FOREST Forge Theatre Company in Ringwood has welcomed new CEO and creative producer Sharon Lawless.

This follows the departure in April of artistic director Kirstie Davis.

Lawless joins Forest Forge in this newly created role from Reading Rep, where she was executive director.

She also previously worked for two of the south’s flagship producing theatres; the Salisbury Playhouse and the Nuffield Theatre where she was community producer for more than 10 years and first worked for Forest Forge between 1994 to 1998 as funding and development director.

At Forest Forge, Lawless will be responsible for establishing its Ringwood theatre space as a new cultural hub for the region, engaging, supporting and creating new partnerships with local artists across all art forms, as well as producing new work at the venue and on tour.

She will also expand its creative learning and outreach work, developing new community projects across the south-west.

Forest Forge chairman Dr Miranda Whitehead said: “ We are absolutely delighted to welcome Sharon Lawless to the new CEO and Creative Producer role at Forest Forge Theatre Company.

"Sharon has huge experience of local and national arts provision and her connection with Forest Forge goes back to 1994 when she raised the funding to secure our permanent base in Ringwood.

"We are sure that she is just the person to take the company forward in this new and very exciting phase of our community development.”