Advisory Group

THeatre Re Advisory Group

We very proud and grateful to be able to collaboarte with such a wonderful group of fantastic indivuduals!

The purpose of the Theatre Re Advisory Group is to play a collaborative, engaged, and committed role in the long-term growth and development of Theatre Re. The current members of our Advisory Group are:

Matthew Eames (Chair)
Matthew Eames (chair) is Head of Theatres (Contemporary and Commissioning) at The Lowry in Salford. Matthew trained at the Royal Academy of Music and started working in theatre as a performer in West End and touring musicals, and subsequently as a resident and associate director. He refocused his career within arts organisations in 2012 and has worked at The Lowry for ten years. This year, alongside other senior leaders in large cultural organisations, Matthew was in the first cohort of Clore Leadership’s new Leading Systemic Change programme. He has recently been appointed as an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM).

Jonny Cotsen
Jonny Cotsen is a qualified Art teacher but left his professional career in 2015 to develop himself as a performance artist and creative consultant for inclusion in the arts. Jonny is a keen advocate for better access in the Arts. Jonny enjoys public speaking and enjoys being on panel discussions on access provision in the Arts. Jonny performed with ‘Louder Is Not Always Clearer’ which was produced, directed and co-written by Mr and Mrs Clark. ‘Louder Is Not Always Clearer’ has toured extensively across the UK and Europe for over 5 years as well as a successful run at Edinburgh Fringe in 2019 since its inception at Chapter Arts in 2017. On Par Productions and Mr and Mrs Clark, adapted Louder Is Not Always Clearer into a short film which was supported by BBC Arts for their Culture In Quarantine season. Jonny’s documentary ‘Born Deaf, Raised Hearing’ part of the ‘Our Lives’ series on BBC 1 is a short documentary on Jonny’s relationship to his deafness. Jonny led 'Hear We Are' that explored the intersectional perspective of Deaf and Hard of Hearing people working in, or excluded from the creative sector in Wales. Through Hear We Are, Deaf Together was developed and it brought three days of events, activity and performance that was led by Deaf people that took place in May 2023 and again in September 2024. Jonny is an Agent for Change with Craidd, formerly known as Ramps Cymru, and is based at Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, one of the 5 partner venues across Wales and will look at each organisation’s specific needs and requirements. As well as being a trustee with Theatre Iolo, Jonny is also a Co-Artistic Creative Director with Papertrail with founder, Bridget Keeghan.

Ellie Russell
Ellie Russell has over 15 years’ experience working within arts-marketing for theatres and outdoor events. She is currently Marketing Manager for house, a venue network and touring initiative based in the south east of England to improve the range, quality and scale of theatre presented and to build the audience for contemporary theatre across the region. Ellie has a specific interest in audience development and working with artists and was previously Marketing Manager at The Point, Eastleigh where she worked with Theatre Re under the venue’s Associate Artist programme.

James Pidgeon
James Pidgeon is currently Executive Director & Joint CEO at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, one of the largest producing theatres in London. Previously, James was Director & Chief Executive at Shoreditch Town Hall, and held producing and administration roles at the National Theatre, Battersea Arts Centre and Shakespeare’s Globe. James is a Trustee of both Theatre Royal Plymouth and Hackney Showroom, and sits on the Advisory Board of Theatre Re.

Layla Taylor
Layla Taylor is a passionate advocate for high-quality theatre, currently serving as Head of Drama at St Ambrose College. She is dedicated to nurturing creativity in her students and firmly believes in theatre's capacity to transform lives. In 2024, for their annual college production she took the opportunity to create an original devised verbatim performance titled Real People, which gave a voice to individuals seeking asylum in the UK, fostering greater understanding and empathy among audience members and participants alike. Layla has previously co-authored and directed the play Beyond Hillsborough, addressing significant social themes. Layla is committed to supporting others. As ECT professional mentor, she guides early-career teachers in developing their expertise. Additionally, as a Teaching and Learning Lead, she creates and leads bespoke INSET training and resources for whole school communities, as well as Drama specialists. Recently, she completed the NPQ in Leading Teacher Development, further enhancing her ability to support educators. She has worked as an examiner and team leader for Drama for many years and is NEU Representative for her school. Layla first encountered Theatre Re at the Edinburgh Fringe when she was moved to tears by The Nature of Forgetting. Wanting to share the company's work with her students, their families and her colleagues she has developed a mutually supportive relationship with the company. Layla is excited to become a member of TRAG.

Ian Morgan
Ian Morgan is a theatre practitioner and actor trainer working collaboratively across genres.
After training he worked and developed as a performer in France at Monika Pagneux and Philipe Gaulier’s Studio and with Teatro Pirequa at the Théâtre du Soleil, and in Italy at Jerzy Grotowski and Thomas Richards’s Workcenter. Returning to the UK, he was a founding member of Mkultra Performance Collective and devised and performed with artists including Meredith Monk, Guillermo Gómez-Peña, Enrique Pardo, Kristen Linklater, Philip Zarrilli, Helen Chadwick and Dan Canham’s Still House project.
In 2003 Ian joined the award-winning Song of the Goat Theatre in Poland, touring extensively in Chronicles: A Lamentation, Lacrimosa, Macbeth and King Lear, and teaching on its ground-breaking MA in Acting. From 2014 Ian was Course Leader for the MA/MFA in Actor Training and Coaching at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. He has taught on RADA’s MA Theatre Lab since its inception in 2012 and became course leader in 2017.

Marc Baylin
Marc Baylin has almost four decades of experience as an arts entrepreneur, project developer, producer, and artist manager with extensive expertise in touring, presenting, contract negotiation, and special event management. As founder and President of Baylin Artists Management, he oversaw a professional staff and guided the curation of an international roster while leading the marketing efforts and operations of the company.
In February of 2020, he announced Baylin Artists Management would sunset in 2021, after 28 years in operation. In a unique relationship, seven companies were
moved to the Alliance Artist Management roster where he was named Senior Advisor for the next three years. He also spent the 2021-2022 season as tour consultant to The Acting Company. Recognized as a skilled and respected arts professional and consultant, he was engaged in 2021 as Artistic Advisor for Penn Live Arts at the University of Pennsylvania. From 2021 through 2023 he also consulted on programming for the Bermuda Festival and the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts in Milwaukee. In early 2024, he became Artistic Advisor for the Collins Center for the Arts at the University of Maine. Currently, he splits his time between Penn Live Arts and the Collins Center- strategizing, curating, and negotiating almost 80 presented events annually in the areas of dance, theater, chamber music, jazz, world music, Americana, and cirque.
Marc is a past President of NAPAMA (North American Performing Arts, Managers, and Agents) and served on the boards of Western Arts Alliance and Chamber Music America.