ANNA FARTHING will become Chief Executive Officer at Portsmouth’s New Theatre Royal in September.
Farthing is a theatre director with more than 30 years’ experience in arts, culture and heritage. She joins New Theatre Royal Portsmouth from Arts University Bournemouth where, as Director of Civic and Cultural Engagement, she has led the teams responsible for research and innovation, cultural assets, and public programmes.
Prior to this, Farthing was a creative producer and cultural strategist where she devised and delivered launch, revitalisation and place-making projects for organisations including M Shed, Tobacco Factory Theatre, Torquay’s International Agatha Christie Festival and the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool.
Alongside this, she curated a Philip Larkin exhibition for Hull’s European City of Culture programme and a mixed media oral history project, Hear my story, for the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth.
“It is a huge privilege to take the helm at the New Theatre Royal as we begin to map a sustainable future for the organisation which honours the long and eventful history of this beautiful building while also addressing the needs of the city as it is today,” Farthing said.
“There is abundant evidence now that when coastal places are given the resources to invest in creativity it, boosts the wellbeing of residents, attracts visitors, supports business growth and contributes to economic recovery.
“I look forward therefore to brokering new collaborations with partners across diverse sectors to ensure the theatre plays a full and active role in helping Portsmouth to achieve its potential and our shared ambitions.”