Member Article

New staff start at Live Theatre

New key members of staff have be appointed at Live Theatre in roles supported by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation to build capacity for the organisation.

This includes working to deliver LiveWorks, the recently announced £10 million capital development scheme on Newcastle’s Quayside.

Lucy Bird takes the role of Director of Enterprise and Development, Helen Moore has been appointed as Director of Education and Engagement and Graeme Thompson as Creative Producer.

Lucy Bird was a founding executive director of Sage Gateshead from 2000, and as Director Marketing and Development there she was responsible for the creation of an endowment fund worth over £12 million, for revenue fundraising and the branding and market positioning of the business. Her early working career spanned independent television, her own corporate entertainment company, Administrative Director with NTC Touring Theatre, Arts & Business as North East England Manager, and Marketing and Development Director for Northern Sinfonia.

As Director of Development and Enterprise, Lucy will be working with Live Theatre on fundraising activity and commercial income. She will also manage the development and further fundraising for the LiveWorks capital development project

Helen Moore has worked in the arts and cultural sector in North East England for 16 years, with roles in arts in education, regeneration, community development and events and festivals and has worked for TEDCO Enterprise in Education, Sunderland City Council, Blyth Valley Borough Council, Blyth Valley Arts & Leisure and most recently for Arts Council England as Relationship Manager. She is a dance graduate and has an Arts and Cultural Management postgraduate from Northumbria University.

Helen’s role is to advocate for the work of Live Theatre’s education and participation department, lead on education strategies and partnerships and to develop the new children and young people’s creative writing centre in the LiveWorks development.

Helen Moore said: _“_This is an exciting time to join the leadership team at Live Theatre. Live Theatre’s education work is of outstanding quality and I am looking forward to working with the team and developing new ways to unlock the potential of young people through theatre.“

Graeme Thompson joins the Live Theatre team as Creative Producer. Originally from Prudhoe, he has worked for West Yorkshire Playhouse and Theatre503 where he was Literary Co-ordinator.

In the new position of Creative Producer, Graeme will curate and manage commissions and plays within Live Theatre’s artistic programme and the develop touring and co-productions.

Graeme said: _“_This is such a great time to be joining Live Theatre. Taking up this exciting new role at the beginning of an exciting new chapter is a real adventure. There is so much fantastic work being created here and so many fresh ideas in development.“

In February 2014 Live Theatre purchased the last remaining prime Quayside plot of land and buildings alongside the theatre and plan to create new commercial office space, a new public park and a children and young people’s creative writing centre.

Once complete, LiveWorks will create new revenue streams for the core creative and educational work of Live Theatre, building resilience for the Theatre for the future, and transforming this part of the Quayside

LiveWorks development will create:

• A new landmark building on Newcastle’s Quayside with approximately 1500sqm net of highly desirable premium office space with river views
• Refurbishment of a Grade II listed Almshouse into a new children and young people’s writing centre
• A landscaped public park at the centre of the site with public pedestrian access from the Quayside and performance space managed and programmed by Live Theatre in daily use by tenants, neighbours and the public
• New commercial opportunities and visibility on the busy Quayside thoroughfare for Live Theatre
• Additional revenue for the core creative and education work of Live Theatre, and a social, cultural and commercial return to build resilience for Live Theatre for the future.

The purchase of the land and buildings and the development of the site has been supported by a prudential loan of £6 million from Newcastle City Council and a £1.73 million grant confirmed from the North East European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Programme 2007 to 2013.

Live Theatre is a national leader in developing new strategies for increasing income and assets for the charity. LiveWorks will join The Broad Chare pub, online playwriting course www.beaplaywright.com and The Schoolhouse, office space for SMEs, as one of Live Theatre’s capital and digital creative enterprises, increasing it income for the future. For more information see www.live.org.uk/creativeenterprises.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Live Theatre .