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Jane Butcher was born in Denver, USA, but grew up and was educated in the UK, spending most of her childhood actively involved in sport. She trained as a secondary school teacher and taught P.E. and R.E. in a city secondary school. Having also trained as a youth worker, she moved into full-time church-based children’s and youth work in 1993. Over the next ten years, her posts included Children’s Worker at a church in Michigan, USA, and for the past 6 years the Children’s Worker at St. John’s Church, Harborne, Birmingham. Jane joined the Barnabas team in September 2007.
Chris Hudson joined the Barnabas team in 2007 and works exclusively in the North East of England. He is a prolific author, writing for Barnabas, other book publishers and websites, and an experienced teacher dedicated to promoting high quality teaching and learning in Primary Schools. His particular interest lies in using music, storytelling and drama to help children explore the Bible and Christian faith. He wants to inspire and equip teachers both to teach RE enjoyably and to lead collective worship effectively, making relevant links across the curriculum with children’s everyday experience.
Lucy joined the BRF staff in 2001 and works mainly across the south of England from her home base of Portsmouth. Her work with Barnabas has taken her into well over 100 primary schools across the UK. Her particular interest is using drama to help children explore the Bible and inspiring and equipping teachers to teach RE and lead collective worship as effectively as possible. As an actor, she also relishes opportunities to bring Bible stories to life through enthusiastic vivid storytelling, in schools, and at larger events such as Leavers’ Days in different cathedrals across the region.
Before 2001 she was a teacher at secondary level, combining a love of drama with her language teaching. After spending some years, while her own children were small, supply teaching in primary and secondary schools, she combined work as Drama Adviser for Bradford Diocese with freelance writing. Her work now includes writing and she has published a number of books for Barnabas and other publishers, many of which have proved popular in schools. In her solo work Lucy makes use of lively original performance poetry, mime, storytelling, and has worked with many different organisations including BBC TV.
Based in east London, Martyn is available to respond to Barnabas bookings across the UK. He taught languages and RE for 18 years at secondary level and then for eight years worked in primary schools nationally as the Children’s Education Officer for a large Anglican Mission Society before joining the Barnabas Schools Team of BRF. Martyn has produced a wide range of materials for primary schools about contemporary expressions of Christianity around the world, as well as articles and worship material for RE Today, Together with Children and Roots magazines. In 2004 Barnabas published
A-cross the World, which has proved a popular and widely used resource in many primary schools. Martyn has also written
Footsteps to the Feast, published in 2007. Martyn has experience of teaching both RE and PSHE in the classroom and also runs INSET programmes for teachers on topics such as Christianity as a world faith, art and spirituality, storytelling the Bible, introducing Godly Play and collective worship. He has contributed to education courses for ministers in training and teachers both in this country and overseas. Martyn also runs workshops in schools for children and in churches on Year 6 leavers’ days. He has experience in the planning and leading of festivals and schools events. These workshops are lively and interactive, enabling children to step into the Christian story and bringing the Bible alive through a variety of storytelling methods. In addition Martyn has coordinated the children’s work at his own local church for over 20 years and continues to do so. As part of the Barnabas Team, he is responsible for co-ordinating, updating and writing material for the barnabasinschools website.
Barnabas also draws on a number of freelance actors, dancers and storytellers to lead Barnabas RE Days across the country:
Based in London, Dominique primarily covers
Barnabas RE Day bookings in the south-east of the England. Dominique trained and toured with Mimeistry International in the UK and USA, where she performed in schools and churches using a fusion of mime and dance. She studied at the Laban Centre, London, completing the professional diploma in community dance studies. Dominique was a dance and drama moderator for the nationwide JC2000 Arts Festival and has recently worked with Springs Dance Company as administrator, choreographer and teacher. Her areas of expertise include:
• Teacher
Dominique has a PGCE and taught for five years as a class teacher, latterly as a special educational needs co-ordinator. She has been working in various education, church and community contexts as a freelance practitioner.
• Educator and trainer
Dominique has contributed to a multi-arts teachers’ resource book produced by Cre8.ed.
• Workshop leader
Dominique is a co-founder of schools-based Cracker Dance Theatre. She also teaches workshops with Cre8.ed, Springs Dance Company and Mimeistry.
