■  Alan Dear: “Filling the shoes of
Claire Turner is not something
I will even attempt to do.”
 

MANCHESTER, September 21  –  Alan Dear has been appointed festival director of the Manchester Pride, it was announced yesterday.  He succeeds Claire Turner who is leaving to pursue a freelance career in events and marketing.

Turner has overseen the past three Manchester Pride events, including EuroPride 2003, and has built the annual end-of-August event into one of the world’s biggest Pride events, certainly in terms of charitable fundraising..

Dear arrives at Manchester Pride having extensive experience in the promotion of arts and events, leaving his post as Chief Executive of the Royal College of Organists to join the Pride organisation which is backed by the Manchester city council and Marketing Manchester.

He started his career as Assistant Director of the Sherman Theatre Cardiff which preceded two years as Arts Officer for the City of Westminster in London where he worked with all the major arts organisations in the city, as well as taking a central role in the promotion of the major city based events.

As Director of Dundee City Festival, Dear took the lead in developing a major new community based festival and worked on large-scale events such as Kellogg’s Round-Britain Road Race (cycling) and the Dundee Marathon.

As Director and licensee of the Roadmender Centre in Northampton, he established a nightclub and venue and worked with many top-line performers in its unique music education programme. He then moved to the Welsh National Opera where he established a diverse and wide-ranging programme of access and participation including orchestral tours, choral work in the community and a series of highly successful Community Operas.

“I am delighted to have been appointed to this post,” he said.  “I am taking over a vibrant, healthy and solvent festival that celebrates the diversity of the region.

“Filling the shoes of Claire Turner is not something I will even attempt to do.  Her successes over the last three years, including EuroPride are incredible and the board of Pride and the entire lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community are extremely grateful to her.”

Turner leaves Manchester Pride to pursue a freelance career in events, marketing and fundraising consultancy, but first is travelling to Borneo as volunteer staff for the young people’s development charity Raleigh International.

“It has been an incredible three years and I want to say a huge thank you for everyone who has supported and worked with me to help make Pride the incredible event it is today,” she said.

“I wish Alan all the best for the future in his new role.”

Alan Dear was the ideal person to build on the work carried out by Claire Turner, Pride chair and chief executive of Marketing Manchester, commented.

“The board is delighted with this appointment and feel that Alan will undoubtedly enhance the running and promotion of the Festival to ensure it's continuing success.  We are fully supportive of Alan in helping him to realise this aim,” he added.

LINKS

Manchester Pride website