Paul Jackson trained in both music and dance and has worked in both subjects internationally. He is a past Chair of the Standing Conference for Dance in Higher Education, the umbrella organisation for British university dance departments. From 1997-2002 he was head of music at Northumbria University where he also founded both dance degrees having worked previously at; the Arts Educational Schools, Islington Arts Factory, Central School of Ballet and at Walter Nicks’s school the CFPD in Poitiers, France. In the 80s he was a member of the education teams of London Contemporary Dance Theatre, Extemporary Dance Theatre and Rambert Dance Company. He has written extensively on dance and music and in 1997 was awarded the Chris de Marigny Dance Writers Award. He is the biographer of two of the leading figures in 20th century art; Oscar winning Composer Sir Malcolm Arnold and the ‘father’ of contemporary dance in Britain Robert Cohan. His Arnold biography formed the basis for Tony Palmer’s film commissioned by The South Bank Show; Towards the unknown region: Sir Malcolm Arnold a story of survival.
He has recently completed an article for the Society of Dance Research entitled Dorothy Madden 1912-2009: An American revolutionary. He is currently working on a bibliography of 20th century British dance music.