Interim creative directors named for Scala arts centre

Worcester City Council has appointed Dr HANNAH PHILLIPS and KITTY ROSS as interim creative directors of Scala, a new arts and entertainment centre due to open in 2026.

With construction work at the Angel Place starting in the next few weeks, the pair will be developing the creative strategy for venue.

Currently artistic director of Mobilise Arts, Phillips is a theatre director, writer, producer and academic. She has previously been director of transformation at Worcester Arts Workshop, director and CEO of Artrix Arts Centre in Bromsgrove and director of young people’s theatre at Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

She is also a visiting lecturer at the University of Worcester, Birmingham City University and the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Association.

Ross is director of Dancefest. Previously, she was the executive director for Shropshire-based rural touring theatre company Pentabus, a founder of the Empathy Museum and, for over a decade, programme director for the Mayor of London’s Thames Festival.

Ross said, “Scala is an incredibly exciting project that will transform the northern end of the city centre, bringing fresh opportunities for audiences and artists alike. I am thrilled to be working with Hannah, the City Council, and the wider creative community in Worcester to bring our shared vision to life.”

WCC has also appointed Dr PAUL SUTTON, artistic director of C&T, as Scala’s creative advisory panel lead, responsible for getting other arts and creative organisations engaged with the project.

Sutton said he was “thrilled” to collaborate with Worcester’s wider creative community.

“As well as looking at what we can learn from other organisations across the country, my top priority is listening to the artists and creatives in our city and finding ways to make Scala a place that inspires all of us,” said Sutton.

“As an Arts Council national portfolio organisation, C&T are also excited about taking up a residency at Scala when it opens.”

LYNN DENHAM, leader of the City Council, added: “Hannah and Kitty are major creative talents with national reputations and many years of experience in engaging with communities to create successful arts and entertainment events and experiences.

“Their appointment as interim creative directors, alongside Paul Sutton as creative advisory panel lead, shows the ambition we have to make Scala a major new centre for entertainment, creativity and community engagement in the heart of Worcester.”