Kim Crawford is a schools worker with the York Schools and Youth Trust. In her current role she leads a team of young people who offer schools support in teaching the Christian faith creatively and through a wide variety of subjects such as PSHE, Drama, Science and Music lessons. Her work takes her into churches and schools where she has gained substantial experience in organizing events for schools, training children and youth workers, speaking, leading assemblies and workshops and taking lessons across a wide range of age groups. She is also trained to teach the Bible through a series of creative and interactive lessons known as ‘Bible Explorer’ where she specializes in using drama and storytelling in her approach. Kim brings with her a wide diversity of expertise in the following areas:
• Teacher
Prior to her current role Kim worked for six years as a secondary English and Drama teacher, in London and then York, developing skills in planning and delivering lessons and directing plays and performances.
• Workshop Leader
Kim is available to lead entertaining and educational
Barnabas RE Day workshops in Primary Schools across the north of England.
• Special Projects Facilitator
Kim combined her role as a teacher with that of leading extra-curricular activities both in and out of school time. She has been a leader on Duke of Edinburgh award schemes, worked with children and teenagers on many different holiday ventures in the UK and abroad, and led various creative and sporting activities. She has recently gained some experience working with Special Educational Needs and looks forward to further opportunities within this area of education through the
Barnabas RE Day programme.
Based in West Yorkshire, Lisa is available for bookings throughout the north of England. Trained in dance at Surrey University, Lisa currently dances with TranscenDance Co. She has a keen interest in both visual arts and the written word and enjoys combining art, writing and movement to provide a rich stimulus for learning.
An experienced performer, freelance teacher and choreographer, Lisa has taught across the age spectrum. She brings with her a wide diversity of expertise in the following areas:
• Writer
Lisa has written many scripts for church-based events. In addition she has produced prose and poetry for both children and adults and published A’ level dance material.
• Teacher
Lisa has experience of teaching a wide age range of children and worked in schools and preschools as a freelance artist and dancer. She is currently studying for an MA in Arts Education at Bretton Hall Wakefield.
• Workshop Leader
Lisa has led workshops at Christian Dance and Arts Conferences as well as Diocesan Training Days. These have included mask making, creative writing and large-scale banner making. She has also co-led dance workshops at Spring Harvest.
• Sunday School Teacher
Lisa has taught Sunday School for six years, working with groups of all ages. As part of this work she has led worship, performed in and fronted holiday clubs and devised drama events and family services. She has also co-ordinated youth exhibitions and creative worship events.
Based in Cambridgeshire, John primarily covers
Barnabas RE Day bookings in East Anglia. John works under the banner of ‘Counties’ and ‘Children Worldwide’ to present the Christian message in an exciting non-confessional way, which appeals to children of all ages. Equally well received in schools and churches, John’s skills in songs, storytelling, clowning, juggling and uni-cycling are a proven success. His areas of expertise include:
• Workshop leader
John leads Creative Communications training events for those involved in children's ministry and all-age services where his workshops include key areas such as storytelling and presenting the Bible through music. He also organises sessions for worship leaders, family and all-age services and holiday clubs. John is a familiar face at Spring Harvest, Easter People and other Christian events where he leads family and children's sessions.
• Musician
John is an accomplished musician and composer. He has several popular resources to his name, including CDs, videos and music books. John runs music workshops and children's events where his bouncy songs and memorable lyrics leave a lasting impression.
• Speaker
John’s lively and inspiring Bible-based talks and workshops have been described as energetic, excellent, entertaining, practical and constructive.
• Writer
John is well known for the holiday club programmes he devises and field-tests with hundreds of children throughout the UK. His first book published by BRF,
The Ultimate Holiday Club Guide, became a sought-after resource. He has written a number of
holiday club resources for
Barnabas, and further books are planned as an ongoing reflection of the quality and popularity of John's work.
Although he was originally born in the USA, Bob now lives in the West Country. Primarily he covers
Barnabas RE Day bookings in the South and Midlands. Bob is a greatly gifted and experienced storyteller. His area of expertise include:
• Author
Bob is an established writer, having had 30 books for children published over the last 10 years.
• Storyteller
Bob worked as a professional storyteller at The Pittsburgh Children’s Museum.
• Theologian
Bob has a Master’s (M.Div.) degree in Theology.
• Sunday school teacher
Bob wrote an adult series for
Lookout (an American Sunday School magazine) and a monthly story for
My Friend (a children’s magazine).
• Speaker
Bob is a regular conference and festival speaker and storyteller with appearances at the Edinburgh Festival, Greenbelt, Spring Harvest, CRE and Swansea Children's Book Festival.
