Arts veteran appointed as Belgrade board chair

The Belgrade Theatre has appointed arts sector veteran David Hanson as its new board chair.

David (pictured) will start as chair later this year, taking over from Stewart Ferguson who has served as chairman since 2012. David will be joined by Alan Pollock as vice-chair.

David has had a varied career in the arts and education industry.

Having served as director and CEO of various companies and charities, he now provides consultancy supports to SMEs and charities.

David founded the iTrust education charity for children in need and is STEM Chairman of the British International Education Association. Over the course of his career, his work has taken him to Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the USA.

On his appointment, David said: “I am delighted and proud to be the new Chairman of The Belgrade.

"The Belgrade is at the centre of Coventry City as a building and as its cultural hub. It is a nationally important theatre and production centre.

"It also does a huge amount of work across the diverse communities of this wonderful City and with young people and its central role in Coventry 's 2021 City of Culture will help to develop this work further and creating a lasting legacy for the region and beyond.

“At its heart The Belgrade is about Making Life Better. It is about our identity, creativity and diversity.

"We have a proud history and many new stories to tell. These are exciting times for the city and the role of its theatre has never been more important. ”

Other trustees joining the board later this year include Nyasha Pitt, Tyrone Huggins, Thanh Sinden and Colin Bell.