UK Arts International

UK Arts International was formed by Jan Ryan in 1992 to set up tours of theatre and dance productions. The company soon gained a reputation, not only for touring quality work from the UK, but also for presenting innovative theatre, dance and music from around the world which embraced a wide range of cultures and contemporary issues – bringing together the international and the intercultural.

In 2015, the company relocated to Margate - a small seaside town in the South East of England with a strong artistic focus.

Based at the historic Theatre Royal (the second oldest theatre in the UK) UKAI is delighted to now be working locally as well as nationally and internationally.

UK Arts International has presented productions from South Africa, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Haiti, the US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

The company has collaborated and co-produced with a wide range of organisations, including Theatre Royal Stratford East, the Barbican, West Yorkshire Playhouse, the Afrovibes Foundation in the Netherlands, Sydney Theatre Company, the Market Theatre of Johannesburg, the South African State Theatre and the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.

UK Arts’ work has won many awards, including Edinburgh Fringe Firsts for Nixon’s Nixon (1999), A Woman In Waiting (2000) and Truth in Translation (2007) and a Bank of Scotland Herald Angel Award for Township Stories (2006).

In 2008, Jan Ryan received Arts Council England’s Eclipse Award for her contribution towards cultural diversity in the arts.

UKAI presents productions in venues of all scales – from village halls to the West End, working with artists and producing companies in a range of different ways: setting up national and international tours, presenting and producing work, providing management services and helping to build capacity in the industry.

Our patrons are Dame Janet Suzman, DBE; Dr John Kani, Prof Denis Goldberg and Clarke Peters.