Charcoalblue to Open New York Office

	Charcoalblue co-founder Jon Stevens

Theatre design consultancy Charcoalblue is crossing the pond to open a studio in the heart of New York's fashionable Chelsea district.

Since completing the Royal Shakespeare Company's new award-winning headquarters in Stratford-upon-Avon, opening Glyndebourne Opera's new Ebert Recital Room, and embarking on a multi-million pound transformation of the National Theatre in London, the company has sought to share its wealth of experience in performing arts consultancy service internationally.

As part of that initiative Charcoalblue's co-founder, Jon Stevens, will be opening the company's American office on West 26th Street in Manhattan. "We are thrilled to have assisted Susan Feldman and the St Ann's Warehouse team to find and develop their new temporary theatre on Jay Street in Brooklyn," says Stevens, "and we are looking forward to continuing our current inspiring and creative collaborations with Chicago Shakespeare and Steppenwolf Theater companies from our New York studio."

"Having just taken part in the North American Theatre Engineering and Architecture Conference, as contributors and sponsors, we're very much looking forward to exploring a new way of working with American performing arts companies. At the same time we look forward to offering the distinctive Charcoalblue collaborative approach to new audiences."

Multi award-winning Charcoalblue has been one of the UK's theatre consultancy success stories since launching in 2004. Under the collegiate leadership of founders Andy Hayles, Gavin Green, and Jon Stevens, the company has swiftly grown to become the performing arts design consultants of choice for many of Britain's leading architects, theatre companies, and artistic communities.

The company's characteristic collaborative approach and relentless attention to detail has won them awards, enthusiastic reviews from the theatrical and architectural press and, most importantly, praise from their theatres' performers, technicians, and audiences.

"I'm excited that Jon Stevens is to head-up our US operation," says managing partner Andy Hayles. "Jon and I first worked together as theatre electricians at the Lyceum Theatre in Sheffield and have continued a fulfilling working relationship across two decades of shows, concerts, buildings, and parties all over the world. Jon will be in New York from September this year so if you're in the city do drop by -- our door is always open!"