Woking Dance Festival has appointed Mary Brady as Programme Director. She was previously Artistic Director of the Institute for Choreography and Dance in Cork and is currently Director of Strategy for Dance for the city of Plymouth.
Dame Liz Forgan (pictured) has been appointed as Chair of Arts Council England. Previously Chair of the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Heritage Lottery Fund, she is the first woman to chair the Arts Council in its 62-year history. She will take up post on 1 February, replacing Sir Christopher Frayling.
Stephanie Billen, a freelance journalist for the Observer and former press officer for the Buxton Festival Fringe, has become the organisation’s first female Chair.
The Prince’s Foundation for Children and the Arts has appointed Jeremy Newton as Chief Executive Officer. His past appointments include Managing Director of RADA, Chief Executive of NESTA and Director of the Arts Council England National Lottery.
John E. McGrath (pictured) is the new Artistic Director of the National Theatre of Wales (NTW). He was previously the Artistic Director and Chief Executive of the Contact Theatre, Manchester. Lucy Davies (pictured), currently Executive Producer at the Donmar Warehouse Theatre in London, will become Producer of NTW in March.
Sally Johnston joins the Cultural Enterprise Office as Co-ordinator for ‘Common Turf’, a creative, collaborative network due to launch in 2009.
Pat Moylan is the new Chairperson of the Arts Council, Ireland. She was Artistic Director of Andrews Lane Theatre for 18 years.
Victorian Opera, Melbourne, has appointed Lucy Shorrocks as Managing Director. She previously worked for Welsh National Opera, and has been Director of Marketing and Sponsorship at Melbourne International Comedy Festival for the past year.
Rebecca Walton has been appointed Director Arts at the British Council, a role that she has held in an interim capacity since April 2008. She will work with the future Chair of the new Arts Advisory Committee.
The Crafts Council has appointed a Director of Resources, Chris Franklin, and three new managers, Katy Bevan (Participation and Learning Manager), Elizabeth Cameron (Market Development Manager) and Dr Karen Yair (Research and Learning Manager).
Helen Burrows has joined the Conservatives’ Culture and Creative Industries Team as a specialist in cultural policy. She will continue to freelance for Dance UK.
Dr Anne Wright, CBE, is the new Chair of Youth Music Theatre (YMT). Hannah Marshall is taking over the Hardship Fund and the ‘Buddy’ scheme, having joined YMT straight from Cambridge University. Hanna Johnson is the new Development Manager, and moves from management consultants Accenture.
Jane Corry (pictured) is the new Director of Norden Farm Centre for the Arts. She was previously Producer for People Show, an experimental theatre group based in London.
All staff at Culture Northwest are moving on after its closure in December. Debbi Lander, Creative Programmer for the Cultural Olympiad in the Northwest, will now be accommodated by Arts Council England, North West. Jane Dawson will be concentrating on her MA in Management & Leadership Practice and developing a freelance portfolio. Sarah McLoughlin will become Alliance Regional Manager for the Alliance of Sector Skills Councils, and Gareth Cross will be returning to his private consultancy business.
VisitEngland, the national tourism body, has announced Lady Cobham as its new chairperson. She will take up the post in April when the current chair, Hugh Taylor, steps down.