Fiona Allan is to step down as chief executive of Leicester’s Curve to take a similar role at Birmingham Hippodrome.
A native Australian, Fiona Allan has more than 20 years’ experience in the cultural sector, with a career that spans both artistic and organisational leadership. She has been at Curve since 2011, before which she was artistic director of Wales Millennium Centre.
Since joining Curve, she has been involved in bringing in a new artistic strategy, with a focus on musical theatre—both revivals of classic titles and the nurture and development of new British musicals.
She said, “I’ve had an extraordinary time at Curve over the past four years and I’m proud to have helped the organisation grow and prosper. It’s now a venue at the heart of the community it serves, with a loyal and passionate audience, a thriving conferencing business and an established reputation as a producing powerhouse.
“I’m sorry to be leaving Leicester and my brilliant Curve team but I leave knowing that the business is in terrific shape and that Nikolai Foster has exciting plans for its artistic development.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled to be joining the brilliant team at Birmingham Hippodrome at this exciting moment. It’s a nationally acclaimed organisation with infinite potential that has achieved so much under Stuart Griffiths in recent years, and I feel privileged to have the opportunity to be part of its future.”
Chair of Curve’s board Philip Tasker added, “we’re very sorry to see Fiona leave Curve—she’s been absolutely pivotal in putting Curve at the forefront of regional theatre.
“She has led a programme which has seen significant increases in audiences, expansion of Curve’s learning, participation and community activity, increased use of Curve for major national conferences and recognition of Curve as a driver of Leicester’s social, cultural and economic development.”
Allan will remain at Curve until October. The theatre will soon start to look for her successor.
At Birmingham Hippodrome she will replace Stuart Griffiths who, as previously reported, is to join the Ambassador Theatre group as programming director in July.
Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre Trust chair John Crabtree said, “we’re delighted that Fiona has agreed to join us at such an exciting time in our continued growth.
“Our diverse programme and loyal audiences, our fantastically engaged education and community programmes, and our commitment to world-class standards in all that we do puts us in the perfect position to achieve future ambitions under Fiona’s leadership.
“I look forward to working with Fiona as we enter a new phase in our history.”