'I can't help feeling that Stewart Collins is rare in his playfulness, in his profound joy of the arts, in his gentle hold on things. He creates a space that brings out the best in people, both performers and attendees.' Melanie Gow

Stewart Collins is known and loved by festival audiences across the UK. He has worked as Artistic Director of the Henley, Chelsea and Petworth Festivals as well as the Holders Season in Barbados and has a unique insight into the lives and work of very many of this country's finest musicians, artists and writers. Admired and respected for his vision and engagement in every aspect of the performing arts, he creates, as he says, 'more than you would expect, a layer is added to everything so that it is just beyond the familiar.'

Ten things you didn’t know about Stewart Collins
He....

• earned his first professional singing fee aged 7 - a copy of Edward Lear's Nonsense Omnibus
• made his debut at the Royal Albert Hall aged 11 playing in a handbell team
• failed his preliminary exams as an insurance loss adjustor with two grades X and one grade Z
• appeared in the official 'Worst British TV Programme of all Time', It's a Royal Knockout
• sang in the finals for the German entry to the 1989 Eurovision Song Contest
• lost his first novel (The First Messiah) thanks to a glitch on his Amstrad computer
• corpsed uncontrollably during his one and only appearance on the stage of the Royal Opera House in Rameau's opera Castor & Pollux
• opens the bowling for the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra's cricket eleven
• has written, co-written or arranged over 70 songs including One Man Went to Mow (in Swahili) and The Lambeth Walk (backwards)
• at the time of writing has directed 53 festivals in seven different locations

Stewart is available as an interviewer, compere, panel chair or performer.

Enquires and Bookings call The Company Presents on 0845 009 7469 or Send us an Email