Hornchurch theatre creates jobs to address ‘under-representation’

One-in-three people applying for new creative director jobs at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is deaf, disabled or ‘neuro-divergent’ similar to autism or bipolar disorder, it has emerged.

Two posts at the venue have been created to address “under-representation” with audiences or with the people it works with.

Alex Thorpe joins as full time creative director, while Kate Lovell and Aisling Gallagher take on a job-share for creative production and responsibility for the theatre environment.

“Queen’s is synonymous with pioneering,” Alex says. “I want to guarantee our audiences access to diverse stories that help us better understand our vibrant world.” 

Kate describes herself as working-class disabled and neuro-divergent, an artist-writer and consultant on access to the arts for the disabled.

She said: “Joining the theatre is serving under-represented groups in both the stories we tell and the people we welcome through the doors.”

Aisling is a disabled Irish artist who has worked at Theatre Royal Stratford East and recently at the Lyric in Hammersmith.

Also joining the theatre is Christine Santa-Ana as project director for Havering Changing specialising in public arts programmes.