Axis has appointed Clare Jackson (pictured) to develop Dialogue, a new programme for critical writing on contemporary artists, and Rick Holgate as Web Developer to assist in the development of Axis? online programmes and services.
Colin Beesting, formerly Director of External Affairs for Arts Council England?s Creative Partnerships programme, has joined the British Film Institute as Head of Marketing.
Jane Sillis will be joining engage as Director from November. She is currently Arts Manager at Look Ahead Housing and Care, and her career has included posts in Education at the Whitechapel Gallery and Ikon Gallery.
Peter Longman will be stepping down as Director of the Theatres Trust next year.
Louise Etheridge has been appointed as the first Observatory Manager for the South East Cultural Observatory, one of a network of observatories being developed by each of the Regional Cultural Consortia designed to highlight innovative work in the arts, sport, tourism, media, heritage, and museum library and archive sectors.
The new Director General of the National Galleries of Scotland will be John Leighton, who has been the Director of the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam since 1997 and was previously Curator of 19th-Century Paintings at the National Gallery in London.
Karena Johnson, Head of Theatre Programming at Oval House Theatre, will be taking on the role of Artistic Director at Contact in Manchester while John McGrath takes time out for international placements with cultural leaders from around the world, funded by a Cultural Leadership Award from the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA).
Tom Bewick, Chief Executive of the Sector Skills Council for the creative and cultural industries, has appointed a senior executive team, with Sue Walter as Executive Director (Skills & Employer Engagement) and Caroline Parkinson as Executive Director (Nations & Regions). Jennifer Feltham is Head of Finance & Business Services, Cathy Koester is Senior Policy Manager, Paul Hackwell is Associate Director (Finance and Corporate Strategy), Rachel Block is Associate Director (Human Resources) and Maeva Freeman is Associate Head of Communications.
Audiences Yorkshire has appointed Katy McKay (pictured), previously Marketing Assistant at Wakefield Theatres, as Projects Assistant. Tamsin O?Brien, BBC Yorkshire?s Head of Regional & Local Programmes, has joined the organisation?s board.
Sir Davd Bell, an Executive Director of Pearson plc and Chairman of the Financial Times Group, is the new Chair of Sadler?s Wells.
West Yorkshire Playhouse has selected Alan Lane to become Assistant Director for 2005/06 under a new one-year bursary scheme.
Alison Cole, Director of Communications at the National Art Collections Fund for the past 10 years, has been appointed to the new post of Director of Communications at the South Bank Centre.
Matthew Austin has left Bristol Old Vic to become Development Manager at Spike Island.