Theatre News

Bijan Sheibani Steps Down as ATC Artistic Director

| Off-West End |

24 June 2010

Bijan Sheibani has announced his resignation as artistic director of Actors Touring Company (ATC), after three and a half years in the post.

Sheibani has been with ATC since March 2007. His first production for the company, The Brothers Size by Tarell Alvin McCraney, was co-produced by The Young Vic and nominated for an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre.

He then won an Olivier Award for his production of Gone Too Far! by Bola Agbaje, while other credits for ATC include Ibsen’s Ghosts or Those Who Return in a new version by Rebecca Lenkiewicz and his co-production with The Drum Theatre Plymouth and Young Vic of Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice.

In addition to his productions, Sheibani also developed Spin Off, an important strand of ATC’s work that aims to open up the work to the audience, contextualise it and make it more accessible both regionally, across London and within ATC’s immediate community in Hackney and Tower Hamlets where their youth participation programme ACT@ATC has been running for a year.

Sheibani will remain in his post until 1 September, after which time he will pursue his freelance career which includes his new post as associate director of the National Theatre. The post of ATC artistic director will be open to applications from 28 June.

ATC’s next work will be a co-production with Soho Theatre of Ivan and The Dogs by Hattie Naylor directed by the company’s artistic associate Ellen McDougall. It will tour nationally and run at Soho Theatre in the autumn.