Royal Exchange drops Artistic Director role

Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre will adopt a new leadership structure following the departure of its co-Artistic Directors earlier this year.

The Stage reports that rather than fill the roles vacated earlier this year by Roy Alexander Weise and Bryony Shanahan, Chief Executive Stephen Freeman intends to hire a Creative Director who will become one of three artistic leaders, alongside a new Associate Director and the theatre’s current Dramaturg, Suzanne Bell. 

The Creative Director will be responsible for programming but will not be expected to direct shows. They will also be Deputy Chief Executive, but not Joint Chief Executive with Freeman – as Weise and Shanahan had been. 

Freeman indicated that the new Creative Director will appoint five part-time Associates to represent “a collection of voices from different backgrounds and disciplines – artistic voices who will lead our programmes of work”.

Throughout its 47-year history, Royal Exchange has operated with a traditional Artistic Director model, though unusually, the role has been shared more often than not.