Paul Smith

Artistic Director and CEO

paul@middlechildtheatre.co.uk

As artistic director, Paul develops and makes plays, designs and delivers our artist development programme and leads the company’s long-term vision. In his role as chief executive Paul works closely with our board of trustees and leads on fundraising, managing the team and overseeing the financial sustainability of the company. He is also the company’s PIPA champion and leads on ensuring our work is diverse and inclusive.

Paul is a founding member and the artistic director of Middle Child. His work focuses on audiences, specifically creating an environment which attracts working class people and those who often feel alienated by the word ‘theatre’.

Credits with Middle Child include The Canary and the CrowUs Against Whatever, One Life Stand, All We Ever Wanted Was Everything, I Hate Alone, Ten Storey Love Song, Weekend Rockstars, Mercury Fur, Saturday Night & Sunday Morning and seven annual pantomimes. He is an associate artist of Hull Truck Theatre, where he was assistant director on The Rise and Fall of Little Voice and A Taste of Honey. He trained on the LAMDA Directing Course in 2011, the National Theatre’s Directing Programme in 2018 and is a CLORE Leader. He is a proud trustee of Hull theatre company, Silent Uproar.