THE charity behind outdoor spectacular theatrical show "Kynren – an epic tale of England", has appointed a new chairman.

Eleven Arches has appointed Durham-born Stephen Hall, a senior partner at Deloitte UK’s Newcastle office, who is taking over the role from the charity’s founder philanthropist Jonathan Ruffer.

Mr Hall says he is hugely excited to be taking on his new role.

He said: "I’ve always been passionate about the theatre, the arts and heritage so having the opportunity to indulge all my passions together is thrilling.

“This new appointment will also give me the chance to help people achieve their aspirations and I am really looking forward to working together with such a great team to build on their success and help develop it in the coming years."

Mr Hall studied history at Cambridge and went on to gain a Master’s degree at Durham. During university he also ran the theatre society and has always loved the arts, culture and heritage.

More recently he has combined his work at Deloitte UK with a directorship at County Durham Community Foundation as well as serving on a number of advisory or donor development boards including the Marie Curie Hospice, Invest Newcastle, Festival Lumiere and Northern Stage.

Despite stepping aside from the chairmanship, Jonathan Ruffer will remain a Trustee of Eleven Arches.

Eleven Arches is one of the two charities established by Mr Ruffer in Bishop Auckland, the other being The Auckland Project which includes the Auckland Tower, the Mining Art Gallery, the Spanish Gallery, the Faith Museum, the Deer Park and the Walled Garden.

Eleven Arches is also working on plans to develop the site further with additional daytime attractions with the Kynren Park, a daytime leisure park with a combination of indoor and outdoor spectacles and immersive experiences.