Frances Land and Steve Johnstone, co-artistic directors of Black Country Touring, will step down in autumn 2025 after leading BCT for 28 years.
During their leadership, the organisation expanded from a Black Country-wide touring organisation when it was founded in 1997 to one producing original theatre which showcases stories from an often overlooked part of the West Midlands.
Their first production, Apna Ghar, gathered stories from South Asian women and trained community members in oral history recording techniques. These recordings formed the basis of a production that reflected the richness of those women’s lives and experiences.
Land and Johnstone have overseen productions that reached thousands across the UK, including The Corner Shop (2008–09),an immersive theatre piece that explored the lives of shopkeepers and their communities, and My Big Fat Cowpat Wedding (2014–16), a co-produced comedy drama with Kali Theatre and Arts Alive that tackled race and gender divides through an interactive wedding reception.
Johnstone said, “at the centre of all performing arts is the collective experience—people coming together to share a unique moment in time. This is at the heart of all aspects of Black Country Touring's work, wherever those performances take place and however unexpected that moment is. It’s at its most vibrant when people recognise themselves in some way within that performance.”
Land added, “it’s been an absolute joy and privilege to work with so many amazing people over the years at BCT, from all the brilliant people we’ve worked alongside in the office to the wonderful artists and our many fantastic community partners. We know they’ll continue the great work BCT is known for and we look forward to seeing how it will continue to grow and evolve in this new phase of its existence.”
Imtiaz Dungarwalla, co-chair of Black Country Touring, commented, “we’re deeply grateful to Frances and Steve for their creativity and dedication to BCT and the wider arts community. Even after over two decades they continued to innovate, staging productions in unusual spaces and connecting with audiences during the pandemic through digital projects. Their leadership has been central to building strong community and artistic partnerships, and has seen the company go from strength to strength.”
Recruitment for a new artistic director will start in March 2025.