Venu Dhupa decided on a career in the arts at the age of eleven when she announced at the breakfast table that she wanted to be a performer. Her family, originally from North West India, via East Africa had all been doctors, vets, pharmacists, lawyers or in business and this was what was planned for her.

Venu got involved in theatre at every opportunity and at 16 was awarded a place at drama school, but decided to finish her formal education first. After a successful time at Cranbrook School in Kent she won a scholarship to The Bloomfield Hills Educational Institute in the USA where she studied Sociology, Black History and Performing Arts. She returned from America and went to Loughborough University, achieving a BA Hons Drama and in 1985 won a place at the Drama Studio in London.

She began working as a performer in 1986. After several years combining performing with a range of senior PA temping jobs she began combining her acting career with freelance producing and casting work. This included; producing for radio and video; script development work and casting for theatre and film. This became full time in 1992.

Venu has worked for the Royal National Theatre as a Producer of Mobile Touring and in 1997 took up the post of Executive Director at Nottingham Playhouse. She was the first person from an Asian, African Caribbean or Chinese background to lead a Regional Producing Theatre.

She is a member of Council at Loughborough University. Her strategic work for the region included active work as a member of the Regional Assembly’s Policy Forum. Nationally she has been a member of the Creative Industries Export Promotions Advisory Group and in December 1999 she was appointed by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to Chair the East Midlands Cultural Consortium. She is also a member of the London 2012 Culture and Education Advisory Board.

Venu enjoys public speaking and can be heard nationally and internationally covering topics such as Audience Development, Cultural Diversity and Culture in the UK and the Arts and Regeneration. She is now employed in a Director role at NESTA, the National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts. She is a Governor at the Guildford Conservatoire and a Trustee of the Theatres Trust.