Dan Walker named chair of Sheffield Theatres

Dan Walker has been named chair of the board of Sheffield Theatres, taking immediate effect on Friday and succeeding Dame Julie Kenny, who died earlier this year. Sheffield Theatres runs the Crucible, the Lyceum Theatre, the Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse and the Montgomery, the city’s theatre and arts centre.

Walker brings a high-profile broadcasting background to the city’s theatre company and will lead a board that guides one of the country’s best-known regional arts outfits through a period of change and growth. He said the appointment is a real honour and noted that his family are long-time theatre-goers who are proud of Sheffield’s rich heritage and performance quality.

Walker previously presented BBC Breakfast and hosted Football Focus for 12 years. He studied History and Journalism at Sheffield University and is a patron of the Sheffield Children’s Hospital, reflecting ties that run deep through the city’s public life.

The appointment follows the death of former chair Dame Julie Kenny earlier this year. Chief executive Tom Bird said Kenny had a significant impact in a short time, and as Sheffield Theatres looks ahead, Walker’s combination of love for the city and passion for the power of theatre makes him a strong fit to lead the organisation into a bright future. Bird added that the team is proud to entrust the future of Sheffield Theatres to a figure who is widely known across the country for his broadcasting work and his commitment to community life.

Sheffield Theatres remains the umbrella for the city’s major venues, including the Crucible, Lyceum, the Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse and the Montgomery arts centre. The board oversees artistic strategy, programming and community partnerships, helping to sustain a cultural engine that supports local artists while drawing audiences from across the region.