Daniel Bickerton is passionate about creative leadership and interdisciplinary collaboration within the Arts and Humanities and is committed to fostering these skills in higher education learners. He is known for championing inclusive learning communities and thrives on the challenges of cultivating inclusivity within diverse student cohorts. Although Daniel has experience as a professional composer, he sees himself first and foremost as a learner and educator. He strives to inspire a commitment to both HE and lifelong learning, including stimulating curiosity about HE learning before students begin their degree studies.
Daniel has won awards for his extensive outreach and widening participation work, which has, in turn, provided enrichment and work placement opportunities for HE students as inclusive co-leaders. One notable project was his ambitious, large-scale interactive composition #CONNECT for 650 musicians, performed at the Royal Albert Hall for the 2016 Youth Proms series, integrating learners from KS2 to MA postgraduates. His work has not only translated into improved student admissions but also enhanced student outcomes through skills-driven learning, teaching, and support practices. Daniel is highly regarded for his workshop approach to teaching, as well as his inclusive and digital assessment practices through showcase events and student conferences. His students thrive in and thoroughly enjoy summative group assessment tasks. The reach and impact of his initiatives as Assessment and Feedback Lead (2013-19) resulted in Cardiff University's School of Music being ranked first in the Russell Group, with satisfaction scores rising from 71% to 90.3%.
Daniel is recognised internationally as a mentor to staff and students alike, promoting best practice and inclusive learning overseas during teaching mobility placements. He is sought after as an advisor to HE curriculum committees and has most recently become a peer reviewer for the European organisation Music Quality Enhancement (MusiQuE), which contributes to the continuous improvement of learning and teaching in higher education internationally. Daniel’s distinctive leadership skills and experience subsequently led to his appointment as Associate Dean for Cardiff University’s Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences College, where he leads cross-college initiatives and academic programmes, including overseeing the unique Joint College between Cardiff University and Beijing Normal University.