Adjudicator Fellows

Jill was Arts Awards Ballet champion at the age of twelve and went on to train at the Bird College of Performing Arts, gaining her teaching qualifications including Advanced R.A.D. She was lucky to have dance/singing and acting training from some wonderful teachers – Pauline Bird, Rosemary Woodd, Pat Izen, Jenny Taylor, Doreen Bird, Gwen Carter, Susan Towns, Jackie Haywood and Marjorie Field.

Jill also studied with Matt Mattox at The Place in London.

After a professional career in the UK and abroad working in the theatre with such stars as Peter Butterworth, Bernie Clifton, John Hanson and Lenny Henry, Jill decided to teach, owning her own school in Sussex.

After her first son was born, she handed her school on and she became a freelance teacher/choreographer/adjudicator/performer. Jill has choreographed for the Edinburgh festival for fashion shows and many musicals.

She is an Equity member, an examiner for the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing and adjudicator for the British Federation of Festivals, which includes being a member of the All England panel of adjudicators.

Many of Miss Redford’s ex pupils are now studying at theatre colleges or are working in the business. 

Steven has been a music adjudicator since 2001; has sat on the Adjudicators Council and was Chair of the Board of Trustees from 2014 - 2023. He is a busy professional; conducting, teaching and lecturing. He brings with him experience as a manager, knowledge of quality systems, business acumen and many years of leading change.

He has successfully combined a career in education with his work as a conductor, musical director and adjudicator, working both in this country and in Europe and as far a field as Peru and Bahrain.

Steven has conducted numerous concerts throughout this country and throughout Europe with a variety of Choirs, ensembles and orchestras, winds bands and brass bands.

He studied piano, brass and voice and has worked in a variety of musical settings. He has worked alongside actors and dancers on many projects and is keen to support the work of the Federation to maximise opportunities for performance within all disciplines. He enjoys working with his colleagues on the Board, Councils and the wider community of volunteers that help to keep our Festivals vibrant.

Having previously held the post of Director of External Relations at Barnsley College he has excellent communication skills and enjoys collaborative working.

Working in the professional theatre, television and cabaret, Carol produced her one woman show. She teaches presentation skills in commerce and industry and has taught ESL, SEN and drama at schools and colleges including Guildford School of Acting, Grandison College and, for 22 years, at Italia Conti Academy of Performing Arts and, until 2007, Croham Hurst School, Croydon.

Carol is an adjudicator for The British and International Federation of Festivals and examines for LAMDA throughout the UK, Ireland and worldwide. Writing “The Discussion” 1&2 for LAMDA, she contributed to its Musical Theatre syllabus and “Musical Theatre – Exploring The World Through Song”. She was a trustee of Voice Care Network UK.

David trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Trent Park College and has taught, examined and adjudicated students in Speech and Drama, Communication Skills and English being Head of Speech & Drama and Work Experience Director at Guilsborough School before moving to the BBC.

David was Education Producer at BBC Radio producing and presenting education broadcasts and contributing to general programmes. He devised the series “Christmas in a Country House” and produced the first programme from Althorp, the family home of Princess Diana.

He was News Reader and Bulletin Editor for Independent Radio. His PR experience includes working with local and national politicians.  He is a practitioner and trainer in PR, communications, exhibitions, conferences, publications, presentations, broadcasting, voice-overs and public speaking.

Jacquie is known professionally as Jacquie Storey. She is a performer and choreographer. Jacquie, started dancing in her home town of Brighton before training at the Arts Educational School in London with Dame Ninette de Valois, Arlene Phillips, Ivor Megido and many others, who influenced her greatly.

At the age of sixteen Jacquie was the English National Ballet Champion and made her first appearance in the West End. An accomplished singer and dancer, she headlined in major productions alongside a career as a choreographer and director which continues to this day. For many years Jacquie ran a large theatre school in Sussex.

Recent productions as a Choreographer include 'What a Performance' for the BBC, 'Toast of London' Channel 4, and a 60th Anniversary Performance of 'My Fair Lady'.

