Birmingham Hippodrome has appointed Paul Kaynes as its director of creative programmes.
In his previous job, Kaynes was the West Midlands’ creative programmer for the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. He commissioned hundreds of events including theatre and dance.
One of the most significant was The Voyage, an outdoor spectacular produced by Birmingham Hippodrome which formed part of the London 2012 Festival opening weekend.
He said, “I’m very excited to be joining Birmingham Hippodrome. We want to give visitors an unforgettable cultural experience, attracting new people to the area through a programme of outdoor performances.
“In addition, many thousands of young people witness the magic of theatre at Birmingham Hippodrome every year and it’s our aim to expand the numbers of young people we reach, enhancing the live theatre experience through talks, workshops and other activities.”
Stuart Griffiths, the Hippodrome’s chief executive, said, “Paul has the experience, knowledge and creativity to develop innovative new work, significantly extending the range of what a large-scale presenting theatre can offer.”
Kaynes has worked in the arts in the Midlands for more than 25 years. He has headed up the marketing teams for Warwick Arts Centre, mac Birmingham, the RSC and also ran Audiences Central, the arts marketing agency for the West Midlands.