Hamza Ali and Mandeep Glover are named as the new Associate Artists at Nottingham Playhouse.

Hamza Ali and Mandeep Glover are named as the new Associate Artists at Nottingham Playhouse.

Hamza Ali is a director and movement director working across new writing and contemporary theatre. He is particularly interested in stories that sit between the personal and the political. Hamza was previously Resident Director on Dante or Die’s Kiss Marry Kill, National Theatre Studios/UK Tour; other credits include Where There Is No Time, Seven Dials Playhouse and Community, Birmingham Rep.

Mandeep Glover is a neurodiverse British South Asian theatre director whose practice is rooted in a commitment to amplifying under-represented voices and bringing diverse, global stories to audiences traditionally excluded from the arts. Mandeep has held positions as Resident Assistant Director at the New Vic Theatre and Curve Leicester; directing credits include Echoes of Punjab, Curl Girl Productions and Call Me By My Name, Curve Leicester.

Associate Artists help to shape the Nottingham Playhouse creative programme by providing a sounding board for the artistic team, reading scripts and watching productions, meeting freelance theatremakers and discussing artistic policy. They also support other artists through the Artist Development programme Amplify, and support the Participation programmes, running masterclasses and events, and assisting with shortlisting for open callouts.

Each Associate brings their own unique set of skills, experiences and interests, all of which add diversity and creativity to the programming. The bespoke role places equal emphasis on supporting the artist in developing their own artistic practise during their tenure, with the individual defining which areas they’d like to concentrate upon.

Mandeep Glover commented:

“Nottingham Playhouse was the first time a theatre gave me room to explore and to see myself in the arts industry during my Year 10 work experience week, and that one engagement set the course of everything that has followed after in my career.

“To come back as an Associate Artist feels completely full circle and I am so excited to be part of the theatre’s next chapter and to support the next generation of artists coming through.”

Hamza Ali said:

“As an East Midlander, it’s an honour to be made Associate Artist at Nottingham Playhouse. I can’t wait to meet talented new artists, develop creative ideas, continue to grow as an artist and give back to a building that gave me some of my earliest memories of being in a theatre.”

Artistic Director at Nottingham Playhouse, Adam Penford, said:

“We are really excited to welcome Hamza and Mandeep as our latest Associate Artists for the next 18 months, following a competitive recruitment process. Over the last few years, we’ve had a varied range of talented Associates on attachment, who all brought their different skills and passions to the role and left an impact on Nottingham Playhouse’s work. I’m looking forward to seeing the impact Hamza and Mandeep have on the theatre and how their own artistic work develops during their tenure.”