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Leading Beyond Authority: Independent Leaders
17 June 2025 @ 5.30pm to 7.00pm
About Leading Beyond Authority: Independent Leaders
Independent leaders are crafting culture on their own terms, challenging conventions and redefining what’s possible. This conversation explores how independent leaders bring their values to their work and how these values shape those collaborating with them at the forefront of change.
Guest speakers include David Lan, Writer, Director, and The Walk and The Heards Producer; Professor Emma Smith, Professor of Shakespeare Studies at Hertford College, University of Oxford. Chaired by Kate McGrath. Further guest speakers will be announced soon.
This event is part of a series of three public conversations with leaders from across the cultural landscape – independents, founders, and leaders of major institutions exploring approaches to ethics and values in cultural production today.
The events are curated and hosted by Kate McGrath, Artistic Director & CEO of Fuel, as part of her Fellowship with the Cultural Programme and Hertford College at Oxford University. The Fellowship offers artists and curators the chance to reflect on their practice, develop new work, and share it with a wider audience.
Coinciding with Kate’s twentieth anniversary leading Fuel, this research and series of events provide a unique opportunity to reflect on the past, look ahead, and explore the evolving opportunities and challenges of cultural leadership today.
Each conversation will also be recorded and released as a podcast, available on Fuel Digital and other digital platforms, ensuring these discussions reach an even wider audience.
Find out more about the series here.
Co-produced by the Cultural Programme at Oxford University and Fuel. In partnership with Oxford Playhouse and other venues to be announced soon.
Tickets
Please see important booking information below.
Booking information
Ticket prices:
Free, booking required
Dates & times:
Tuesday 17 June 2025 at 5.30pm
Running time:
1 hour 30 minutes, with no interval
About Oxford Playhouse
Oxford Playhouse and its Burton Taylor Studio present and produce several live performances and feature a rich array of British and international dramas, family entertainment, contemporary dance and music, student and amateur shows, comedy, lectures and poetry.
The Playhouse not only produces and tours its own theatrical productions, but it also fosters creativity through its Artists in Residence program and the Playhouse Plays Out series, which brings unique events to various locations across the county.
The theatre’s Participation Team engages over 15,000 individuals annually, offering an extensive range of activities, including post-show discussions, workshops, work experience opportunities, holiday programs, a youth theatre, and a company for young performers.
Oxford Playhouse stands dedicated to its mission of being a Playhouse for all, striving to ignite inspiration and bring about transformative experiences through its commitment to creativity on its stages, within its community and online.
Discover more about Oxford Playhouse, including travel, access and venue information.