• Educator and trainer
Bob has a great deal of experience with teacher insets and storytelling training.
Based in Leamington Spa John primarily covers
Barnabas RE Day bookings in the Midlands area of the UK. Born and bred on the South coast, John moved to the Midlands to take a degree at the University of Warwick. Since graduating he has worked as an actor, touring all over the UK with various theatre companies. He brings with him a wide diversity of expertise in the following areas:
• Actor
John has recently worked extensively for Riding Lights, Rhema and EverAfter Theatre Companies on a wide variety of productions, most recently two one-man shows with EverAfter.
• Devisor
Much of John’s theatre experience has involved new productions devised by the cast, including a series of two-man comedy revue pieces.
• Mathematician
John’s degree was in maths. Well, you never know when it might come in useful.
• Workshop leader
John has run workshops for all age groups from primary age to adult with Riding Lights and also runs workshops in schools for Bigfoot Theatre Company.
• Writer
As a writer, John has written for the Tivoli Theatre, Wimborne, two shows for EverAfter Theatre Company and sketches for Coventry Cathedral, Riding Lights and Imaginary Friends Theatre Co.
Based in Oxfordshire, Rhonda primarily covers
Barnabas RE Day bookings in the south-east and east Midlands. Having graduated from Middlesex University in May 1998 in Dance Performance, Rhonda went on to work as an independent dance artist, performer and choreographer. Her work includes performer and choreographer for Banbury-based Liquid Dance Company, and founder and director for the project-based Jumpstart Children’s Theatre Company. Rhonda also directs Cherwell Youth Dance Company based in Oxfordshire. Recently her work has taken her to Uganda to work with a church, specialising in teaching and running activities for children of all ages. Rhonda’s areas of expertise include:
• Teacher
Rhonda’s teaching experience is extensive, ranging from work with three-year-olds to adults. Rhonda currently teaches in primary schools and children’s private dance classes. She also lectures at a Further Education college in A and A/S level dance and BTEC movement studies.
• Workshops
Rhonda leads numerous workshops combining story and dance, ranging from age five to adult, as well as being a member of Oxford-based KipperFoot Dance in Education Company.
• Speaker
Rhonda has experience of speaking and presenting at church-based events for children and young people, as well as working with children in the local church. She has also just taken on the role of schools worker for her local church.
Based in Lancashire, Veronica is available to respond to bookings across the North-West of England. An experienced Primary school teacher, she was Assistant Children’s Work Adviser in the Blackburn Diocese working in schools and parishes, and continues to be a key member of the Diocesan support team for Children’s Work in Parishes. Veronica is a member of the Blackburn Diocesan Board of Education, as well as a School Governor for her local Church of England Primary School.
She is also an accredited Godly Play Teacher.
Children's and Youth Work Leader
Veronica has organised and led:
Based in Ilkley, Yorkshire, Lynne primarily covers bookings throughout the north of the UK. Lynne is an accomplished performer and choreographer with considerable experience of both professional and community dance. She was previously the Bradford Diocesan Advisor for Dance and now co-ordinates the Yorkshire/Humberside Christian Dance Fellowship. She is the founder and Artistic Director of TranscenDance Company. Lynne brings with her a wide diversity of expertise in the following areas:
• Teacher
Lynne has been teaching in Britain and internationally for 18 years. She was one of the founder teachers and committee members of the Yorkshire Dance Agency and is on the faculty of the Northern Dance Centre. As Head of Dance at a local comprehensive school, she has founded and developed the dance department, where she teaches KS3, GCSE and A’ Level.
• Educator
Lynne has tutored students at Trinity and All Saints College in the creative use of dance and fitness in schools and has designed and taught inset in the North of England. She founded and taught Jumping Beans to educate parents and carers on the development of body awareness for the pre-school child through movement and rhythm.
• Trainer
In her role as the Artistic Director of TranscenDance, Lynne runs regular weekly children’s dance classes and has worked extensively as a freelance consultant preparing dance groups/companies for performance in both a sacred and secular environment.
• Workshop leader
Lynne combines the use of technique and creativity to provide opportunities for both effective teamwork and personal response, whilst encouraging individuals to achieve their full potential.
• Sunday Group Teacher
For the past 12 years Lynne has been involved in designing and running church holiday clubs. She is also a pathfinder leader working with a team who believe in a hands-on approach to teaching and learning through creativity and the arts.
