Angharad Jones has been announced as the new Artistic Director of East Midlands theatre company New Perspectives.
Angharad comes to the company after 15 years of working alongside Laura Ford as joint Artistic Director of Fifth Word, a company they founded together, directing productions such as LAVA by Critics’ Circle Theatre Award winner/Olivier-nominated playwright James Fritz (Nottingham Playhouse 2018/ UK spring tour postponed to 2022).
She has previously worked with New Perspectives as Associate Director of the Stage Award-winning The Fishermen alongside current Artistic Director Jack McNamara. Jack McNamara steps down as Artistic Director after nine years in the role to become Artistic Director of Newcastle’s Theatre Live.
Fifth Word are an East Midlands company and are previous associate artists at Nottingham Playhouse, Oxford Playhouse and recipients of the Olwen Wymark Award. Founded by Angharad Jones and Laura Ford in 2008, they tour ambitious new plays, shining a light on unheard stories and nurturing regional voices.
With Fifth Word Angharad has developed unique and innovative projects in partnership with communities and organisations, including launching  the Lights Up podcast that celebrates women in theatre  and the This is Normanton living history project, all of which aim to get more people engaging with arts, culture and heritage on their own terms.
Angharad Jones said, “I am thrilled to be appointed as the next Artistic Director of New Perspectives, and immensely proud to be the first woman in position in nearly three decades. I have spent the last 15 years with Fifth Word getting to know and making work for audiences here in the East Midlands and have long admired New Perspectives as fiercely independent company that holds a unique and vital place in the theatre ecology of the region. I’m excited to take this opportunity to present new work, plays and adaptations that are rooted in localism but with regional, national and international appeal. I feel privileged to be joining this dynamic team at a complex time, and when serving our audiences, supporting freelancers and developing talent has never been so urgent.”
