Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre has announced two appointments to its team that will support its delivery of a programme for Coventry’s year as UK city of culture.
Joining the Belgrade as senior producer is Sâmir Bhamra, artistic director of Phizzical, a Midlands-based production company creating touring work with a focus on South Asian and British Asian perspectives.
Previous Phizzical productions staged at the Belgrade Theatre include a South Asian reimagining of Shakespeare’s Cymbeline in 2013 and the romantic comedy musical Bring on the Bollywood in 2017.
A writer, producer, director and designer, Bhamra developed his directing skills at the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company, learning from the likes of Nelson Fernandez OBE and RSC artistic director Gregory Doran. He was also an associate artist on the Indian adaptation of King Lear for Sky Arts.
As a producer, he delivered three large-scale projects during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. He is also creative director of the UK Asian Film Festival.
Bhamra said, “Coventry’s diversity was central to its bid to become UK City of Culture and it’s fantastic to see that reflected in the Belgrade’s commitment, ensuring diverse voices are at the heart of the team leading its produced programme for 2021.”
Supporting the 2021 creative team will be emerging producer Krysztina Winkel, whose role as embedded community producer will focus on outreach and participation.