Artistic Director and Chief Executive, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds

Ian was appointed in his current role in 2003. From 1988 Ian was Artistic Director of the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh and oversaw the move to its new purpose-built premises. Ian was Artistic Director of TAG Theatre Company, Glasgow for five years and Associate Director at Theatre Royal Stratford East. Before embarking on a directing career, Ian trained as a teacher and taught in London.

Genista (Jenny) McIntosh has occupied senior positions in several major arts organisations including: Principal of Guildhall School of Music & Drama (2002-2003); Executive Director of the Royal National Theatre (1990-1996 and 1997-2002); Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House (1997). Between 1972 and 1984, and again between 1986 and 1990, she held a number of posts at the Royal Shakespeare Company. She was a founder Trustee of NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) from 1998 to 2005 and currently serves on the Boards of the Theatres Trust, the Foundation for Sport and the Arts, Southbank Sinfonia, the Roundhouse Trust, the National Opera Studio, the Almeida Theatre and Welsh National Opera.

Genista holds honorary doctorates from the University of York (1998), the University of Middlesex (2002) and City University (2002) and received an Honorary Fellowship from Goldsmiths College, University of London in 2003. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. In 1999 she was created a Life Peer taking the title Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall.

Director of Creative Innovation, Southbank Centre

Leading the development of a new Creative Innovation Unit at the Southbank Centre, Europe’s largest cultural centre. Former posts include: Fellowship Director at The UK’s National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, Chief Executive at the Nottingham Playhouse, Producer (Mobile Touring) at the Royal National Theatre. In 1999 she was appointed as the inaugural Chair of the East Midlands Cultural Consortium by the Secretary of State at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport a role she held until 2002. She has been awarded the prestigious Asian Woman of Achievement Award for her contribution to the Arts and Culture.

She is or has been a: Trustee of The Theatres Trust, a Governor of Guildford Conservatoire, a Council Member of Loughborough University, a Member of the Institute of Ideas; a member of Chatham House; a member of the London 2012 Culture and Education Committee and the European Cultural Parliament. She is a patron of the Asha Foundation and the Minorities of Europe.

Artistic Director and Joint Chief Executive, Chichester Festival Theatre, Chichester

Jonathan was appointed Artistic Director of Chichester Festival Theatre in November 2005, after five years as Artistic Director of Birmingham Rep. He was Artistic Director of Salisbury Playhouse (1995-1999) and was Associate Director at Hampstead Theatre, Derby Playhouse and Nottingham Playhouse. Amongst the many productions he has directed during his career to date, David Edgar’s Nicholas Nickleby – Parts I and 2 was one of the highlights of Chichester Festival 06, and is being revived in September 07, before embarking on an Arts Council England South East funded UK tour.

Chief Executive, Aberdeen Performing Arts

Duncan Hendry has responsibility for His Majesty’s Theatre, the Music Hall and also Aberdeen’s central box office facility. After working in Glasgow and Edinburgh, he moved to Aberdeen in the mid seventies working mainly in concert promotion, agency and artist management. He was a trustee and then Director of Aberdeen Alternative Festival from 1988 until 1998 and a Trustee of Lemon Tree for five years.

Duncan joined Aberdeen City Council in 1998 as Manager of the Music Hall and was appointed General Manager of the City’s Performing Venues in 1999. His two main pieces of work since then have been the redevelopment of His Majesty’s Theatre in an £8m Lottery project and the transfer of the venues from local authority to a new ‘not for profit company’ – Aberdeen Performing Arts. The theatre re-opened in September 2005 and the venues have been trading successfully under the Aberdeen Performing Arts company since 2004 staging over 500 performances each year, with an annual turnover of approximately £7m. Duncan was appointed Chief Executive of the company in 2005.

Chief Executive, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff

Since early 2003, Judith has successfully overseen the construction and opening of WMC in late 2004. WMC is now widely acclaimed for its successful programme of events and activities.

Judith has more than 28 years experience working in the performing arts industry, having started life as a stage manager following her graduation in technical production from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney. She has worked extensively throughout Australia in a number of senior management positions. Before joining WMC she served as Director of Performing Arts at the Sydney Opera House and, for a period, as acting Chief Executive.

Judith has a life-long passion for the arts and is committed to the ongoing development of the creative industries for their ability to make a positive difference in people’s lives.

Director, The Point, Eastleigh

The Point is a 320-seat, local authority venue programming theatre, film and contemporary dance and which has established a team of associate artists in the lead up to the launch of a purpose-built production space adjacent to the auditorium in 2008.

Nash was previously producer for Northern Stage, drama and dance projects manager for the British Council and programme manager for Dance Umbrella. Before retraining in arts management he worked as a dancer, ran his own touring company and choreographed for theatre and opera internationally.

Writer, Performer, Director

Cindy Oswin is a writer, performer and director who has worked with many theatre companies both classical and innovative. She has also written for the English National Opera and Shakespeare’s Globe. Her latest project ‘On the Fringe’ is a personal history of experimental theatre from the sixties to the eighties in a collection of video interviews with her contemporaries and a series of lecture performances.

Cindy Oswin is an Artsadmin Associate Artist.

