Change At The Helm Of Arts Festival
Written by author on July 31, 2014
The region’s premier performing arts festival brings its successful 35-year run into 2015 with a change of leadership.
Arts education consultant and writer Ken Gouge brings a wealth of experience and expertise in the performing arts to the helm of Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival.
He takes over from Pam Pumphrey who completed her two-year term of office as festival chair earlier in the month.
Ken began his career as an actor at the age of 10, and worked with some of Hollywood’s greatest giants including Judy Garland, Dirk Bogarde and Peter Sellers.
Qualifying as a drama teacher in England, he founded three youth theatres; developed and advised on dance, drama, and music in schools as a senior inspector; trained teachers in arts education and worked as a consultant to schools, local authorities and a long list of organisations including Arts Council England and The Specialist Schools Trust. For three years he led the influential Vocational Arts Training project which aimed at raising the awareness of young people of the job opportunities available in the creative industries
His work with youth theatres has won him high acclaim throughout his career, the most notable being a Fringe First Award for his work with the Wigan People’s Theatre. He has recently been elected a Trustee for Youth Theatre Arts Scotland.
He has written books on developing thinking through arts and drama; lectured throughout the United Kingdom and as far afield as Melbourne, Australia; worked closely with young people to produce a film for The Royal Opera House; and was involved in the development of Artsmark for Arts Council England, for which he is now an assessor and senior moderator.
Ken is the former chair of the region-wide Arts Hub for Dumfries and Galloway Arts Partnership and is director of a training and development company based in Galloway and working internationally.
Ken said: “I am delighted to be leading the festival team in its continuing quest to bring the highest quality arts performances to all parts of the region. We want to enhance the festival’s support to local arts communities through closer collaboration with programming and promotion. It’s going to be an exciting time planning the 2015 festival which takes place next year between May 23 and 31.”
