Jane Hytch is a British producer, cultural leader and champion of large-scale community arts whose career has helped define the creative landscape of the Midlands. After studying Theatre Design and Drama at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, she co-founded Worcester Arts Workshop, serving as its Artistic Director for more than a decade and producing landmark participatory works including Woodbine Willie. Her early contribution to regional cultural life was recognised when she was named Hereford and Worcester Woman of the Year in 1984.
Hytch went on to play a pivotal role at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, first as Head of Community and later as Associate Producer and Joint Artistic Director. During her tenure she produced major festivals and award-winning projects including the Coventry Arts Alive Festival, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and multiple editions of The Coventry Mysteries, works that cemented her reputation for bringing artists and communities together at scale.
Photo Credit: Andrew Moore
A founding director of Imagineer, Hytch produced some of the organisation’s most ambitious undertakings, among them Godiva Awakes, created for the London 2012 Olympic Games with support from Arts Council England. As Chief Executive of Imagineer from 2013 to 2023, she led an impressive portfolio of public art programmes and commissions, including the Festival of Imagineers, Bridge, Imagine Bamboo, and contributions to Coventry City of Culture 2022 such as The Queen’s Platinum Pageant and the Milesians with Circolombia. She also oversaw the capital redevelopment of the Daimler Powerhouse, establishing it as a creative hub for the city.
Following her semi-retirement in 2023, Hytch was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Coventry University in recognition of her impact on the region’s cultural life. She continues to shape creative strategy and practice as Executive Producer of the Creative Explorers Programme in Nuneaton and Bedworth and through the Arts Council West Midlands Place Partnership Award, supporting the next generation of artists and communities across the region.
