Kate Varah

BA Theology 1994
Arts Leader

Kate Varah is an arts leader, currently the Executive Director at the National Theatre working alongside Artistic Director Rufus Norris to deliver and advocate for the theatre’s huge national and international impact on stages, in cinemas, classrooms, community spaces, and online. Prior to this, she was the Executive Director at the Old Vic for twelve years where she worked alongside Artistic Director Matthew Warchus to revolutionise the artistic and business model and establish the identity and sustainability of one of the nation’s oldest, vibrant and most iconic theatres.

Kate’s time at Keble gave her visibility of how theatre entertains and inspires, through producing shows and the privilege of being OUDS President. Then an Oxford University Careers Service vacation placement at the Arts Council in the press office gave her a clue to a route in. The Secretary General’s career advice was clear: the arts need more people with business acumen; go off and get some commercial experience and come back into the sector. So, Law School and Linklaters followed, training and practising as Solicitor Advocate in the employment team for six years in London, Hong Kong, on secondment to JPMorgan, and additionally pro bono co-ordinator and Community Investment Manager. Then, the place she had long admired as pioneers of inclusive theatre practice, Chickenshed, needed a Director of Business Development. She was there for three years before leaving to run an arts consultancy practice whilst negotiating having twins.

Kate’s personal priorities are widening access to the arts and supporting offender rehabilitation programmes, as reflected in varied Trustee and Chair roles performed including: Society of London Theatre Board, PiPA Parents in the Performing Arts (Chair); Chickenshed (Trustee); Samaritans Chad Varah Memorial Appeal Taskforce; and co-founding The Michael Varah Memorial Fund, a grant giving trust working to level the playing field for offenders.