Birmingham Hippodrome’s teams form a brilliantly talented, experienced and increasingly diverse community, working across many varied departments from Technical to Ticket Sales, Front of House to Artistic Programming and everything in between.
Along with our board, partners and friends, our collective focus and mission is to enrich the cultural life of the region, creating a world class cultural scene with the Hippodrome centre stage.
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Artistic Director & Chief Executive Jon is Artistic Director and CEO of Birmingham Hippodrome, one the West Midlands’ largest cultural organisations, reaching over one million people a year through on and off-stage programmes of work, with a specialism in new musical theatre development. Prior to this, Jon was Executive Director of HOME in Manchester, the city’s centre for live performances and international contemporary art and film. He also worked as Executive Director of the Bush Theatre in West London, leading on their major capital redevelopment and expanding the organisation’s reach as a centre of excellence for diverse emerging talent. Previous venue roles include The Lowry in Salford, the Octagon Theatre Bolton, and the Dukes in Lancaster. He was recently appointed to the Creative Industries Council and he is a Member of Arts Council England’s National Council. Jon was Joint President of UK Theatre 2022-2025, the UK’s leading theatre and performing arts membership organisation. Previous Board roles include HighTide Festival Theatre in Suffolk and The Edge Theatre in Manchester. Jon was awarded an MBE for his services to theatre in the King’s New Year Honours 2026. |
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Executive Director Chilina has worked in the arts for over 20 years, joining Birmingham Hippodrome in 2007 and becoming a Director in 2019. Chilina oversees areas of external affairs including Marketing, Sales and Communications. She also leads on Business Strategy, the venue’s Circle Lounge and works alongside Artistic Director and Chief Executive Jon Gilchrist on the programming of Birmingham Hippodrome’s main stage. Chilina is former Trustee at Oxford Playhouse where she served an almost five-year term. |
 Steve Eames
Chief Operating Officer Steve is our Chief Operating Officer and joined us in January 2024. He leads on finance and a range of operational areas, having worked in finance and administration in the arts and charity sector for over 25 years, including at English National Opera, Southbank Centre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. |
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Director of Creative Programmes Anand Bhatt is a cultural leader and producer originally from Leicester. Commercially Anand founded the Desi Masti studio space in Leicester, along with his resident Bollywood dance school and was a force for South Asian dance in the Midlands. As an independent producer, Anand produced the projects MJ50, MJ51 and MJ Timeless, all a tribute to Michael Jackson by permission of Sony Music from 2008-2010 attracting national interest and rave critical reviews. In 2007, he started to develop Aakash Odedra’s profile and production which led to the founding of Aakash Odedra Company. Their first project ‘Rising’ featured commissions by Akram Khan, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Russell Maliphant, all Olivier winning choreographers and laid the foundation stone for the company to tour some 40 countries. Aakash Odedra Company went on to be the fastest growing contemporary dance companies of the 2010s in the UK. At Dance City Anand became Artistic Director and Chief Executive in 2020. Anand commandeered the organisation through the COVID-19 pandemic, and through this time, the organisation was awarded ‘Outstanding’ by Arts Council England on Creative Case for Diversity and a finalist at the North East Chamber of Commerce for Business in Inclusion and Diversity category. Anand was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list in 2021 for services to Dance and Community. Anand serves on the board of Dance Consortium and European Dancehouse Network. |
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Director of People & Culture Ruth is a Human Resources specialist with over a decade of experience working across charities and education covering all aspects of the people profession. Ruth joined us from KEMP Hospice where she was part of the Senior Leadership Team, working alongside the Board of Trustees to create and deliver the People Strategy. Ruth holds strong values in equity and is a firm believer that people are what make an organisation and are a company’s most important asset. In 2021, Ruth became a Co-opted Governor at a primary school in Stourbridge. Ruth has been an avid theatre goer from a very young age and is excited to be part of such an iconic establishment in Birmingham. |
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Director of Operations Chris has worked in the arts for 18 years and joined us from Wolverhampton Grand Theatre where he was part of their Senior Leadership Team. During his time in Wolverhampton he led on major capital projects, including the complete redesign of the front of house and refurbishment of 1,200 seats in the Grade II listed auditorium. Chris oversees the operation and Health & Safety of the business and leads on Facilities, Technical Services, Business Systems & IT and Risk & Compliance. He Chairs the Health and Safety Committee, an area he is passionate about in ensuring the theatre remains a safe place for everyone to work in and visit. |
Chilina Madon
Anand Bhatt
Ruth Power
Chris Moore
Our Heads of Department:
Jo Barber – Head of Finance
Jen Burrows – Head of Organisational Strategy
Matt Evans – Head of Hippodrome Sites
Judith Greenburgh – Head of Fundraising & Development
Sophia Griffin – Head of New Work & Artist Development
Deirdre O’Halloran – Head of New Musical Theatre
Matthew Horsfield – Head of Facilities
Charles Pette – Head of Visitor Experience
David Reeve – Head of Technical Services
Emma Ryan – Head of Communications
Claire Packer – Head of Marketing (On Maternity Leave)
Rachel Williams Head of Marketing (Maternity Cover)
Donna Scott – Head of Sales
Thomas Valentine – Head of People
Scott Whitehouse – Head of Systems & Technology
Polly Davis – Head of Creative Partnerships (Maternity Cover)
Jenny Wood – Head of Risk & Compliance