Natalie Chan

Natalie is the Executive Director at Streatham Space Project and recent Director and Chief Executive for Kaiklang. An experienced producer and fundraiser, Natalie joined our 2023 Empowered Black & Global Majority cohort, having found her way into producing after jobs in a wide variety of arts organisations up and down the country, including Chalk Line Theatre, Chronic Insanity, and Nuu Theatre.

“I first became interested in arts and culture because I joined the school drama society. I thought it was an excellent way to make friends and spend some time meaningfully creating something with others. 

I studied business at University and carried on being part of drama and dance groups, and then through a visit to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, I figured out I could combine my business skills and my hobby and craft out a pathway as a producer.”

Natalie started her career working as an Assistant Producer for Theatre503, Spun Glass Theatre, Arch468, Bread and Roses Theatre, and through Stage One’s Bridge The Gap scheme. Natalie went on to become Associate Producer for Best of Enemies in the West End and Producer for This Is Not A Show About Hong Kong, which won a Fringe First as well as New Diorama Theatre and Underbelly’s Untapped Award in 2022. 

“The themes of migration and international social justice appear in my work a lot. I think it’s because of my lived experience moving from Hong Kong to the UK. I am really proud to have produced This Is Not A Show About Hong Kong and Bakla with Max Percy, which sheds light on the democracy protest in Hong Kong, and the impact of the Philippines being a Spanish colony.”

Natalie also held the role of Creative Producer for In Good Company, leading the Midlands’ artist development programme with 12 venues, and as General Manager for Creative Youth, where she won the Arts Fundraising and Philanthropy’s Giving Tuesday Competition for the charity. As a committed change-maker to support fellow Global Majority arts leaders, she is an innovator with Artistic Directors of the Future. 

“When I applied to the Empowered Programme, I was in a transition phase in my career, with a few months left in a maternity cover contract and exploring applying for Executive Director / Leadership roles. Because the BPH team are skilled at holding space, I really enjoyed that we were able to go straight into in-depth conversations quite quickly on the programme and explore the barriers we face stepping up into leadership and how that makes us feel.” 

Natalie has participated in a range of Bradford Producing Hub activities including Production Management in the Creative Process training as well as attending workshops and events.