Dr Paul Sutton, Artistic Director and CEO

Paul Sutton is Artistic Director of C&T, an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation specialising in the intersection of theatre, technology and participation. He leads the organisation’s artistic vision, developing ambitious digital arts experiences that combine applied theatre practice with innovative digital systems.

Paul’s work centres on the creation of Story Systems—participatory narrative frameworks that enable audiences to become active contributors within immersive experiences. Under his leadership, C&T has developed Prospero, a digital platform that supports large-scale engagement through mobile interaction, real-time feedback and co-creation, working across education, cultural and community contexts in the UK and internationally.

With a background in theatre education and applied theatre with over three decades of professional practice, Paul has pioneered approaches that integrate performance, learning and digital technology. He has led major collaborations with cultural institutions, universities and education systems, creating work that operates at scale while maintaining depth, accessibility and artistic integrity.

His current work explores how digital infrastructure can underpin new forms of immersive and participatory performance, positioning audiences as interpreters, contributors and co-authors. This includes the development of role-mediated experiences that combine live performance, digital interaction and personalised narrative outputs.Paul is a practitioner and leading authority in the use of digital technology in applied theatre and educational drama. As both an artist and academic he has a global reputation for his work, widely recognised for the originality of his approach, his intelligence and rigour and his commitment to quality, accessibility and social justice.

He is a qualified and experienced teacher, with over thirty years experience working in primary, secondary and international schools as well as with children with special educational needs and disabilities. He works regularly with marginalised and excluded communities in the UK and places such as Korogocho, Nairobi.

As an academic and author he has published extensively and is the Digital Editor of RIDE: the Journal of Applied Performance. He has a PhD in applied theatre and digital technology and has taught at undergraduate and postgraduate levels both in the UK and internationally.