Page 23 - FINAL_Guildhall Media Highlights 2019-2020 Coverage Book

15 March 2020

Andy Lavender joins Guildhall School of

Music & Drama

By Ben Brown

Guildhall School of Music & Drama has announce the appointment of Andy Lavender as
vice principal and director of production arts, taking over from Ben Sumner who has
moved to the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.

Lavender joins full-time from 1 August after three years as professor of theatre and
performance and head of theatre and performance studies at the University of Warwick.

He was previously head of the School of Arts at the University of Surrey, which included
dance, music, theatre, sound engineering, and the conservatoire Guildford School of
Acting. Prior to that he spent several years at the Royal Central School of Speech &
Drama as head of postgraduate studies and then Dean of research.

Lavender has also previously been an
external examiner for Guildhall School’s
production arts programme.

Lavender said: “It’s exciting to join Guildhall
at a time of change and opportunity both
within the School and in performing arts
education more generally.

“I’m looking forward to working with
colleagues and students in production arts,
whose work I’ve admired as an external
examiner, and engaging with wider
developments at the School. I’ve been
impressed by Guildhall at a distance and it’s
great now to be joining the team.”