WHEN Euton Daley joined Pegasus Theatre in 1990 he had no idea he would remain there for the next 23 years.

Mr Daley – who lives in Cowley with his wife Yasmin Sidhwa (who is head of creative learning at the theatre) and their three children Kema, 19, Ishmael, 16, and Akasha – is retiring at the end of this month after more than two decades helping to steer the East Oxford venue.

With its fantastic new building, it is certainly very different to when he joined from London’s Royal Court Young People’s Theatre, where he was youth and community director.

Ahead of tonight’s party to celebrate his retirement at the Magdalen Road theatre he said: “I am looking forward to a break after working non-stop for 23 years – it has never been a nine-to-five job.”

Born in 1958 in Westmorland, Jamaica, he arrived in the UK at the age of eight and grew up in Birmingham.

“I never imagined for a moment I would stay at Pegasus for 23 years,” he said.

“It will feel very strange on Monday morning when I don’t have to go in and at some point I will head off for a break in Croatia. Some students from Dubrovnik visited the theatre and suggested I come over, so I’m going for a visit.”

As well as spending more time with his family, Mr Daley is looking forward to catching up on his gardening and decorating.

And he is adamant that he will give father-of-two Jonathan Lloyd, formerly artistic director at Polka Theatre in London, a chance to stamp his authority on the job when he takes over in September.

“I’m there for advice if he needs me but he needs a chance to find his own feet and I don’t want to be in the way.”

Mr Daley – made an MBE in 2008 for his work with young people – is confident the theatre will continue to give as many youngsters as possible the chance to try out performance arts.

The 54-year-old said: “The enjoyment and excitement of the young people I have worked with has kept me going over the years and there has never been a dull moment.

“Joining the theatre is a great way for kids to grow in confidence and develop teamwork skills.

“Some kids have literacy problems when they come to us but they still find ways to learn their lines and that gives them confidence to improve their learning.

“Sometimes kids say they don’t want their friends to come and see them perform but after the first night – when they see the audience applaud – they change their minds and invite their friends in.”

Following a multi-million pound revamp in 2010 Pegasus can now work with about 6,000 young people from across Oxfordshire every year.

Mr Daley said: “I was in quite a few Birmingham Youth Theatre productions until I gave up acting in the late 1980s.

“But I love doing performance poetry and I wouldn’t rule out doing something creative like that and taking part in a few gigs.

“The great thing about Pegasus is that it emphasises teamwork in a production so that everyone taking part — including the people doing the props and the lighting — get the same buzz as the actors.”

The theatre supremo said he felt “quite emotional” in 2009 when theatre alumni were invited in before demolition work began.

“The reunion brought together lots of people from the earliest youth theatre members in 1962.”

During the last days of the old studio in 2009, former members of the theatre were invited to visit the old place for the last time and write their memories on the walls.

Some of the signatures were captured in a special artwork replicating a section of the old wall and window, with their words etched into the glass window.

Mr Daley said: “It was a fantastic occasion when Prince Andrew visited to officially open the new building in 2011, after the theatre reopened in September 2010.”

But it has not always been an easy ride. One of the most challenging periods in his tenure was in 1995, when arts funding was slashed by the county council.

Eventually the council reinstated the money and the theatre went from strength to strength.

“The arts does play a vital role in bringing communities together — we have to raise far more funds for ourselves than we used to,” he said.

“We want the arts to be for everyone and if we put the prices up too much it could limit the diversity of participants and audiences.”

Mr Daley said it was difficult to pick out his favourite productions, but they include Kuumba Nia Arts performing Water’s Flight, pictured left, a specially commissioned work for the reopening of the theatre in 2010.

Another memorable occasion for the theatre boss was in 2011 when Pegasus launched MESH, Oxford Youth Arts International.

MESH brings together youth arts groups from around the world to Oxford and over 10 days they present their own dance and drama performances.

Head of marketing Gill Jaggers is the longest-serving member of staff at the theatre apart from Mr Daley and has worked there 18 years.

She said: “I have only known Pegasus with Euton at the helm and he has done a staggering amount to keep performing arts for young people high on the agenda.

“Euton steered us through some incredibly difficult times, including funding problems, and he has kept flagging up Pegasus as a place where young people can thrive.

“Everyone at the theatre will miss him terribly – there won’t be a dry eye in the house tonight.”

Mr Daley will leave the organisation on Wednesday and Mr Lloyd will start in September.