Lisa Hobson is teacher i/c of Media Studies and Teacher of English, Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls. Lisa has been a teacher for over 30 years, working in a variety of secondary school settings across the country. Originally an English teacher, she began diversifying into Media teaching after completing an MA Cert in Media Education (OU/BFI) and has been both Head of Film Studies and Head of Media Studies at schools in the Midlands. Lisa is passionate about teaching and learning, having recently completed an NPQLT with Ambition Institute. As Co-Chair, she hopes to build on the collaboration work she has done with Media teachers across the country, making sure practitioners who often work individually or in very small departments feel supported in developing Media teaching and learning in their schools, as well as developing the website so there are more resources available to inspire effective classroom practice. She hopes to represent classroom teachers when helping shape the Association’s response to curriculum reforms.

Victoria Grace Richardson-Walden is Professor of Digital Heritage, Memory and Culture, and Director of Landecker Digital Memory Lab, University of Sussex. Viki has been a media educator for almost 20 years, teaching first in FE, training teachers through BFI and MEA events, before moving into HE. Her research interests lie in digital pedagogies, media education, and digital memory in difficult heritage contexts. She has more than 50 publications across these fields, including reports and advice provided to the IHRA and the United Nations. She has also provided advice to digital creatives on computer games, AR productions, museum app and installation, funders, and museum professionals on digital media projects. As Co-Chair, she hopes to bring her passionate for co-creation to supporting more in-person, peer-to-peer learning opportunities for MEA members, and her experience in policy engagement to continue to drive forward the Association's involvement in curriculum reforms.

Dr Keith Perera is Associate Professor in Education at University of Sussex. Keith has been involved in media education for over 30 years working as a media teacher, media subject leader and school leader for most of that time. Parallel to this, he has worked in Initial Teacher Education developing a PGCE in Media. Keith as researched his own practice as a media teacher culminating in his doctoral thesis: Poliliteracies: Teaching Immigration in the Social Media Age. Currently, Keith is the Deputy Head of ITE at Sussex and is researching Sixth Formers attitudes to generative AI.  In the Deputy Chair role, Keith hopes to bring his experiences to help create broader and deeper opportunities for students to engage with meaningful media study in schools.

Steve Connolly has been a media educator for more than 25 years. Currently Associate Professor of Curriculum and Cultural Education at Anglia Ruskin University, he previously taught at The University of Bedfordshire and, prior to that, Media and Film Studies in a range of London secondary schools, including a five year stint as a Director of Specialism in a Visual and Media Arts College.  His research covers a wide range of topics including the role of cognitivism in film education, vocational media education and philosophies. In 2025, Steve published his  second book ‘Knowledge and Knowing in Media and Film Studies’. Steve is former chair of The MEA.

Melissa has taught Media and Film in a comprehensive School in East London for over twenty years. Over that time she has worked as Head of Vocational Media and Head of Department. She also ran the specialist schools programme which included media arts. She is still very much involved in Media teaching in her school which she juggles alongside her role as Director of Sixth Form. In addition she has worked on a number of examination board qualifications and she is on the senior examining team for AQA GCSE Media Studies. She is the current MEA secretary. 

Jenny Grahame is a founder member of the MEA. A longtime media educator in London schools, she worked at the English and Media Centre for 30 years, where she trained media teachers, produced many classroom resources and publications , and launched and edited MediaMagazine for sixteen years.

Brian is currently Principal Examiner of the CIE A Level  Media Studies course and teaches part-time in a sixth form college. He is also Director of Newsliners, a  truly social media community non-profit project. Prior to this he was the head of department for Media in a large sixth form college for over twenty years and a team leader for OCR A Level Critical Perspectives. Brian is looking to increase membership and participation to make MEA the voice of Media teaching at all levels. 

Claire Pollard is an advisory teacher for Media Studies at the English and Media Centre and the editor of MediaMagazine. She also runs the Goldsmiths PGCE Media and Film and English. Prior to that, she spent 16 years teaching English and Media in secondary schools in London. Despite not being very creative she holds a degree in English and Creative Studies and an MA in Creative and Media Education.

Symon is a founding member of the MEA who has extensive experience as an educator in media and film studies.  He has worked across the secondary, tertiary and Higher Education sectors and written widely about education, media and film. His research interests include short film, political ideologies and the representation of the working class. His current roles include leading on the BFI’s/National Film and Television School’s Film Academy and lecturing at Brunel and Bedfordshire universities. Simon is the treasurer of the MEA.

Michelle taught media and held curriculum leadership roles in the post-16 sector for over twenty years. After moving into higher education, she has worked at several London universities including leading UEL's PGCE in Further Education. She is now senior lecturer in education at London South Bank University. In 2025, Michelle completed her doctorate in education at Bournemouth University’s Centre for Excellence in Media Practice. Her research focused on the impact of the recent curriculum reform on Media Studies at post-16. She has also written journal articles, blogs and resources for a range of publications and websites related to media education.  She is currently writing about the importance of subject-specialist pedagogy in Further Education. ​Michelle is the communications officer for The MEA. 

Sarah has taught and led on Media Studies at GCSE and A Level for over ten years. Now based in South Wales, Sarah has previously worked at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth in the Film and Television Department. Sarah is setting up a Wales, Regional MEA network to connect Secondary and Higher level educators, and media industry professionals.