Leadership Changes Signal New Era For Citizens Theatre

MEDIA RELEASE
Sat 28 Aug 2010
(For immediate release)

The Board of the Citizens Theatre has confirmed that there will be changes to the management and governance of the Company over the coming months.

Jeremy Raison and Guy Hollands will stand down as Joint Artistic Directors of the Company.

There will also be a reconfiguration of the Board. Current Chair, Roderick Macpherson will retire at the AGM in September and the Board has elected current Director Murray Buchanan as Chairman Elect. Dr. William T. Scott, Vice Chairman, also retires and Professor Adrienne Scullion is Vice Chair Elect.

With considerable uncertainty surrounding public sector finance, arts organisations across the UK face new and significant challenges. With a reputation for creative excellence and robust management stretching back over 60 years, the Citizens Theatre is acting now to create new leadership for an ambitious new era of theatre-making and artistic innovation. This will ensure the Company is able to respond in positive and creative ways to the financial challenges that lie ahead. 

Murray Buchanan, Chairman Elect, Citizens Theatre Board commented:
“The Board would like to acknowledge the hard work, talent and commitment that Jeremy Raison, Guy Hollands and the management team have demonstrated to secure success for the theatre over the last 7 years. They have ensured that the theatre is in a strong position to face the challenges of the future and the Board is committed to embracing those challenges and creating a new vision for the Citizens Theatre as a centre of artistic excellence in Glasgow and Scotland.”

David Taylor, Portfolio Manager, Creative Scotland commented:
“As the major producing theatre of the west of Scotland, the Citizens Theatre has a distinctive position within the cultural community of Scotland.  We have supported the Citizens to reinforce its artistic reputation, build audiences and provide excellent education and outreach engagement within the community and we now look forward to seeing a new vision for the future of the organisation.“


ENDS

For more information please contact:
Alison Martin, Head of Marketing & Communications, Citizens Theatre
0141 418 6235 / 07950 421374 / alison@citz.co.uk


Notes to Editors

Autumn 2010 Season
Jeremy Raison will continue to direct A Clockwork Orange as part of the Autumn 2010 programme. This will be his final production for the theatre. Guy Hollands will also continue to direct The Monster in the Hall and Beauty and the Beast as part of the Autumn 2010 programme.

Jeremy Raison Biography
Jeremy was appointed Artistic Director of the Citizens Theatre in November 2003. The first production he directed for the Company was Therese Raquin in September 2004 and his extensive directing credits for the theatre include: Ghosts, Educating Rita, The Sound of My Voice, Don Juan, Desire Under the Elms, Wee Fairytales, The Bevellers, No Mean City and a series of Christmas Shows including Charlotte’s Web, James and the Giant Peach, Peter Pan and Cinderella.  His extensive productions as writer/director include Saki with Sir Dirk Bogarde, Alan Bates and Zoe Wanamaker, The Rain Gathering with Ralph Fiennes and Dead Dad Dog with Robert Carlyle. He has worked for the Royal National Theatre and for many other companies in the UK. 

Guy Hollands Biography
Guy was appointed Joint Artistic Director of the Citizens Theatre in 2006. He was Artistic Director of TAG from 2004-2006.  Directing credits for the Citizens Theatre include: Three Sisters, Othello, Waiting for Godot, Hamlet, Wizard of Oz, Yellow Moon, Museum of Dreams, Liar and Meep and Moop. Previous work includes: The Birthday Party and The Crucible for TAG, Nightingale and Chase, The Fever, Nightschool and The Caretaker for the Citizens, Woyzeck for Royal Lyceum, Pinocchio for Visible Fictions; Earball for Tosg and Factory Girls for 7:84.

Statistics – attendance figures
In financial year 2009/10 the Citizens Theatre achieved its best ticket sales for over 3 years with attendances to shows numbering over 72,000. In addition, Citizens Learning & TAG delivered 95 projects involving 1478 workshops and almost 24,000 participant sessions.

Background to Citizens Theatre

The Citizens Theatre is an iconic venue and theatre company based in the Gorbals area of Glasgow. The building first opened as a theatre in 1878. The Citizens Company was founded in 1943 by James Bridie, and the Citizens Theatre was permanently established in 1945. Since then it has been one of Scotland’s flagship producing theatres.

The Citizens has a distinguished history that continues today, presenting a world-class repertoire based on British and foreign classics, contemporary plays and new writing. The venue also hosts a diverse range of touring work. In 2007, TAG (specialists in work for children and young people) moved back into the building and the company became Citizens Theatre Ltd.

Today it presents main house and studio productions, theatre for children and young people, a regular programme of theatre on tour, a Young Co., a Community Company and a pioneering range of creative learning and participatory projects. The theatre has extensive backstage workshop facilities and makes its own sets and costumes.

The Citizens Theatre is firmly rooted in its local community and places a special emphasis on work with children, young people and socially excluded adults.  It believes in placing arts, culture and creativity at the heart of learning and provides opportunities at the theatre and in communities and schools across Scotland, for young people and adults to engage with drama.

Jeremy Raison was appointed Artistic Director of the Citizens Theatre in November 2003. In 2006 he became Joint Artistic Director of the Company with Guy Hollands.

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