Barn Theatre bolsters digital offering with new hire

Cirencester’s Barn Theatre has appointed a dedicated creative director of digital content, as it commits to bolstering its live performances with online work.

Ryan Carter, who co-created the Turn Up! online concerts, will be responsible for developing the company’s digital offering, with a “focus on innovation”. He joins alongside Beth George as producer.

The Barn Theatre said more than 330,000 people had watched their online theatrical content during lockdown, including the Shakespeare season Bard from the Barn, which was co-produced with Aaron Sidwell.

It comes as a recent study found that 82% of frequent arts attenders said they would possibly or definitely consider engaging with digital culture in the future. More than half (59%) had already engaged with arts content online by July – an increase from 25% before the pandemic.

Carter said: “The Barn has been creating innovative, mould-breaking digital content throughout lockdown, and in inviting me to the team, they’re pledging that the programming of their digital realm is as important as the live spaces. I’m thrilled to be joining the team. The gravity of someone like me having a role like this isn’t lost on me at all.”

Artistic director Iwan Lewis added that Carter had “been a driving force for many years in bringing theatre to new audiences” and said he would help steer the company “into a new digital world creating exciting and innovative content across all platforms”.

George will oversee the theatre’s newly announced 2020 Theatre Recovery Season as well as upcoming projects.

She said: “The Barn’s ability to keep moving through such treacherous times has been astounding and I am thrilled to be a part of this brilliant team.”

Jamie Chapman Dixon, who joined the theatre in 2018, will step into an advisory producer role at the theatre, with Lewis becoming chief executive as well as artistic director.