Meet the team: Sarah Headen, Education Manager

How long have you been working at Creation? What was the first show, workshop or project that you worked on?

I was lucky enough to start working at Creation as part of their education team from September 2022, when I was also working as a primary school teacher in a local Oxfordshire school.  I’d always been a big fan of Creation and my daughter had been attending Creation’s online Home Delivery drama classes during the pandemic- a mad, innovative and exciting memory from what was otherwise a rather bleak time.  Having watched in the background every week (wishing that I could join in!), I leapt at the chance when an opportunity came up to work with Creation on the delivery and development of Home Delivery.

What does your job involve, how did you get into it and what makes you great at it?

My job as an Education Manager is great fun and really varied.  I work with an amazing team of professional actors and education facilitators to plan and deliver an exciting programme of online Home Delivery drama sessions.  Each week is centred around a different story and stuffed full of interactive games and drama exercises.  With two children of my own, I love being able to incorporate some of their favourite stories and to test out ideas and games on them (although, honestly, they’re often the ones coming up with the best ideas!) I strongly believe that all children should be given opportunities to explore creative, no matter their background or access needs, and am delighted that this ethos is at the heart of Creation’s educational offerings.

Having worked as a primary school teacher for 15 years prior to joining Creation, I also enjoy collaborating with schools to bring innovative drama workshops into the classroom, offering expertise about educational objectives, whilst also ensuring that children have an inspiring and unforgettable experience.

What are your Oxford highlights that locals and visitors shouldn’t miss?

I’ve always loved getting lost in The Pitt Rivers Museum amongst the high shelves and unexpected artefacts.  I once did a very atmospheric nighttime visit, where we were given wind up torches and a knowledgeable guide pulled out one of the drawers to reveal many amulets and charms including a tiny frog which was supposed to stop children from salivating.  Shame I couldn’t borrow it when I had my own dribbly children!

I also have many happy memories of visiting The Museum of Natural History which is just next door and an incredibly beautiful building.  A guide once told me that the men who carved the decorations around the top of the building were from Ireland and had never seen a snake before, so they carved one with ears.  I look every time but I’ve never spotted him yet!

What’s your favourite classic book or play?

Such a tough choice!  I think the best stories have to be the ones that you can return to time and time again, and where you find a different meaning or little gem that you may have missed on first reading.  For me, I think this would have to be Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy (Am I allowed three?).  As an 11 year old girl, I loved getting lost in Lyra’s adventure throughout her version of Oxford, a city which I already knew a little from visiting with my family.  As an adult, I’ve returned to it many times since and I’ve always found something new to enjoy, especially when I lived in Oxford myself and could imagine the places Lyra visits. When I was working as a primary school teacher, Pullman books were always my go to for exposing children to ambitious vocabulary that they may not have heard before.