She began her career as a classically trained singer who performed in eastern Canada, London, England, and in Moscow during the Soviet era. She completed her BEd at Dalhousie University and taught English and Drama for seven years in Nova Scotia public and independent high schools. Dr Forrest brings her experience as a working artist to her writing in philosophy of education, focusing on performance and the role of chance in collaboration. Her other research interests include controversy in education, the place of the arts in teaching students to be critical, and feminist perspectives on the philosophy of education.