The Arts Council of England (ACE) has appointed Peter Jenkinson OBE as National Director of Creative Partnerships, a £40m initiative to develop long-term partnerships between schools, cultural and creative organisations, and artists. He will join ACE from Walsall Museums and Galleries, where he oversaw the development of the New Art Gallery.
Professor David Johnston, Head of the School of Languages, Literature and Arts at Queen?s University, has taken up the post of Chair at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast.
Rod Natkiel, former Head of Network Production at BBC Birmingham and current Chair of West Midlands Arts, has been appointed Chair of Media West Midlands, the new organisation that will represent the West Midlands in the Film Council?s strategy for film and the moving image in the English regions.
Two new appointments have been made at Yorkshire Dance. Kirsty Redhead, formerly Dance Development Worker for East Riding of Yorkshire Council, has joined as Projects Manager, and Shonagh Ingram is to take up the position of Marketing Co-ordinator.
Jasmine Hendry has been appointed Chief Executive of Chester Gateway Theatre. She joins from Liverpool and Merseyside Theatres Trust, where she was General Manager.
Sue Wyatt, General Manager of The Cholmondeleys and The Featherstonehaughs dance companies, is to replace Christopher Nourse as Executive Director of Rambert Dance Company. The company is currently preparing for its 75th anniversary season at Sadler?s Wells.
Streets Alive, a theatre company for young people who are homeless or at risk, has appointed Denise Wong as Artistic Director and Barbara van Heel as General Manager. Patrick Young, who founded the company three years ago, will become a trustee.
Mandy MacFarland has been appointed Festival Administrator for the Leicester Comedy Festival. She was previously National Marketing Co-ordinator for the Year of the Artist project, and before that Marketing and PR Officer for the NOW Festival of Contemporary Arts.
Yorkshire Youth and Music is working with Dave Price (pictured) to research and develop a new programme of youth music in South Yorkshire. Previously Director of Learning at the Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts, his career has included work as a Community Musician at the Abraham Moss Centre in Manchester.
Formerly Centre Manager and Artistic Director at Cranleigh Arts Centre, Mark Wright joins Arts & Business Yorkshire as Arts Development Manager. Annalisa Ward also joins the company, as Business Development Manager.
Richard Laing is to be sinfonia ViVA?s first conducting scholar. The two year scholarship combines work with sinfonia ViVA with a place at Birmingham Conservatoire leading to a Post-Graduate Diploma in Conducting.
Karen Smith, previously Combined Arts Officer at Yorkshire Arts, is working part-time at North West Arts Board covering Participation and New Audiences.