Actors Touring Company Announces New Chair And Vice Chair Of The Board Of Trustees

Actors Touring Company (ATC) announces a new chair and vice-chair of their board of trustees. Following a recruitment process that took place during lockdown, Associate Professor in Translation Theory and Theatre Translation at University College London, Geraldine Brodie has been appointed Chair and Alan Evans, General Counsel and Director General for Legal Services at HM Revenue and Customs will step into the role as vice chair. Together they will head the board of trustees to take the company into the post Covid 19 World under the continued Artistic Directorship of Mathew Xia and the Executive Directorship of Andrew Smaje.

Geraldine Brodie is Associate Professor in Translation Theory and Theatre Translation at University College London and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her research centres on theatre translation practices in contemporary London, on which topic she speaks and publishes widely. Recent publications include her monograph The Translator on Stage (Bloomsbury, 2018) and the volume Adapting Translation for the Stage, co-edited with Emma Cole (Routledge, 2017). She is a member of the Clore Leader network, which draws its members from across arts, culture and the creative sector.

Geraldine is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation. She has worked in audit, tax, professional development and graduate recruitment for KPMG in London and New York and is the director of a private property investment and management company specialising in the residential and commercial sectors in South East England.

She has served on a range of charitable, voluntary and industry boards and organisations, most recently including the Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham and the Barbican Centre Trust. She is also a member of the Wates Foundation, an independent grant-making family trust supporting the charitable and voluntary sector.

Alan Evans is General Counsel and Director General for Legal Services at HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), and a member of the department's Executive Committee. Alan has held a number of other senior legal posts in government - including Legal Director at Defra and BEIS - and chaired and served on several departmental and cross government boards. Earlier in his career, Alan was a legal adviser to the Cabinet Office and at the European Commission. Prior to working in government, Alan practised international commercial litigation at law firms in the City of London. He is a past member of the Law Society's European and Employment Law Committees.

Alan is passionate about theatre - regularly attending productions at a broad range of venues. He is also a strong advocate for diversity, including as a senior diversity champion in government over the last five years.

The announcement follows the news last month of two new writing commissions which will be developed by the company over the coming year.

Geraldine Brodie, New Chair of the ATC Board says -

"I'm thrilled to be joining Actors Touring Company as Chair at such a pivotal moment for the arts and for the world at large. ATC's values are very much about connecting us to the world and to the stories of all cultures and nations, celebrating the range of languages and voices in translation. There couldn't be a more crucial time for the arts to play a role in connection and understanding."

Alan Evans, Vice Chair designate of the ATC Board says -

"I'm passionate about the arts and about diversity. Having championed diversity throughout my professional life, it's a particular privilege to also now be able to advocate for and support the arts. Actors Touring Company and its Artistic Director Matthew Xia have played a vital role in raising awareness of representation and diversity in the theatre sector and I'm delighted to join the ATC Board to take that work forward."

Matthew Xia, Artistic Director and Joint CEO, ATC says -

"We have found two wonderfully engaged people, who are passionate about our work and our ethos. Geraldine and Alan bring their incredibly different skills and interests to support the future direction of ATC and to help ensure that we are at the forefront of progressive change in the arts."

Andrew Smaje, Executive Director and Joint CEO, ATC says -

"We're delighted to bring two such brilliant people to lead the governance of ATC, especially in the current challenging conditions for arts organisations. All recruitment, meetings and interviews, took place during lockdown, a testament to the dedication and commitment of the ATC Board and staff to not just sustaining this important touring company, but also crucially to moving it forward."

Actors Touring Company (ATC) creates dialogue between Britain and the rest of the world - and between the intersecting cultures within our country. It is the only UK theatre company committed to producing plays that come from beyond our shores.

We are passionate about giving voice to the 'outsider within' - the cross-cultural nations within our own nation. We tour our plays right across Britain: creating, developing and sustaining a dialogue between 'the other' and UK audiences. In the last few years, we have produced first English language productions of plays from Iran, Norway, the US, Germany, Austria, Russia - bringing international voices to school and village halls, studio theatres and main houses: from Barcelona to Glasgow, from Hong Kong to Scarborough. Our regular producing partners include Theatre Royal Plymouth, Orange Tree Theatre, Royal Exchange Manchester, and the Young Vic. Signature Productions include: The Brothers Size, The Events, The Suppliant Women, Winter Solstice and Amsterdam, the ATC debut of Artistic Director Matthew Xia.

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