Tarek Iskander is the Artistic Director of Battersea Arts Centre. Prior to this he was the Interim Director for Theatre at Arts Council England. He has also been an Artistic Director as part of Up Next - a takeover initiative by Artistic Directors of the Future, Battersea Arts Centre and Bush Theatre, designed to catapult visionary artists into leadership roles in the UK's theatre industry and broaden representation. Previously, Tarek was one of the founders and Associate Artistic Director of the Yard Theatre in Hackney and also Resident Director at the National Theatre Studio. Prior to embarking on a career in theatre, Tarek worked for many years in senior and executive roles with the National Health Service.