Olivia Highland

Olivia has nearly two decades of experience as an arts strategist and fundraising specialist, embedding a commercial and philanthropic culture within a wide range organisations to maximise impact, reach, profile and income generation.

Olivia’s career in arts and culture began with directing, producing, stage management and theatre education roles, both in London and regionally. In 2011, Olivia joined The Old Vic – which operates without any regular government subsidy – working in various positions within the corporate development team, and ultimately becoming Co-Director of Development, leading the fundraising team across all income streams to realise ambitious revenue and capital targets and build sustainable, long-term growth in philanthropic and commercial support. During her 12 years at The Old Vic, Olivia brokered The Old Vic’s sector-leading Principal Partnership with RBC, successfully delivered and renewed its longest-running partnership with PwC, and oversaw the strategic delivery of The Old Vic’s Tomorrow Gala, raising over £1m for the theatre’s capital campaign.

Working as an independent consultant and with leading cultural consultancy firm, Achates, Olivia has supported a broad range of cultural and social impact organisations, sharing insight, expertise, experience and networks to provide holistic and strategic guidance across strategy development, commercial income generation, fundraising support and partnership consultancy. Olivia’s clients have included the Royal Albert Hall, Battersea Arts Centre, Without Walls, Complicité, The Walk Productions, the Albany, Bush Theatre, Shubbak Festival, Wiltshire Creative, Eyam Museum, RugbyWorks and the Schools Consent Project.

Throughout 2025, Olivia took up the Development Director maternity cover position at the London Philharmonic Orchestra, where she brokered an innovative new partnership with Purposeful Ventures, a not-for-profit which partners with social entrepreneurs and philanthropists to enhance education, which will support the Orchestra’s flagship rising talent programme, Future Firsts, and curated the LPO’s inaugural Patrons’ Trip with partners, Aston Martin and Glenrothes Whisky.

From 2026, Olivia will begin as Development Director at the Almeida, heading up the fundraising team under the exciting new leadership of Dominic Cooke and Ros Brooke-Taylor.