Mears founded Second Movement as joint Artistic Director with the conductor Nicholas Chalmers.
[2] His productions for them included the UK stage premiere of Veniamin Fleishman's opera Rothschild's Violin, Mozart and Salieri, Trouble in Tahiti, A Hand of Bridge and The Knife's Tears.
In 2010 Mears was appointed as the Artistic Director of the newly created Northern Ireland Opera.
[3] In August 2014 his production of The Turn of the Screw premiered at Novaya Opera Theatre, Moscow.
His production of Benjamin Britten's Noye's Fludde for Northern Ireland Opera was performed at the Beijing Music Festival in October 2012, the Chinese premiere of the piece.