Ian Stickland
CEO
As CEO Ian provides global leadership overseeing growth, finance and contracts. He also leads our Experience team, helping to deliver extraordinary projects and programs that create outstanding guest experiences through technology, space and storytelling.
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Ian joined Charcoalblue in 2009 and has been a key part of many of our projects and organisation growth. With a strong technical background in audiovisual technology he has designed over 100 venues across the world and has expertise across workplaces, events and experience spaces, performing arts venues, broadcast spaces, cinemas, museums and sporting venues. He established the Charcoalblue Digital stream, and Charcoalblue ReD our in-house Research and Development team.
In 2025 Ian was appointed CEO of Charcoalblue. He continues to lead Charcoalblue Experience, our global team of design managers, experience designers, consultants, producers and project managers. Prior to joining Charcoalblue, he worked as an audio engineer and sound designer in theatre, concerts, recording and broadcasts working with many high profile organisations including Abbey Road Studios, Battersea Arts Centre and Punchdrunk.
Ian presents at Theatre 2016 at the Piccadilly Theatre (photo: Alex Brenner).
Ian with the Stirling Prize awarded to Liverpool's Everyman Theatre.
Ian celebrates Charcoalblue's 10th birthday at the National Theatre in 2014.
Ian discusses a project with Caroline and Alex.
What's the greatest lesson you've learnt as a Theatre Consultant?
Designing buildings is hard! Theatres are deeply complex and personal spaces, and there is no formula to a successful project.
What first sparked your love of theatre or performing arts?
Like so many people, my love of theatre and performing arts was sparked at school by a series of inspirational and dedicated teachers. In terms of professional memories, it’s hard to beat how I felt as an 18-year-old working at Norden Farm in Maidenhead when a show called 'Taylor's dummies' by Gecko came into the studio space on a tour - it blew my mind. From this show, I can track a direct influence on my career that took me to Battersea Arts Centre, our work with Bad Physics and led to a desire to create new forms of immersive experiences that still is the driving motivation for my design work.
What qualities should a 'great performance space' have?
People to use it. It is tempting to look to the past for inspiration but for theatre to remain relevant our buildings must be equipped for the future. Arts practitioners are uniquely qualified to challenge, develop and break technology and space. As a theatre consultant it is our job to provide an environment for this creativity to grow in a culturally relevant way. Storytelling in the essence of performance; whatever form, material or finish a building has it must make interaction easy, and rewarding.
You oversee the Charcoalblue R&D team, can you give us any hints as to what you’re working on?
We are looking into the future of performance spaces, and how the convergence of film, gaming and interactive design will impact live performance. Most excitingly we are looking at how VR and AR can be enjoyed collectively and what role the building they are experienced in can help with this.
Related
Acoustics experts working on the St George’s Bristol extension give their tips for achieving the perfect performance sound.
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