Executive Director, Ambassador Theatre Group

Michael Lynas is Executive Director of Ambassador Theatre Group. His responsibilities include programming of the company’s 20 theatres, including 9 in the West End, co-ordinating the group’s production activity and overseeing the management of its regional theatres and family entertainment division. Previously he was ATG’s Business Development Director and was the first Chief Executive of the company’s theatre in Milton Keynes. Between 1991 and 1998 he was Director of Richmond Theatre. He has produced shows on tour and in the West End and was responsible for over 30 productions at Chichester Festival Theatre between 1987 and 1991. In 2004 he was instrumental in the creation of Trafalgar Studios and before that was closely involved with the construction of Milton Keynes theatre, the restoration of Richmond Theatre and the building of the Minerva Theatre in Chichester. He began his career as a Stage Manager after graduating from Oxford University in 1980.

Chief Executive, Norwich Theatre Royal

The Theatre Royal is a charitable educational trust, and has produced a surplus in nine of the last ten years. In 2004 the Theatre Royal won the Theatre Managers’ Association Award for the Most Welcoming Theatre in the United Kingdom.

Peter is also a producer in his own right in the West End and throughout the world, with over a hundred first-class productions to his credit, and is responsible for the West End’s long-running plays An Inspector Calls and The Woman in Black, now in its nineteenth year at the Fortune Theatre. His company was general manager of Matthew Bourne’s Play Without Words in Moscow and throughout the world. He is on the following Boards: Theatre Investment Fund (trading as Stage One), Westacre Arts Foundation Ltd (chair), Norfolk Arts Forum (vice chair), Norfolk Live, the Creative Industries Sector of Shaping Norfolk’s Future, and a member of the Theatre Manager’s Association and the Society of London Theatre. He was awarded the MBE in 2000, and in 2005 was given Shaping the Future’s Special Award for his contribution to Norfolk’s Creative Industries.

Former Artistic Director, Leicester Theatre Trust

Kully has worked as a stage manager, freelance theatre director, arts consultant and creative facilitator since 1986. She has been artistic director of Red Ladder Theatre Company, Artistic Advisor and Associate Artist for Contact Theatre, Manchester and since 2001 Joint Artistic Director of Leicester Haymarket Theatre creating a variety of work both on and off the stages. Along with Paul Kerryson, she has been instrumental in creating the artistic vision that has led to the development of Leicester’s new Performing Arts Centre.

Stage Designer and 3D animator

William Dudley is a prolific theatre production and video designer. He has worked on over 60 productions for the National Theatre, and in addition has worked for Really Useful Group, English Touring Theatre, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Almeida Theatre, Royal Court Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Hampstead Theatre and Chichester Festival Theatre. Bill Dudley also designed the sets for Roman Polanski’s musical version of The Dance of the Vampires and for Peter Hall’s production of Amadeus at the Old Vic. He has received many Olivier Awards for his unique set and costume designs.

Production Manager

After training as a schoolteacher Stewart did a post graduate year at drama school and stayed a further year as technical assistant. After a short time as DSM at Dundee Rep he joined Scottish Opera as Assistant Stage Manager. In 1984, he moved to English National Opera at the London Coliseum and stayed until 1986 holding the posts of Technical Manager and Personnel Director. He returned to Scottish Opera as Technical Director until 1989 when he moved to London and has been working since then as a freelance Production Manager. Current West End productions include Embers, Spamalot, Dirty Dancing and The Lord of the Rings.

Artistic Director and Chief Executive, greenroom, Manchester

Garfield Allen has been the greenroom’s Artistic Director and Chief Executive for nine years responsible for artistic recruitment and development, programming, partnership development and long-term vision. He sees it as a research and development department for Manchester’s artistic community where fledgling ideas can be incubated until they’re ready to take flight. Without wings. Or even a fly tower. Garfield is also the Chair of the Spaces Working Group feeding into the next steps of the ACE Whose Theatre…? Report on the Sustained Theatre.

He strongly believes that experimental urban theatre, dance and live art from a broad range of cultures need a wider presence to counter the stereotypes of Œcurious¹ (low status) arts. The green room acts as a catalyst highlighting the fluidity of emerging art forms currently challenging any formal definitions of identity and genre. A catalyst where artists and audiences can engage in ideas, images and stories going beyond convention; sometimes blurring aesthetic boundaries by utilising a wide range of art forms to produce work which is fresh and has global appeal.

Director, the egg at Theatre Royal Bath

Kate is Director of the egg at Theatre Royal Bath, one of the UK’s few dedicated spaces for children and young people, which she has developed ever since taking up the post of Head of Education in 1999. Previously, she was Education Officer at Salisbury Playhouse, Community Arts Worker at The Beaford Centre and Project Coordinator for the Colway Theatre Trust. She has also worked freelance as a theatre practitioner, playwork trainer, teacher and community arts worker.

Shunt Collective, London

David Rosenberg has been working for the last 10 years in various filthy and dimly lit locations within London making large scale performance events. David is one of the founder members of the shunt collective and director of the company shows. He was recently awarded a NESTA fellowship to research the role of the audience in theatrical productions. He is researching the environments, techniques and materials that allow for an interactive, unique emotional experience.