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Lucy Davies
Lucy Davies joined Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival as Chief Executive in January 2025. She was previously Executive Director at the Young Vic Theatre, Executive Producer at the Royal Court Theatre, and founding Executive Producer at National Theatre Wales.
She is Co-Chair, with Alessandro Babalola, of Soho Theatre Walthamstow, and her climate leadership is recognised in the industry, as a Creative Climate Leader 2017 and Creative Green Champion 2020.
I joined Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival as the new Chief Executive in January this year and so have had the privilege of encountering this year’s Festival with fresh eyes, much like our audiences. This year’s Guest Director, Grammy-nominated musician, composer and activist Anoushka Shankar, has been a wonderful and dedicated collaborator. Her theme of ‘New Dawn’ has inspired a programme that imagines a hopeful future, celebrating our collective ability to recover and come together to foster a new world.
Events are taking place all over Brighton & Hove, in some of our own historic buildings, and across the city. Our Grade I and II listed Brighton Dome Corn Exchange and Studio Theatre were recently refurbished and it is thrilling to be able to welcome audiences into an even wider and more accessible range of events in these beautiful spaces. These include an epic tale told in miniature, in tragicomedy The Gummy Bears’ Great War, with a cast of real gummy bears, toy dinosaurs and two actors; some of the UK’s best female South Asian talent coming together in Brown Girl in the Ring; and children and families can imagine – and build – the Brighton of the future at Future City: Brighton 2125. Alongside these events, these spaces host talks, parties, gigs and even table tennis – true to Brighton Festival’s spirit as a massive celebration of creativity and community.
In Brighton Dome Concert Hall, Brighton & East Sussex Youth Orchestra perform a concert alongside acclaimed violinist Braimah Kanneh-Mason. The programme includes music by early 20th century composer Samuel Coleridge Taylor, whose work was premiered in the very same Concert Hall in 1909 and 1910. Classical music fans can also see a performance from the prize-winning, all female ensemble Kleio Quartet in the Royal Pavilion’s Music Room. Across the road at Theatre Royal, one of the oldest theatres in the country, full of ghosts and extraordinary heritage, we welcome performers from around the world, including a Peruvian reimagining of Hamlet, Indian dance from LA-based dancer Mythili Prakash and gravity-defying circus from Australia.
May is an incredible month in Brighton & Hove; it is a privilege to house Brighton Festival in the wonderful buildings of this city, as well as presenting art in new and unusual places, such this year’s photography exhibition on bus shelter roofs and pop up performances in the Pavilion Gardens. We look forward to welcoming everyone, and creating memories together.
