Ben Cooper-Melchiors (he/him) is the Chief Operating Officer of Shakespeare’s Globe. He has a diverse background in producing unique and untested performance models with ambitious artists in theatre, dance, and technology. Additionally, he has led strategic direction, finance, capital projects, and organisational resilience for both hyperlocal and national arts organisations.

Ben has provided administrative and general management for Battersea Arts Centre, National Youth Theatre, and IdeasTap. He has also been a producer for The Red Room, Franko B, and Young Vic, and assisted Artistic Director David Lan. As the Executive Director of East London Dance, he worked with the CEO & Artistic Director to grow the staff team and increase turnover to a sustainable £1 million over seven years. He also completed the £4.1 million historic warehouse refit of the Talent House, creating a space for young people and creatives in East London.

Most recently, Ben served as the Executive Director & Co-CEO for Artsadmin, a social and climate justice arts producer. In this role, he focused on post-pandemic income model development, access and anti-racism goals, establishing an external canteen operator, and delivering four capital projects across digital, access, and sustainability, including reducing carbon emissions by 43%.

Career highlights include building The Jellyfish Theatre from 30 tonnes of reclaimed timber, developing new network performance technology on broadband and 5G for real-time interaction between distant stages, and securing The Guardian’s third 5-star review in a decade for East Wall in the Tower of London moat.

Ben is a board member of Gaydio, the world’s largest LGBTQ+ radio outlet, and was recently on the board of Eclipse Theatre. He also mentors for I LIKE NETWORKING, a career platform for women and non-binary people in the creative industries.