She has presented shows with Harriet Walter, Tommy Steele, Tim Rice, Ruthie Henshall, Henry Blofeld, Alexander Armstrong, David Gower, Jenny Eclair, Ruby Wax, Lesley Garrett, Wayne Sleep and Joe Stilgoe.

In 2017 she appeared at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and toured the UK with Dame Arlene Phillips in 'Glitz, Glamour and Gossip.'

Jacquie has been awarded a Fellowship from British and International Federation of Festivals for outstanding contribution to the festival movement. More recently she has been made Chair of All England Dance and sits on the Board of Matthew Bourne's New Adventures as well as Chair for Sussex Festival of Performing Arts, Trustee for ArtsEd and Artistic Advisor of Dance World Cup UK.

Jacquie is married to Dr Harry Brunjes, Chairman of English National Opera at the London Coliseum and they have four children and six grandchildren.

Norma trained at the Northern College of Speech and Drama and researched at Leicester University. She has performed professionally in Rep and in tours all over the UK.

Examining and adjudicating has taken her all over the UK, Ireland, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka. Teaching has always been her priority and Norma has taught at a variety of schools and colleges. She now teaches at her private studio.

Although many of her students are pursuing successful acting careers and others are teaching Speech and Drama, her greatest joy is equipping students with life skills, and the ability to take their place in society confidently.

Norma is an adjudicator for The British and International Federation of Festivals and was awarded a Fellowship of the Federation in 2015.

Former Music Adjudicator and Chair of the Board of Trustees, Margaret is currently serving as the President of the Federation

Margaret entered her first Music Festival at the age of seven years, and continued to compete until the age of 17 years, when she entered the Royal Academy of Music to study Piano and Organ – joint first, and Second study, Cello.

She gained her PGCE at Bretton Hall, and began her teaching career in schools in the West Riding of Yorkshire.  She entered pupils in Festivals individually and in instrumental groups as well as Choirs.

Margaret was invited to join the National Schools Council in London, and travelled regularly to Great Portland Street for meetings.  She was also invited to sit on the Music A Level Committee for the Northern Universities Joint Matriculation Board (NUJMB)

In 1978-80 she spent a sabbatical year away from teaching, and attended an Organisation and Management Course at Leeds University.

She answered an invitation to become Music Consultant for North East England Girl Guide Association, a position she held for three years.  During this time the Girl Guide Association celebrated 75 years of guiding, so there was considerable media coverage, including the live television broadcast  of a Sunday morning Service in Tyneside when, whilst conducting the singing, the organ broke down.  Everything continued; an experience Margaret, and others, will never forget, as the Guides and Brownies at the service continued unaccompanied for the remainder of that Service.

Six months later Margaret was invited to take on the responsibilities of Music Consultant at National level, which carried with it the responsibility for training at all ages, forming the Scout and Guide Symphony Orchestra each year, for rehearsal and then performances in Sweden at the invitation of the King of Sweden, or Washington, with a performance at the White House.

Margaret maintains responsibility for the choir at her local Church, and has been Secretary for the Amenity Society in Darfield for over thirty years, a position she still holds.  This entails being the Trustee for a Yeoman’s house, dated 1749, transformed with the help of a Lottery Grant into a Museum and Heritage Centre, covering all aspects of village life through the ages.

Margaret was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Federation for around 20 years, firstly representing Music and England, then, as Chair of the Festival Council, followed by Vice Chairman of the Board, before being elected as Chairman from 2005 until 2014.  This post she has enjoyed, through visiting many Festivals, meeting organisers and volunteers at home and abroad, as well as working with the Board of Trustees and the staff team at Festivals House.

Educated at Sheffield University and the Royal Northern College of Music where she studied singing, piano, and violin, Vivien has been involved with the festival movement since the age of 7: as a performer, a Festival Music Administrator and a General Adjudicator for the British and International Federation of Festivals for over 30 years with much experience in solo singing and choirs. She is passionate about the value of the opportunities that Festivals present for all performers and has visited and revisited many festivals both here and abroad as adjudicator and also to lead choral workshops and solo singing masterclasses.

