Born January 6, 1951 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Robin was member of a creative and artistically driven family. His mother Jane Sillaway Nott, was a musician, his father Robert Cleveland Nott was a sketch artist, his uncle Ward Sillaway played trombone in the big bands of Jimmy & Tommy Dorsey, Bob Crosby, Glenn Miller, and Fred Waring and was an executive at NBC, and his aunt Emma Louise Lake was a painter. Robin attended Forest Hills High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan graduating in 1969, but because of the lack of a theatre program at FHHS, Nott had never personally experienced drama/theatre prior to college.

While attending college at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Nott realized he had a passion for educational theatre, and subsequently received his bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts in 1973, as well as receiving his master of arts in Developmental Drama/Theatre for the Young from Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan, in 1984. Following graduate school, Nott worked in both private and public schools before being employed with Gull Lake Community Schools in 1987, to build an educational theatre program. While employed by Gull Lake Schools, Nott applied what he had learned at EMU, and created The Performing Arts Company (PAC), an educational and community theatre program. Over the next 30 years, Nott would take PAC from a small high school theatre program to one of statewide prominence, participating annually in state theatre competition, winning state championships in 1996, and tied in 2004. Nott was selected state theatre teacher of the year in 1995 (MIFA), and national theatre teacher of the year in 1999 (AATE).

In addition to his work with PAC, Nott also created “The Story Caravan”, high school students trained in oral tradition, telling tales in area elementary schools. In 2006, Nott created a “Summer Ensemble Theatre Camp” for middle school students at the Sherman Lake YMCA camp, Augusta, Michigan, and as of 2017 was still directing it that program. From 1984 to 1994, he directed plays for young audiences each summer with the Circle Theatre In The Park of Grand Rapids, Michigan and from 1995 to 2001, directed the Western Michigan University touring health education theatre troupe “Great Sexpectations.” Outside of theatre education activities, Nott is an accomplished storyteller and folk musician.

In 2015, Nott retired from Gull Lake High School and PAC, but remained active in the district by continuing to personally present storytelling and guest storytelling artists for the district’s students. In retirement, Nott is actively involved in museum educational programming with the Gilmore Car Museum of Hickory Corners, Michigan, keeping as his mission: “I will listen for and honor your true story, and I will tell you mine.”