Former Perth Theatre General Manager is New Chair of Perth Theatre and Concert Hall

Vanessa Rawlings-Jackson – former General Manager at Perth Theatre – has been appointed Chair of the Board of Trustees for Perth Theatre and Concert Hall. 

Vanessa joined Perth Theatre as its first General Manager in 1976, working under legendary Artistic Director, Joan Knight, her mentor, and subsequently close friend and godmother to her first son. She became the first Marketing Director of Perth Theatre until leaving to move to Birmingham in 1985 and went on to hold roles in major UK arts organisations including Traverse Theatre Edinburgh, Birmingham Rep, Nottingham Playhouse. She is director of Cultivate, a cultural and arts development agency and has worked as a consultant with the Arts Council England, The Arts Council of Wales and numerous clients in the arts and heritage sectors.

Vanessa launched the first Perth Theatre Season Subscription and was instrumental in the successful campaign to name Perth Theatre’s new studio after Joan Knight when it reopened after redevelopment in 2017. 

Vanessa joined the Perth Theatre and Concert Hall Board of Trustees as Vice-Chair in March 2021.

Commenting on her appointment, replacing previous Chair, Dr Colin Hood at the end of his tenure, Vanessa Rawlings-Jackson said, “My love of Perth and the Theatre has never waned and I owe my career in the arts to the time I spent at Perth Theatre and the huge support from the people I worked with, the community in Perth and Kinross - especially from Perth & Kinross Council and the then Scottish Arts Council - who supported me as a very young and green senior manager even when I sometimes got it wrong. It is an honour to now be Chair of the Board and work with an executive team and fellow trustees who are so skilled and determined to ensure the continuing success of Perth Theatre and Concert Hall.”

Christopher Glasgow, Director of Perth Theatre and Concert Hall said, “With her vast experience, passion for the arts and long-held affection for our venues, Vanessa really is the perfect person to lead our Board of Trustees. I have had the pleasure of working closely with her over the past two plus years, and she is full of sage advice, innovative ideas and personal encouragement. We are incredibly fortunate to have a Board of Trustees with such a wide range of skills, from Finance and Management to Marketing and Communications, Human Resources and Business Development; each and every Trustee makes a significant and valued contribution to the organisation. We are grateful to Vanessa and her fellow Trustees for the time they give to their roles, and also going above and beyond to regularly attend events in our venues to meet and mingle with audiences, artists and staff. I look forward to continuing to work with her as we go forward with our mission to deliver the transformative power of the arts across our communities.”

David Cross takes on the position of Vice-Chair while Kevin Greenhorn joins as a new Trustee.