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Photo: Jonathan Keenan
Clare Venables
I grew up in Sheffield in the late 70s early 80s, when Clare Venables was programming and directing in the newly opened Crucible Theatre. She was an exciting and very visible artistic director who believed passionately in creating an inclusive and welcoming building for everyone in the City and took amazing risks in her work. She placed a particular emphasis on engaging young people and enabled them to feel absolute ownership of the building. It was this vision and practice that inspired me when the Royal Exchange Theatre reinvigorated its artistic aspirations recently. Most importantly, I knew that it was possible for a woman to run a building successfully. That made a massive difference.
