New Director of Lancaster Arts appointed

A former TV actor and theatre director is set to take a leading role at Lancaster University's public arts programme. Jocelyn Cunningham will take over as Director of Lancaster Arts , which offers a diverse range of contemporary exhibitions and performances on behalf of the University and co-stakeholder Arts Council England, from today (1 November). Jocelyn has been both an actor and director in the UK and Canada for more than 25 years. Her first theatre job was at the Manchester Library Theatre and she did a stint in popular northern-based soap opera Emmerdale, in which she played University lecturer Jude Clayton. She has led arts and education initiatives for more than 20 years, most notably Creative Partnerships in north London. She sits on the Advisory Panel of the Connected Communities programme and is a frequent speaker at many higher education events. Her work with higher education over the last 16 years encompasses the development of numerous bespoke Masters programmes in education and the arts as well as a role within Arts Council England advising on new models of partnership between arts organisations and higher education.