Albany Theatre Coventry Appoints New Chief Executive Officer | Artistic Director
The Albany Theatre Trust is delighted to announce that Kevin Shaw has been appointed as the new Chief Executive & Artistic Director to lead the charitable trust that runs Coventry’s Albany Theatre and Studio.
Kevin Shaw started his role at the Albany Theatre on Monday 3 February 2020 and joins the theatre at an exciting time as they plan and develop their strategy and projects that will take them into Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture in 2021 and beyond.
Kevin has extensive experience in the Arts and Theatre sectors as both an Artistic Director and a Chief Executive, delivering projects across a range of productions and venues.
He previously worked at Oldham Coliseum Theatre for 17 years where his tenure saw him direct more than 70 productions across 34 seasons, including 15 pantos. He also founded the Coliseum’s learning and engagement department which established a collaborative network of 5,000 people from surrounding boroughs each year giving participants opportunities to engage with theatre.
More recently, he has been a freelance director working in theatres across the country, teaching in drama schools, producing large scale community plays and developing projects for television.
“It is an incredibly exciting time to be joining the Albany Theatre. Not just as Coventry heads into being the UK’s City of Culture for 2021 but equally, as the theatre itself heads into a massive period of growth and development that will put it firmly at the heart of Coventry’s thriving arts scene. I am delighted to be part of what is going to be a very bright future.”
The Albany Theatre has undergone some radical redevelopment since
re-opening just seven years ago but there are ambitious plans in place to extend the venue and its use further over the next few years. Kevin will be overseeing the delivery of this large-scale project.
“We’re not just developing and extending the theatre’s presence physically but also in terms of shows and events and are very much looking forward to increasing our links with local communities and Coventry audiences as a whole” he explains.
The Albany Theatre Trust remains as a charity overseen by a board of directors and with a core staff, including Kevin Shaw, leading the volunteer teams who help with the day-to-day running of the theatre. The theatre is committed to pursuing their Arts for Life initiative which promotes the benefits of work and involvement in the Arts to promote wellbeing.
“Kevin’s appointment is an important and exciting milestone in the development of the Albany Theatre Trust. We have been working on the development of the theatre for some time and under his leadership, we can expect these plans to take shape and progress very soon.” Explains David Meredith, Chair of ATT Board.
The theatre has recently launched their latest season of performances and events running in the Art Deco main house and refurbished studio space with plans in place to extend the programming in the future to ensure that the Albany Theatre continues as a flourishing arts venue for the benefit of audiences and communities throughout the city.
