(L to R) Alex Thorpe (white man, dark hair and beard, wears a blue shirt, black jacket and stands against a light brick wall), Kate Lovell (white women, short black hair, wears a blue t-shirt and silver necklace. She stands on a beach), Aisling Gallagher (They have curly, strawberry-blonde hair and wear a green cap that states 'Empower' and a yellow t-shirt).

(L to R) Alex Thorpe, Kate Lovell, Aisling Gallagher.

Changing Faces

Three new Creative Directors at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch

Arts Professional
2 min read

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch (QTH) has appointed a trio of Creative Directors.

ALEX THORPE is assuming the role on a full-time basis, while KATE LOVELL and AISLING GALLAGHER are set to share the role. 

They will all work together as part of a new co-leadership arrangement across programming, creative producing, and partnership development at the theatre.

Thorpe is a theatre director from Cumbria. He is an Associate Artist at National Youth Theatre, and has experience as an associate, assistant, and resident director at theatres including Royal Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare’s Globe, and Old Vic. He joins from Arts Council England as Relationship Manager of the London Theatre team. 

“QTH is synonymous with pioneering local, national and international creative and cultural opportunities: always retaining a local, national and international perspective. I am inspired by QTH’s deep commitment to South Essex and Outer East London,” Thorpe said. 

Lovell is an artist-activist, writer, director, dramaturg, and access consultant. She is a guest director for Separate Doors, a company with an integrated ensemble of learning disabled, neurodivergent, and non-disabled performers, and was formerly Associate Director at Graeae Theatre and QTH.

Gallagher is a disabled Irish director, artist, and creative access practitioner. They are part of Into the Wild artist development programme at Chisenhale Studios and formerly worked as an Agent for Change at Theatre Royal Stratford East.  
     
“We are both socially-engaged neurodivergent and disabled artists with a desire to elevate unheard voices and Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is a venue dedicated to championing lesser heard voices; joining the theatre as Creative Directors feels like a wonderful match in ambition and passion,” Gallagher and Lovell commented. 

“We are thrilled to be able to further the theatre’s dedication to the local community and to serving underrepresented groups in both the stories we tell and the people we welcome through the doors.”

QTH has also announced CHRISTINE SANTA-ANA as Project Director for Havering Changing, sharing the role with existing Project Director JAMES JACKSON. Completing the senior leadership team is JAMES WATSON, formerly Head of Learning and Participation at QTH, who steps up to Director of Communities.