Michael, an Australian, is very brave, coming into a Wellington Common Room overwhelmingly composed of British teachers, though, Australia did win back the Ashes this winter or summer! Michael sent me the following... “I am hugely excited by the opportunities that Wellington College International Shanghai offers. I welcome the chance to be involved in a very progressive educational system within one of the best Performing Arts facilities in the world. “Having had a long international career as an actor, singer, dancer and director in mainstream commercial theatre, I now utilise my skills, knowledge and academic background to educate the next generation of students and performers. “My formal education was at the Victorian College of the Arts and the Australian Ballet School in Melbourne, Australia, and later at Bath Spa University (Cert Ed) and the Liverpool, Institute of Performing Arts in the UK, where I completed my Master’s Degree in Contemporary Theatre Practice. “Previous positions have been as Artistic Director of the Wessex Academy of Performing Arts UK, where I ran BTEC and Degree programmes (BA Hons) in Music Theatre and Acting and more recently at the British International School of Jakarta in Indonesia where I was Director of Performing Arts. “I look forward to nurturing and unlocking the potential of all students at Wellington Shanghai whether it is within or outside the curriculum. I am also looking forward to the opportunity to establish a Performing Arts Academy to serve the College and the wider community. My vision is to make Wellington College Shanghai not just an outstanding centre for Performing Arts in Shanghai, but one of the best in the world.”