Paul Smethurst
Resident Artist
Overview
Paul Smethurst [p-AW-l smEth-hURst]
[he/him/his]
Paul Smethurst is an innovative and passionate Artist and Leader who creates connections, tells stories and inspires change. He takes his diverse background in dance, theatre, arts education, producing and directing and centers it around creating work with and for marginalised communities.
Paul has a long history with Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures; working for the company as a performer, character principle and rehearsal director before becoming their Resident Artist. Alongside this, Paul worked as a freelance practitioner in the fields of dance, musical theatre, acting and physical theatre with a career spanning Opera and West End productions.
After over a decade as a versatile performing artist, Paul moved into Arts Management and Education. In 2015, Paul was Head of Dance at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, lecturing, coordinating and managing the Dance strand for their BA and MA in Musical Theatre. During this time, Paul expanded his creative career and worked extensively as a Director, Movement Director and Choreographer.
Most recently, Paul was the Creative Engagement Producer for award-winning physical theatre company Gecko, responsible for the direction, conception and delivery of their Creative Engagement strategy; nurturing, transforming and inspiring communities, young people and schools across the UK and internationally.
He is now a freelance Director, Choreographer, Movement Practitioner and Creative Engagement Consultant. He sits on the Board of Trustees for One Dance UK and is also a Nature Therapist and aspiring poet.
Credits
For New Adventures
- Dancers in Residence – Sadlers Wells Theatre Choreographer and Project Manager
- Cinderella: A Museum Adventure – IWM Duxford, North and London Choreographer and Project Manager
- Family Lives – Birmingham Hippodrome Choreographer
- Our Hands – Sadler's Wells Theatre Choreographer
- Swan Lake Rehearsal Director and Character Principal
- Cinderella Character Principal
- Nutcracker! Ensemble
- Matthew Bourne’s Christmas – Channel 4 Featured Dancer
Other Credits
- 9 to 5 – Assembly Hall, Edinburgh Fringe Choreographer
- Company Scenes 2016 – Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Director
- Merrily We Roll Along – Chandler Theatre, RCS Choreographer
- The Choir – The Citizens Theatre Movement Director
- Urinetown – Assembly Hall, Edinburgh Fringe Choreographer
- Showstoppers – Lusaka, Zambia Director/Choreographer
- Company Scenes 2015 – Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Choreographer
- The Bodyguard – Adelphi Theatre Assistant Choreographer
- 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games Performance Captain
- The Bodyguard – Original West End Cast Dance Captain/Swing
- Carousel – Opera North Featured Dancer/Actor
- Imagine This – Original West End Cast Swing
- ENO's Marriage of Figaro, Faust, Death of Kilnghoffer, Onegin and Candide Actor/ Dancer