Simon Sharkey Email & Phone Number

Simon is director and CEO of The Necessary Space (TNS). He has boundless energy and enthusiasm for the work he does which he calls a "Theatre of Opportunity." He is best known as one of the founding directors of The National Theatre of Scotland (NTS) where he pioneered the " Theatre Without Walls" approach across Scotland and the rest of the world. Since leaving NTS in 2018 and launching TNS he has been travelling the world sharing his " Theatre of Opportunity" and making " Acts of Wanton Wonder" on epic and intimate scales. He is regularly called upon to co create, mentor, support, design and develop large and small scale cultural interventions and programmes that have cultural, social and economic impacts with local and global communities. He works deeply and widely with artists and organisations, businesses and entrepreneurs who operate at the the intersection of creativity and social impact. His experience in this field is second to none and his work has genuinely reached across the world in some of the most disenfranchised communities on earth. He is part of ArtSI, ITAC, Catalyst2030 and CAN which are global networks focusing on creative solutions that tackle the UN sustainable development goals and develop the field of arts and social impact.He is regularly called upon to speak at conferences and gatherings such as The International Culture Summit in Edinburgh, the European Theatre Convention in Germany and the First ever Creative Futures Forum in the Middle East. He is published in several notable publications and features on many podcasts.He also served on the board of Arts and Business Scotland and was one of the first recipients of a NESTA international cultural leadership fellowship, which saw him get involved in the World Cultural Forum in Amman as well as undertaking a leading role in the creation of an international company of emerging artists for the UNESCO sponsored Alexandria library as part of the I-act festival in Egypt . He has created work in USA, Singapore, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Ireland, Norway, New Zealand, Brazil, Malta, Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica as well as all over Scotland. He was the architect of several festivals and cultural exchange programmes and enjoys a reputation as an international artist. His passion is being in a room a room full of strangers and tuning them into their creative flow. He is also a trained mentor, coach and a visiting lecturer as well as a writer.

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  The Royal Scottish Academy Of Music And Drama

  Drama And Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General