Curve in Leicester has expanded its artistic team to develop work on the venue’s stages and in the surrounding communities.
Suba Das, associate director, community engagement and Tim Ford, associate director, participation and learning, will work with Curve’s artistic director Paul Kerryson.
They will “contribute to artistic planning and to a range of creative activities reflecting and engaging with Leicester’s wide-ranging and culturally diverse audiences and communities”.
Both will direct projects as well as focusing on developing a “deeper and more artistically-led engagement with Leicester’s festivals and celebrations, expanding opportunities for community members to perform at Curve, strengthening artistic and audience development links, and creating a programme of activity to animate Curve’s public spaces, including regular free foyer events and exhibitions”.
Suba Das is a director of classical and site-specific work. Previously the youngest resident director at the National Theatre Studio, he joins Curve’s artistic team after directorial projects with the Young Vic, the Almeida and Old Vic Tunnels.
He said, "I'm delighted to be joining Curve. As an experimental theatre-maker, my work revolves around attracting non-traditional theatregoers to immersive experiences. I hope to offer something of that to Leicester’s communities and find new and surprising ways to use the incredible architecture of Curve.
“I’m looking forward to discovering the astonishing local artists creating work, be that through drama, dance, music or visual arts; and finding ways in which Curve can both nurture and challenge its local creative community.”
Tim Ford joins Curve from the Nuffield Theatre, Southampton. His experience includes programming productions and activities for children, young people and family audiences.
He previously worked as a director at Birmingham REP and The Point Theatre and has also led many workshops and projects for the National Association of Youth Theatres, the National Youth Theatre and the National Student Drama Festival.
He said, “Leicester is a young and vibrant city and I’m really excited at the prospect of harnessing that creative energy both within our communities and in our fabulous building.”
He will also lead Curve’s Young Arts Entrepreneurs project for which the organisation has secured £250,000 funding over the next three years.