The trustees of the charity that run the Space Theatre have appointed Interim Director and former Deputy Director, Matthew Jameson, as permanent Artistic Director and Co-CEO, launching a new chapter for the organisation.
Following an interim period of restructure and future planning, Jameson is to take up the role after almost 6 years with the venue. Jameson will be Co-CEO of the venue acting alongside an Executive Director, a newly created role that is currently being recruited. He first came to the venue in 2017 as a visiting artist, became a volunteer with the Space in 2018 and took up the role of Deputy Director in 2019. Across this period he was briefly seconded as Interim Bar Manager in 2022 as the Space began in-house management of the attached hospitality business, launching it post-pandemic as the Space Bar & Kitchen. In addition to his management roles, he also enjoyed a brief stint as weekend brunch chef in 2024.
Matthew follows former Centre Director Adam Hemming after a leadership of almost 20 years at the Space, having served as Interim Director following his departure in June 2024.
Of this journey, Matthew says: “I’ve had the joy of a long and fruitful relationship with the Space, they have supported and nurtured me as an artist, given me room to grow and learn skills as a volunteer, and I’ve spent wonderful years on the team to learn how to run and grow a venue. I’ve always wanted to be able to give back to the building, the people and the community that have welcomed and supported me across this time. I’ve been fortunate to have had some experience of doing every job in our building, and having this perspective illuminates how the whole jigsaw can fit together and work harmoniously”
“Officially joining the team just before the Covid-19 pandemic, I’ve been on-board to see the Space and the arts grapple with unprecedented challenges and circumstances. While this has brought with it a number of crises and a shattering of consensus and status quo, it also represents opportunities for us to think about the building, our programme and the sort of organisation we want to be in the extraordinary times that we find ourselves in.”
“It is the honour of my life to follow the footsteps of our Founder Robert Richardson and my friend and former boss Adam Hemming in their vision of what the Space can be. A passionate centre for performance, an incubator for emerging talent and a community hub that can build a lifelong love of theatre, the arts and bring together the people of the Isle of Dogs and East London.”