Vivien enjoyed a solo career as a soprano and conducted a female choir for 30 years who were winners in many national and international festivals, leading to tours and exchanges with choirs in Europe, Australia, Canada, USA and Scandinavia. A Churchill Fellowship in 2001 enabled her to study solo and choral singing in Sweden, Finland and Estonia and to lecturing internationally in Latvia, Slovenia, New Zealand, Ireland, and as a visiting professor to the Estonian Academy of Music in Tallinn.

She has been a national council member for both the Association of Teachers of Singing and the Association of British Choral Directors and has twice been the Artistic Director of ABCD National Conventions. She is also a Master Teacher for the AOTOS Teacher Training Summer School.

Vivien is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and was honoured to be awarded a Fellowship of the British and International Federation of Festivals in 2013.

Former Dance Adjudicator

Cynthia’s involvement with dance has been wide, varied and full of interest. Her love of the subject gave her the desire to develop her knowledge and skills in examining for the ISTD and adjudicating for BIFF and AED. She was the only examiner to cover Imperial Ballet, Modern, Tap and Classical Greek for the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance and enjoyed being a member of the Adjudicator’s Council of BIFF completing her full term. She served as Chairman of All England Dance  until 2012. Cynthia appreciates the opportunities she has enjoyed from her work which has given her great fulfilment.

Marie trained privately with Mary Dilworth and Owen Wynne, going on to be a professional actress in television, repertory, pantomime and cabaret, as well as teaching and lecturing. She is an equity member who is regularly employed as a cabaret artiste and speaker. She formed an Old Time Music Hall Company and has specialised in musical theatre, where she has directed and played in the Sound of Music, Rose Marie, the Pyjama Game, Anything Goes, Wild Violets, and Carousel. Marie taught drama at Holy Family School Sale and was Head of Speech and Drama at Greenback School, Cheadle Hulme and Principal of the Marie Dixon Studios of Speech and Drama, Sale.

Born and educated in Africa, Andrew studied violin and composition at the RCM. He has performed across the world as conductor and violinist and composers have written for him. He has led the Mercury Ensemble for Ballet Rambert and freelanced in many British orchestras. He is Professor of Violin at Trinity College of Music and, as a conductor, has worked with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and is Director of Music for the Brighton Youth Orchestras; Musical Director of the Musicians of All Saints; Director of Choirs for the University of Brighton and Conductor of Somerset County Youth Orchestra. Andrew is also an Adjudicator for The British and International Federation of Festivals.

From her early experiences of performing in Welsh Eisteddfodau Marilynne has developed a lifelong passion and enthusiasm for all aspects of performance. Having studied piano, voice and cello at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama she took a Masters Degree in Education and became Head of the School of performance at York St John University.

As a conductor she has trained and conducted orchestras and choirs on a regular basis, some of whom have performed on BBC and ITV. The largest ensemble was a choir of 1100 school children and the smallest a Chamber Choir of 40 voices with whom she toured abroad on many occasions. She regularly works with School Choirs many of whom now compete in local, national and international festivals e.g. Lindley School Choir winners of the BBC School Choir of the Year 2017 and winners at the Llangollen International eisteddfod 2017 Currently she is Deputy Music Director of the 140+ Harrogate Choral Society, director of the Harrogate Polyphonic Choir and of a small vocal ensemble ”Beati”.

Patricia Snowdon trained at the London College of Dance and Drama and has a Bachelor of Philosophy Degree in Ballet and Contextual Studies awarded by the Royal Academy of Dance and validated by the University of Durham. She became principal of her own school, in addition to teaching in independent schools and adult education centres. Many of her past pupils have progressed to the top performing arts schools and are now performing in this country and overseas. Patricia has wide experience as a choreographer of both large-scale productions and fashion shows and is an RAD and ISTD registered teacher.