Laura Elliot is appointed as our CEO, and current Co-Artistic Director for 2021, Corey Campbell, takes on the role of Creative Director.
We’re thrilled to announce the appointment of our new senior leadership, who will take up their posts in January 2022, succeeding Joanna Reid and Hamish Glen.
Laura Elliot has been appointed as Chief Executive, and will be responsible for the overall strategy of the Theatre, and current Co-Artistic Director for 2021, Corey Campbell, will take the creative lead of the Theatre in the role of Creative Director.
Laura Elliot brings with her significant experience in senior management and leadership; from her current role as Programme Director of Oxford Playhouse and previous role as Programme Manager at Warwick Arts Centre.
A resident of Kenilworth for nearly a decade, she combines strong connections to the regional arts scene with a real passion for the importance of culture, particularly as part of Coventry’s UK City of Culture legacy.
“I’m delighted to be taking up the role of CEO, alongside Corey Campbell as Creative Director. The Belgrade Theatre has been my local producing theatre for nearly a decade. I’m inspired by its deep rooted, nationally renowned commitment to community engagement, diversity, learning, talent development and high quality entertainment. I look forward to collaborating with the team to build on the theatre's plentiful past achievements, and propel it into an exciting, ambitious future.”
Corey Campbell is the Artistic Director of Strictly Arts Theatre Company, formerly supported by our Springboard talent development programme. Through productions such as Green Leaves Fall and the critically acclaimed, Edinburgh sell-out show Freeman, Strictly Arts have used their collaborative, devising process to bring stories from real people to the stage.
Corey’s flagship production for the City of Culture year is a powerful new digital TV series called SeaView. This family drama, with an unsettling supernatural element, is rooted in the experiences of Black, working class communities in the West Midlands and has its world premiere screening in our Main Auditorium on Weds 10 Nov.
In 2022, as his final project for Coventry UK City of Culture and his tenure as Co-Artistic Director comes to an end, Corey will be co-directing Fighting Irish with our outgoing Artistic Director, Hamish Glen.
Driven by a desire to develop a new vision and way of working for a 21st century Theatre, Corey Campbell, Balisha Karra and Justine Themen were appointed as Co-Artistic Directors of the Theatre for 2021, bringing with them a unique perspective that celebrates Coventry’s diversity and drive for positive change. Corey will now take that legacy forward with his new appointment.
“Let’s get it in, let’s get it done.”
“I’m delighted with the new appointments we’ve made. Laura is an exceptional leader, and I have no doubt that she will inspire all those that work with her as she leads a newly refurbished and invigorated Belgrade. Corey has been a huge creative asset to the theatre during the City of Culture Year and I’m hugely excited to see what he will bring to the post of Creative Director. This is a a new post for The Belgrade which draws together our theatre programme, the creation of new productions and our community and education work so that we can better achieve our ambition to make life better for the people of Coventry and beyond.”