AMBASSADOR THEATRE GROUP APPOINTS GENERAL MANAGER FOR NEW MUSIC AND COMEDY VENUE, SWANSEA ARENA
THEATRE DIRECTOR VACANCY ANNOUNCED AT THE ALEXANDRA THEATRE, BIRMINGHAM
The world’s leading operator of live entertainment venues, Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) today announces the appointment of Lisa Mart as General Manager at the new, state-of-the-art venue, Swansea Arena.
The appointment comes as ATG also announces a number of key roles for its new 3,500 capacity indoor Arena currently being built within the city’s new Copr Bay development including Head of Sales and Marketing, Building and Technical Manager and Conference and Events Manager which will open for applications in the coming weeks, with more to follow.
Successful applicants will be part of a team that is expected to host 160 performances across music, comedy, esports, sport and conference events for an estimated 230,000 visitors each year.
Lisa Mart (The Alexandra, New Wimbledon Theatre) comes to Swansea Arena with nine years of experience within ATG; initially based at New Wimbledon Theatre in 2012, working in Customer Experience Management before working her way up through the company to the role of Theatre Director.
Lisa moved to her most recent post at The Alexandra in Birmingham in 2016 and managed the refurbishment and re-launch of the prominent 1,400 seat venue in the UK’s second city, with a history reaching back to 1901. Lisa oversaw its transformation into a welcoming, bright and sleek venue which has been upgraded internally and externally to match the incredible productions which play on its stage, whilst still staying true to its rich history and art deco styling.
This project included £650k worth of investment, a full re-brand, and a re-positioning of the theatre within the industry, culminating in a Relaunch Gala Event in October 2018, the venue went on to achieve the most successful year in its history in 2019. In her time at The Alexandra, Lisa won the ATG Leadership Award in 2019 and the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce People Development Award in 2020.
Lisa Mart says “I am incredibly pleased and excited to be starting as General Manager of the Swansea Arena; to be given this huge and rare opportunity of not only opening a brand-new venue but also being a part of the wider regeneration of Swansea and its transformational project of Copr Bay is a real honour. This is an important and exciting time for the city, and a great excuse for me to be able to relocate to such a gorgeous part of the country!
“The arena has been beautifully designed and will really be able to provide the local community and visitors with a variety of spaces and options to fit any size and scale of meeting or event; I can’t wait to start talking to and working with businesses to really discover how best to support their needs in this area.”
With Lisa making the exciting move to Swansea, the role of Theatre Director at The Alexandra will imminently be open to applicants; the successful candidate will have the opportunity to guide the venue through its post pandemic re-opening strategy whilst re-engaging with its audiences and ensuring they are supported as they start to attend shows again.
The Alexandra is accustomed to hosting much loved musicals including The Rocky Horror Show, Chicago and 9 to 5, and the new Theatre Director will give them a warm welcome back, as well as introducing brand-new productions such as My Best Friend’s Wedding and Bedknobs and Broomsticks as they continue to build the reputation of the venue on a local and national level.
Lisa Mart continues “Working at The Alexandra has been the absolute highlight of my career so far. The team is passionate and hardworking and it has been a real pleasure working alongside each and every one of them to achieve so much for the venue.
“I have also really fallen in love with Birmingham itself during my 6 years in the city. It has been an honour to work alongside world class arts organisations who all share the common goal of moving the city forward and creating an engaged and inclusive community. Participation in city wide events has also been a real highlight – such as Birmingham Pride, Birmingham International Dance Festival and Birmingham Weekender.
“The next person to step in to the role of Theatre Director will have an incredible opportunity to bring the venue back with a bang and I can’t recommend the role enough.”
The process of appointing a successor to the role of Theatre Director at The Alexandra will start imminently, with Lisa Mart continuing to oversee the venue in the interim.
A number of exciting opportunities will be coming up at ATG. To find out more, please sign up to https://careers.atg.co.uk