John Fisher (pictured) will be the new General Director of Welsh National Opera, following the departure of Anthony Freud to Houston Grand Opera. Born in Scotland, he started his musical career at Welsh National Opera in 1972 and for the past nine years has been Director of Music Administration at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
Arts Council England, North East has appointed Mark Robinson (pictured), previously Director of Arts & Development, as Executive Director. He will replace Andrew Dixon who has been seconded long-term to NewcastleGateshead Initiative.
Val Bourne CBE, Artistic Director and founder of Dance Umbrella, will step down at the end of 2006 after 28 years.
Dance UK has appointed Caroline Miller as its new Director. She is currently Head of Publicity at Phaidon Press, the international arts book publisher.
Louisa Milburn (pictured), former Deputy Chief Executive of ViVA: the orchestra of the East Midlands, is the new Director of the University of Leicesters Richard Attenborough Centre.
The Queens Theatre, Hornchurch has appointed Katie Regan, previously Administrator at the Hampstead Theatre, as Administrator. She replaces Lorna Plampin, who is the new Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Studio 3 Arts.
The National Association of Youth Orchestras has appointed Professor George Caird as its new Chairman. He succeeds Sir John Manduell CBE.
Sarah Bayes (pictured) is the new Marketing and Development Assistant at The Lightbox, a new museum and gallery in Woking, which will open in spring 2007.
Peter Cousins is the new Chairman and Gordon Moultrie, the new Vice Chairman of the Orchestra of St Johns.
Birminghams mac has promoted Lindsey Pope to the position of Marketing Manager and Genevieve Pearson, formerly Sales & Information Assistant, as Marketing Assistant. Rachel Brown, previously Communications Assistant in the Arts Division of Birmingham City Council, is the new Marketing Officer.
Laura Sillars has joined FACT as Senior Curator Collaborations Programme, from Tate Liverpool where she was Curator Public Programmes; Judith Harry is now Head of Development, having previously worked at the Liverpool Biennial as Development and Marketing Manager; and Rebecca Lennon takes up the new role of Digital Curator Big Screen Liverpool.
Stephen Judd is the new Deputy Keeper of World Museum Liverpool.
The Swiss Architecture Museum has appointed Francesca Ferguson (pictured), founder and director of Berlin-based Urban Drift, as its new Director to take over from Ulrike Jehle.
Martin Smith has resigned as Chair of English National Opera.
Five new members have joined the regional council of Arts Council England, South East: Mike Fairclough, head teacher at West Rise Junior School, Eastbourne; Andrew Nairne, Director of Modern Arts, Oxford; Gavin Stride, Director of Farnham Maltings; Mary Stuart, Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Sussex; and Morel DSouza, a Labour member for Maidstone Borough Council.
Simon Drysdale, Head of Marketing and Customer Services for Glasgow Cultural Enterprises, is the new Chair of the Arts Marketing Association. Beth Aplin, Director of the Henderson Aplin Partnership will continue as Vice Chair.
Theatre insurance broker, Walton & Parkinson has appointed Michael Russell, until recently a theatre insurance specialist with Willis Group, as a Director to develop the organisations regional theatre account.
Bruce Sansom (pictured), previously a dancer with the Royal Ballet and Head of Development for Rambert Dance Company, has been named as the new Director of the Central School of Ballet.