NEWS: New Director of Participation announced
25 October 2023
Tara Lopez has been appointed as the new Director of Participation at Nottingham Playhouse. Tara’s appointment underpins Nottingham Playhouse’s ambitions to continue developing it’s exciting and innovative Participation programme, and to grow the reach and impact of its community engagement.
Tara brings a wealth of experience from previous roles, including most recently as Executive Director for The Spark Arts for Children in Leicester. Prior to this, Tara led Critical Mass, an inclusive mass participation project which was a flagship element of the Birmingham 2022 Festival and Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony.
Tara commented:
“I am thrilled to be taking on the role of Director of Participation at Nottingham Playhouse and to be able to contribute to the arts and cultural sector in my hometown. The participation department at Nottingham Playhouse is a real asset to the organisation and comes with a rich and long-standing heritage from which I am excited to pick up the mantle.
I look forward to working closely with the team to continue delivering a high-quality, relevant and accessible programme for our communities which truly speaks to the organisation’s belief that theatre is for everyone.”
Commenting on the appointment, Chief Executive Stephanie Sirr said:
“We are delighted to welcome Tara to Nottingham Playhouse. Her experience in delivery of community projects, together with her strategic approach around diversity and inclusion, means she is a great fit to continue developing our ambitious Participation programme.”
Tara’s career began in community and carnival arts settings working for the East Midlands Caribbean Carnival Arts Network (EMCCAN). She also worked and consulted with a range of organisations over the years, including Arts Council England (ACE), Creative Lives (previously Voluntary Arts), Coventry UK City of Culture 2021, and West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) on policy and strategy relating to participation, diversity and inclusion. Tara is also an Advisory Board Member for Attenborough Arts Centre in Leicester.
Find out more about our Participation programme.