Debra Allanson has joined Arena Theatre Company as its new executive director.

Ms Allanson has also been named co-chief executive officer with the company's artistic director Christian Leavesley.

Arena's board chair Anne Henshall said Ms Allanson brought with her a wealth of experience through her career in the creative industries including television, film and innovative digital platforms as well as deep strategic and operational management roles.

She is a long-standing member of the VicScreen (previously Film Victoria) investment and incentive committee and was previously a board member for Western Australian children and family theatre company Barking Gecko.

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"Relocating to Bendigo four years ago opened exciting new pathways for Arena and with Debra on board, working closely with our artistic director and co-chief executive Christian Leavesley, we are well-placed to realise these opportunities," Ms Henshall said.

For Ms Allanson, joining Arena was a happy merger of her long-held interests and expertise.

"This role brings together many of my career highlights, working with creative programming for and with children and young people," she said.

"This is even more compelling in a post-COVID world, recognising the vital importance of social interaction and embodied experience in young people's growth and development."

Arena works in schools all over central Victoria as well as creating theatre pieces for children and making films, virtual reality and augmented reality experiences.

"At Arena we love working with new technologies and across platforms," Mr Leavesley said.

"I am very excited about the incredible breadth of expertise and experience Debra is bringing to the Company. The timing could not be more perfect."

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