It is announced today, Wednesday 4 September, that Lucy Davies will be the new Chief Executive of Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival.
Davies joins Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival from her role as Executive Director at the Young Vic Theatre, where she has overseen major productions such as a 24 hour non-stop performance of The Second Woman, starring Ruth Wilson and featuring Idris Elba and Andrew Scott; and the Olivier award-winning production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma. Previously, she spent nine years as Executive Producer at London’s Royal Court Theatre, producing over 100 world premiere productions including Jez Butterworth’s The Ferryman, directed by Oscar-winner Sam Mendes; and the multi-award winning Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner by Jasmine Lee Jones.
Prior to this she was the founding Executive Producer at National Theatre Wales, producing eclectic, ground-breaking work such as Greek tragedy The Persians, set on a Brecon Beacons military base; a twist on Shakespeare’s Coriolan/us, staged in an aircraft hangar; and a legendary production of The Passion with Michael Sheen, which took place across the whole town of Port Talbot.
In addition to having been Executive Producer at the Donmar Warehouse and Head of Studio at the National Theatre under Nicholas Hytner, Davies is also Co-Chair of Soho Theatre Walthamstow and has been recognised within the industry as both a Creative Climate Leader and Creative Green Champion.
Lucy Davies says: “I am truly overjoyed to become the new Chief Executive of Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival. Brighton Dome is a unique, iconic and magical set of spaces, with so many stories and memories baked into its bricks, and Brighton Festival is one of the longest-running, most joyful and dynamic Festivals in our cultural calendar. It’s an honour to follow Andrew Comben, who has led with so much imagination, stability and generosity. I cannot wait for the fantastic artistic possibilities and opportunities to positively impact lives in this most creative of cities, working with brilliant partners across the region and friends throughout the world. Off we go…”
Danny Homan, Chair of Trustees at Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival, says: “On behalf of all Trustees I’d like to congratulate Lucy on her appointment as our new Chief Executive. This is a key leadership role for our city, region and sector and she brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and connections. We have ambitious plans for the future and I’m confident that Lucy’s collaborative style, energy and drive will catalyse an exciting phase of growth and creative expansion for our organisation focussed on the audiences and communities that we serve.”
Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival (BDBF) is one of the UK’s leading arts charities, comprising three historic venues – the Concert Hall, Corn Exchange and Studio Theatre; the annual Brighton Festival – England’s largest curated annual multi-arts festival; and the music education hub, Create Music, reaching almost 20,000 young people across Brighton & Hove and East Sussex.
BDBF reaches a combined annual audience of more than 650,000 and is a major contributor to the local economy. A £38m redevelopment of Brighton Dome’s historic Corn Exchange and Studio Theatre was recently completed, supported by funding from Arts Council England, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Coast to Capital LEP and Brighton & Hove City Council. With two major performance and community venues returning to the heart of the city, the refurbished spaces offer an even wider and more accessible programme of events for audiences and community participants, cementing Brighton Dome, and the Royal Pavilion Estate, as a significant cultural destination in the UK.
The appointment of Lucy Davies has been made following a rigorous selection process led by recruitment firm Saxton Bampfylde, featuring applicants from across all areas of the industry. Davies will succeed Andrew Comben, who leaves Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival after 16 successful years at the helm, and she will take up the post of Chief Executive in the New Year.
