Simon Sharkey | Arts Educator Interview

Simon Sharkey  is currently the director and CEO of The Necessary Space a company that works internationally and across the traditional boundaries and definitions of art forms, digital and physical technologies, film and media to create what we call “Acts of Wanton Wonder” and “Creative Immersive Adventures.”

He was one of the founding directors of The National Theatre of Scotland, where he pioneered the “Theatre Without Walls” approach across Scotland and the rest of the world. Over 15 years with NTS he created a programme of genre defying participatory and professional arts projects as well as 3 international festivals.  Since leaving NTS in 2018, and forming “The Necessary Space” which he calls a “Theatre of Opportunity” his work has expanded globally and across different sectors.

He is currently engaged in projects in Brazil, India, Jamaica, Trinidad, Canada and of course Scotland. He was one of the first people in the UK to receive a National Endowment of Science, Technology and Arts (NESTA) “international cultural leadership award.” He is a director, writer, coach, mentor, keynote speaker and most recently, a documentary film maker. He works on epic and intimate scales creating projects for social change and has mentored and supported executives, boards and global networks in re-visioning and repurposing their brands and operations. He co designed the Culture Collective for Creative Scotland and the Scottish Government, he designed a global network of hubs for the International Teaching Artists Collaborative, he co founded Artsi-(Art for social innovation) and has worked extensively with British Council in setting up projects and strategies across many regions.