ALI FORD

executive director

Ali joins Ad Infinitum after 5 years with Transform, where she co-led the organisation through the delivery of three major international performance festivals and Transform’s entry into Arts Council England’s National Portfolio in 2023. Ali’s work with Transform has seen her collaborate with leading international artists and companies including Amanda Piña, Ásrún Magnúsdóttir, MEXA, Miet Warlop, Quarantine, Rachel Mars, Eisa Jocson and Venuri Perera. Ali has been instrumental in developing partnerships with venues, festivals and universities across Leeds, the UK and internationally; alongside national networks and platforms including the New Dimensions commissioning consortium and Horizon showcase for Edinburgh Festivals. She has overseen multi-year funded programmes supported by Paul Hamlyn Foundation, the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and Backstage Trust, and participated in CPD and peer learning programmes with Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy and Clore Leadership. 

Prior to joining Transform, Ali's producing, programming, development and executive leadership journey spanned work with venues and performance companies across the North including Common/Wealth, Square Chapel Arts Centre and the Royal Exchange Theatre, alongside independent artists Tess Seddon / TheatreState and Debs Newbold. Excited by bold, innovative, socio-politically-charged performance on a local and international level, Ali is passionate about bringing communities together, developing creative people/projects and reimagining what theatre can look like and who gets to make it. 

Ali graduated from the University of Leeds with a Theatre and Performance BA in 2011 and following a 17-year love affair with Yorkshire, has now returned to her roots in the midlands, where she can be found somewhere between Birmingham and Bristol - often on top of a hill somewhere with her young family and failed Guide Dog, Thomas.