploring theatre's role in elder care, and Heritage Lottery-funded community theatre in Wales. Her teaching has consistently carried community-engaged designation, and she has mentored emerging practitioners at institutions including Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and the University of Bristol. Prior to her academic career, Jayne spent a decade as teaching Drama in London secondary schools, developing projects with leading theatres and organisations to raise young people's aspirations and produce high quality work.