Black Country Touring Appoints New Artistic Director
We are delighted to announce that Genevieve Say will be joining Black Country Touring (BCT) as our new Artistic Director in June. Genevieve brings 20 years’ experience as an independent performer, choreographer and movement director working across theatre and dance. In 2014, she co-founded Birmingham Dance Network, an artist-led organisation supporting the development of professional dance artists across the West Midlands, where she served as Artistic Director. Genevieve will join the organisation on a part-time basis during a transitional handover with our current Co-Artistic Directors, Frances Land and Steve Johnstone, before becoming full time in Autumn 2025.
“We are thrilled to have appointed Genevieve following a thorough and highly competitive process. She impressed the panel with her commitment to developing work with communities and celebrating their stories and experiences. Her values and approach align closely with BCT’s, and we’re excited to see her compelling vision take shape in the coming years, working alongside Executive Director Matt Andrews in a new co-leadership model. Genevieve inspired us with her passion for storytelling rooted in local heritage, her versatility, and her openness to collaboration.”
– Carla Priddon & Imtiaz Dungarwalla, Co-Chairs, BCT
Frances and Steve will retire from BCT following the delivery of their final projects for BCT – a new site-specific production at Black Country Living Museum, developed in partnership with Jai Patel Dance Company in August, and a national tour of Wild in October and November 2025. We are deeply grateful for their creativity and dedication to BCT and the wider arts community. Even after almost three decades, they have continued to innovate, including staging performances in unusual spaces and engaging audiences during the pandemic through digital work. They leave the organisation in a strong position, with an ethos grounded in place-based partnership, a genuine commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, and a deeply held belief that the people of the Black Country deserve the very best in theatre and dance.
“We are really pleased to see Genevieve take on the role as Artistic Director. She comes with a wealth of experience, as well as the talent, drive and enthusiasm to help propel BCT forward into the next chapter of its story. As a locally based artist, she understands where we work, the challenges and more importantly, the opportunities for companies like BCT. We can’t wait to see what happens next!”
– Frances Land & Steve Johnstone, Co-Artistic Directors
“Black Country Touring is a powerhouse of performance in the region, I can’t wait to get started. Frances and Steve have created an incredible legacy which has reached far and wide. I’ll be working alongside an immensely strong and committed team, I’m looking forward to building on all the good work and bringing even more joy and creativity to Black Country audiences.”
- Genevieve Say, Artistic Director, BCT
