Ovalhouse Announces Mahri Reilly as New Head of Learning and Participation

Ovalhouse is delighted to announce that Mahri Reilly will be joining the team, from the National Theatre of Scotland, in a newly-created role as the Head of Learning and Participation.

Mahri Reilly has worked extensively on participatory art programmes for children and young people which challenge accessibility and promote social inclusion, including street theatre events, festivals and in education settings. She has been with National Theatre of Scotland for three years as Project Manager within the LEARN Department on large scale, multi-partner, site specific community engagement projects.

Mahri currently leads on 'Theatre in Schools Scotland', a national touring programme aimed at ensuring every child in Scotland gains experience of a high-quality theatre production in their primary school. Additionally, Mahri leads on the UK wide PIPA (Parents/Carers in the Performing Arts).

Together with a talented team of managers and practitioners and in dialogue with Ovalhouse's Leadership team (Director Deborah Bestwick; Executive Producer Stella Kanu and General Manager Gary Johnson) and Head of Theatre and Artists' Development, Owen Calvert Lyons. Mahri will scope and lead the next phase for the organisation's Learning, Engagement and Participation Programme.

Director of Ovalhouse, Deborah Bestwick, comments, Ovalhouse is very lucky! Mahri's energy, ambition and appetite for innovative and inclusive projects are the perfect fit for everything we are building as we move towards our new building in Brixton. We want to be able to discover and show off the incredible ideas and talent within our neighbouring communities, illuminate debate through performance and make sure that local young people can see a route to jobs and skills via the arts, and Mahri has a fantastic range of experience. We look forward to introducing her to our participants and partners.

Mahri comments, I am committed to using art as a tool for social transformation, designing opportunities to occupy and reclaim spaces where communities can gather together to share stories, break down barriers and imagine new narratives through creative participation. I am thrilled to be joining Ovalhouse in these exciting new times, as Head of Learning and Participation. I can't wait to work with the team and hungry to get started on our new adventure together.

One of London's longest-serving commissioning theatres, Ovalhouse has a rich history and an even stronger future as they develop a new purpose built venue in central Brixton, due to open in 2020.

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