(Hons)) has been Chief Executive of Live Theatre since 2000, overseeing its various capital developments, and has overall responsibility for the leadership and vision for the company. 

Live Theatre has a turnover of £2 million and up to 40 staff when in production. Its Social Enterprises include award-winning gastro pub The Broad Chare, online playwriting course www.beaplaywright.com and hub for creative businesses, The Schoolhouse. The latest project is Live Works a £11 million capital project to purchase and develop Quayside fronted land and buildings adjacent to the Theatre, due for completion in November 2015, it will create new commercial offices, a new public park and a children and young people’s creative writing centre.

Jim Beirne spends time working with cultural institutions and networks around the world and is always interested in how other cities make culture work in their place. He trained as a composer and musician composing for cross media projects at the South Bank, the ICA, and Dance Umbrella. Prior to moving to Newcastle to work at Live Theatre Jim was Director of Performing and Combined Arts for Yorkshire Arts Board (now Arts Council Yorkshire). Jim is a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts, is a board member of the International Society of Performing Arts (ISPA), has been a trustee of the TMA (now UK Theatres), The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, and Leeds College of Music. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters from Northumbria University in 2011 and an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday honours in 2012, and was a nominee for North East Business Executive of the year in 2014.