08 Nov Paul Miller named as SDUK’s new transitional Executive Director

After two and a half years as Executive Director of Stage Directors UK, Harold Finley is stepping down to pursue his career as a freelance theatre director. In his time at SDUK he has overseen the initial transition to a trade union and has grown the membership considerably. He has led on initiatives including the Director’s Census, which has helped SDUK better understand the makeup and needs of the directing community, and the stage to screen training programme which will see an SDUK member direct their first block of broadcast TV this year.

The SDUK board wish to thank Harold for his tireless service. The move to create a new trade union is a historic and necessary step, and one that will make a huge difference to the industry and for directors for years to come.

Of his departure Finley says, “It has been such a wonderful experience to represent and support stage directors. I joined SDUK to instil change. We now recognise choreographers and movement directors as members, a major census was launched and, most significantly, SDUK has been added to the list of Trade Unions.  What I am most proud of is having helped so many members with contracts, disputes, grievances and having listened to, laughed, cried and celebrated with directors across the UK.  I leave SDUK knowing it is now a stronger, more diverse and more modern organisation.”

Harold’s departure at this point gives SDUK the opportunity to plan the long term reform of leadership to reflect the structure of a trade union. Eventually we will look to appoint a new General Secretary as well as a General Council who will replace the current board. To lead SDUK to this next stage the board are delighted to announce that Paul Miller has agreed to take up the post of transitional Executive Director.  On Miller’s announcement the co-chairs of SDUK, Pooja Ghai and Matthew Dunster said “We are very privileged to have a leader of Paul’s experience to take us further towards unionisation.  It’s a complex transition but Paul’s extraordinary, secure and inspired handling of The Orange Tree Theatre shows that the next part of SDUK’s journey is in very safe hands.” Of his appointment, Miller says, “In the time since Piers Haggard founded SDUK to represent Britain’s theatre directors, the organisation has made enormous progress. I am proud to take up the reins at this critical moment to build on Harold Finley’s achievements in modernising SDUK and moving it towards unionisation. Directors have been historically underpaid and our predominantly freelance status makes our position especially precarious. With the present economic crisis and an industry undergoing great change, there is much to do to improve our lot: I look forward to the challenges ahead.”