Out Of Joint Appoints Chair And Four New Board Members

Today, Out of Joint announces a new Chair appointment and four new board members following a recruitment process that took place over the Summer and Autumn. Together they will join the board of trustees to help take the company into the post Covid 19 World under the continued Artistic Directorship of Kate Wasserberg and the Executive Directorship of Martin Derbyshire.

Existing board member Mark Powell has been appointed as Chair, replacing Charlie Thompson who had been interim Chair since 2019. Esme Allman, Fehinti Balogun, Kate Mackonochie and Ali Robertson join fellow board members Mark, Helen Boaden, Kim Lassemillante, Sylvain Malburet, Alison Porter, Danny Sapani and Charlie Thompson. The news comes on the back of the recent announcement of Out Of Joint's innovative new writing initiative, Stockroom.

Esme Allman is a theatre-maker, poet and facilitator based in South London. She is currently a Young Associate at the Young Vic theatre and teaches on the Acting Foundation at ArtsEd. Esme is incredibly excited to join the board of trustees at Out Of Joint.

Esme says: "I am looking forward to being part of overseeing the company as they steer in a new direction and implement changes that better their creative practice and support for artists".

Fehinti Balogun is an actor and theatre maker.

Fehinti says - 'I am so excited to join a theatre company that is genuinely invested in the power and process of art and what that does for the communities and people that benefit from it. I hope I will be able to aid this process as well as bring in my experience and passion for environmental and active representation.'

Kate Mackonochie is Executive Producer at Manchester International Festival, a biennial festival of new productions and special events working across art forms.

Kate says - "I am delighted to be joining the Board of Out of Joint and am excited to bring myexperience to work with the team to support bold artistic collaborations".

Ali Robertson has worked in and run theatre buildings, companies and festivals in UK and Ireland, including leading the Cork Midsummer Festival, Tobacco Factory Theatres and Kneehigh.

Ali says - "I first worked with Kate Wasserberg when she founded The Other Room in Cardiff, a vital creative force in a wonderful city. I was enormously impressed by her bravery, passion and huge artistic skill. I was thrilled when she joined Out of Joint, a company I have long admired, and I look forward to working with the company as it strides forward into a new chapter".

Mark Powell, Chair of Out of Joint says - "It's with great fortune that these new trustees came forward ready and willing to challenge and champion Out of Joint at the same time that the world seemed to shift on its axis. They have already affected changes beneficial to the company, the theatre sector and the nation. With governance as strong and as vital as theirs, artists and audiences can rest assured that our future will be as exciting and unexpected as our history."

Kate Wasserberg, Artistic Director of Out Of Joint says - Mark brings a passion for engagement with audiences and a dedication to justice and equality to the board, and I am delighted that he has agreed to accept the position of Chair. As an Artistic Director himself, based outside of London, he understands Out of Joint's priorities and will support our company in this exciting new chapter, as we launch Stockroom, our writer's room.

I am so proud and pleased that such wonderful talent has agreed to join the board. As artists working in the sector they bring an important perspective to our decision making. These additions mean we now have a board that is one third freelance artists and their creative input regarding recruitment and advice in forming Stockroom has already proved invaluable and I am very excited that they will be part of the future of Out of Joint.

Martin Derbyshire, Executive Director of Out of Joint says - "We want to thank Charlie for his time as Chair, as well as the previous members of the board who helped us over these crutial last three years. We're so pleased to be building a talented and experienced board of trustees to help guide us through this next exciting stage of the company's history. We can't wait to work with Mark and the board to build Out of Joint and Stockroom over the coming years"

Out of Joint has made extraordinary plays for audiences around the world for over 25 years. Continually touring and bringing communities together with stories that reflect our humanity and unite us, Out of Joint work with artists from all backgrounds to deliver great writing. They develop and produce new plays and the very best existing titles; tour work to midscale venues and offer enrichment opportunities to every community they visit. Recent productions have partnered Out of Joint with The National Theatre, Royal Court, Sheffield Theatres and Northampton Theatres as well as touring venues throughout the UK. The recently announced Stockroom is a radical and ambitious project that puts together a team of writers who encompass a wide range of skill bases within the theatre sector to create collaborative work within a group setting. The team will work in close collaboration with Kate Wasserberg and Martin Derbyshire to produce theatre, in partnership with participating theatres, that puts the audience at its centre whilst keeping true to the Out of Joint ethos of presenting work with socio-political themes and a broad appeal.

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