News
New staff start at Live Theatre
New key members of staff have be appointed at Live Theatre in roles supported by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation to build capacity for the organisation. This includes working to deliver LiveWorks, the recently announced £10 million capital development scheme on Newcastle’s Quayside.
Lucy Bird takes the role of Director of Enterprise and Development, Helen Moore has been appointed as Director of Education and Engagement and Graeme Thompson as Creative Producer.
Lucy Bird was a founding executive director of Sage Gateshead from 2000, and as Director Marketing and Development there she was responsible for the creation of an endowment fund worth over £12 million, for revenue fundraising and the branding and market positioning of the business. Her early working career spanned independent television, her own corporate entertainment company, Administrative Director with NTC Touring Theatre, Arts & Business as North East England Manager, and Marketing and Development Director for Northern Sinfonia.
As Director of Development and Enterprise, Lucy will be working with Live Theatre on fundraising activity and commercial income. She will also manage the development and further fundraising for the LiveWorks capital development project.
Helen Moore has worked in the arts and cultural sector in North East England for 16 years, with roles in arts in education, regeneration, community development and events and festivals and has worked for TEDCO Enterprise in Education, Sunderland City Council, Blyth Valley Borough Council, Blyth Valley Arts & Leisure and most recently for Arts Council England as Relationship Manager. She is a dance graduate and has an Arts and Cultural Management postgraduate from Northumbria University.
Helen’s role is to advocate for the work of Live Theatre’s education and participation department, lead on education strategies and partnerships and to develop the new children and young people’s creative writing centre in the LiveWorks development.
In the new position of Creative Producer, Graeme will curate and manage commissions and plays within Live Theatre’s artistic programme and the develop touring and co-productions.
In February 2014 Live Theatre purchased the last remaining prime Quayside plot of land and buildings alongside the theatre and plan to create new commercial office space, a new public park and a children and young people’s creative writing centre.
Once complete, LiveWorks will create new revenue streams for the core creative and educational work of Live Theatre, building resilience for the Theatre for the future, and transforming part of the Quayside.
LiveWorks development will create:
- A new landmark building on Newcastle’s Quayside with approximately 1500sqm net of highly desirable premium office space with river views
- Refurbishment of a Grade II listed Almshouse into a new children and young people’s writing centre
- A landscaped public park at the centre of the site with public pedestrian access from the Quayside and performance space managed and programmed by Live Theatre in daily use by tenants, neighbours and the public
- New commercial opportunities and visibility on the busy Quayside thoroughfare for Live Theatre
- Additional revenue for the core creative and education work of Live Theatre, and a social, cultural and commercial return to build resilience for Live Theatre for the future.
