Co-artistic directors of pioneering theatre company to step down after 28 years
After 28 years of leadership, Frances Land and Steve Johnstone, Co-Artistic Directors of theatre company Black Country Touring (BCT), have decided to step down during autumn 2025 following a transitional handover. The recruitment process for a new Artistic Director will begin in March 2025.
Frances Land and Steve Johnstone joined Black Country Touring in the 1990s, dedicated to bringing ambitious and quality theatre to the diverse communities of the Black Country.
During their leadership the company has expanded from a Black Country-wide touring scheme to include producing ambitious, accessible original theatre that showcases stories from this often-overlooked part of the West Midlands.
Their first production, Apna Ghar, was born from gathering stories from South Asian women and training community members in oral history recording techniques. These recordings formed the basis of a production that reflected the richness of those women’s lives and experiences.
Frances and Steve have overseen numerous innovative and site-specific productions that reached thousands across the UK, including The Corner Shop (2008-09), an immersive theatre piece that explored the lives of shopkeepers and their communities, based on interviews. My Big Fat Cowpat Wedding (2014-16) was a co-produced comedy-drama with Kali Theatre and Arts Alive that tackled rural-urban, race, and gender divides through an interactive wedding reception setting.
More recently, Wild (2024-) is an immersive production created through conversations with local people, celebrating the concept of ‘wild’ in nature and urban spaces.
Steve Johnstone, Co-Artistic Director of Black Country Touring, comments: "At the centre of all performing arts is the collective experience - people coming together to share a unique moment in time. This is at the heart of all aspects of Black Country Touring's work, wherever those performances take place - and however unexpected that moment is. It is at its most vibrant when people recognise themselves in some way within that performance.”
Frances Land, Co-Artistic Director of Black Country Touring continues: “It has been an absolute joy and privilege to work with so many amazing people over the years at BCT - from all the brilliant people we have worked alongside in the office to the wonderful artists and our many fantastic community partners. We know they will continue the great work BCT is known for and we look forward to seeing how it will continue to grow and evolve in this new phase of its existence.”
Frances and Steve will step back in autumn 2025 to focus on personal projects. The recruitment process for a new Artistic Director begins in March 2025.
