Paul Kaynes Named Director of Creative Programmes at Birmingham Hippodrome

Birmingham Hippodrome has announced the appointment of Paul Kaynes as its Director of Creative Programmes.

This brand new role will lead a step-change in the work of Birmingham Hippodrome's Education and Creative Programme team, creating new events and experiences and enabling many more people to experience all that the arts has to offer.

In his previous role, Paul was West Midlands Creative Programmer for the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. He commissioned hundreds of events - including theatre, dance, music, heritage and community events. One of the most significant was The Voyage, a huge free outdoor spectacular produced by Birmingham Hippodrome which formed part of the London 2012 Festival opening weekend.

Paul has over 25 years of working in the arts in the Midlands and has headed up the marketing teams for Warwick Arts Centre, mac Birmingham, The RSC and also ran Audiences Central, the arts marketing agency for the West Midlands.

Paul said "I'm very excited to be joining Birmingham Hippodrome. We want to give visitors to the theatre and Southside an unforgettable cultural experience, attracting new people to the area through a programme of outdoor performances. In addition, many thousands of young people witness the magic of theatre at Birmingham Hippodrome every year and it's our aim to expand the numbers of young people we reach, enhancing the live theatre experience through talks, workshops and other activities."

Stuart Griffiths, Chief Executive, Birmingham Hippodrome said: "We are delighted to welcome Paul to this new role at Birmingham Hippodrome. Paul has the experience, knowledge and creativity to develop innovative new work significantly extending the range of what a large-scale presenting theatre can offer."

Paul will be working closely with the theatre's Chief Executive, ensuring the creative programmes complement and enhance the main stage programme and are in line with developing new strategies to build and expand on the theatre's current success and help shape its vision for the future.