Polka Appoints New Chair Of Trustees

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Dominic Proctor as the new Chair of Trustees from November 2022. With a background in marketing, Dominic has extensive experience in the charity sector, having been a Founding Trustee of Tommy’s, the baby charity, which funds research into stillbirth, premature birth and miscarriage. He was also the Chairman of the London Landmarks Half Marathon from 2017-22, and involved in a host of sporting charities and bodies.

Dominic Proctor said “The whole team have done a magnificent job in looking after a growing Polka. It is a real honour to be joining such a talented group as we move to the next Act!”

Lynette Shanbury, Executive Director, and Peter Glanville, Artistic Director, said “We are delighted to welcome Dominic to lead our fantastic Board of Trustees. As a local resident who is regularly here with his grandchildren he knows Polka very well, and understands its importance to both the local community and the national theatre landscape. He brings a huge range of skills which will help Polka to move forward during these challenging times, and to ensure we continue to improve the lives of thousands of children through extraordinary theatre and creative activities. We want to offer our enormous thanks to outgoing Chair Sarah King, who has helped reimagine Polka as a revitalized theatre and community hub – her impact on the charity and the children who visit will be felt for many years to come.”

Sarah King will be stepping down as Chair after 10 years leading the charity through a period of significant change, including a transformative £9m redevelopment of the theatre building and the Covid-19 pandemic, which has had a major impact on the theatre sector. She said “I have been fortunate enough to have worked on the transformation of a tired, if much-loved old building, into a wonderful, child-centred space reverberating with light, movement and colour. But like the very best children’s stories, everything has to come to an end and it is time to move on.  I know I leave Polka in excellent hands“.