Fin Kennedy appointed co-artistic director of Tamasha

Playwright and producer Fin Kennedy has been appointed British Asian theatre company Tamasha's new co-artistic director.

Kennedy takes up the post, which will see him work alongside Tamasha’s co-founder Sudha Bhuchar, from next month.

According to a press statement, "During this time he will plan for the company’s future beyond spring 2015, when Sudha will step down."

Kennedy, 36, has been a Tamasha associate artist since 2011, during which time he's established ‘Schoolwrights’, a writer-education partnership programme with London schools. For five years he has been writer-in-residence at Mulberry School for Girls in Tower Hamlets, where he is co-founder of Mulberry Theatre Company.

His plays include How To Disappear Completely And Never Be Found (John Whiting award), Unstated, We Are Shadows and Locked In and Protection.

He said of his appointment: “I am thrilled to join Sudha as Tamasha enters the next phase of its journey. Tamasha played a huge part in shaping the industry which I entered as a young playwright 12 years ago. It has consistently led the debate about identity, culture, how we make theatre in the modern world – and who gets to make it."

Tamasha was founded by Bhuchar and Kristine Landon-Smith in 1989 and played a key role in driving the crossover of Asian culture into the mainstream. Its recent shows to date include Asian retellings of Wuthering Heights and The House of Bernarda Alba; the company is perhaps best known for its stage adaptation of East is East.

Kennedy added: "Tamasha has a spectacular track record of national touring, supporting culturally diverse theatre artists, telling the stories no one else can tell and reaching audiences no one else can reach. That’s a wonderful legacy for me to build on, taking with me the existing Tamasha family of audiences and artists as the company continues to evolve."