Marlene le Roux Appointed Chief Executive Officer of Artscape Theatre Centre

History has been made as Marlene le Roux takes on the challenging role of Chief Executive Officer of the Artscape Theatre Centre. She is the first woman and black person to fill this role since its inception in 1971. A hands-on, result-focused and a visionary leader with an extensive track record in culture, the performing arts and education, Le Roux is focused and inspired to take Artscape to new heights in the coming year.

Since joining Artscape fourteen years ago as Director of Audience Development and Education, Le Roux has made a significant difference to the lives of thousands of people through Arts and Culture who have visited the Artscape Theatre Centre. At the same time, she has empowered and supported disadvantaged groups in finding fulfilling careers. Her outreach projects are legendary, taking complete productions to the rural areas and communities where education and workshops are included.

Le Roux also works closely with Artscape's many festivals, which are developed further annually to address current issues and needs with educators, professional artists, medical practitioners and others. These include the well-known Women's Festival, the Youth Jazz Festival, the Youth Music Festival (Classical) and the celebrations of Heritage Month through various productions and events.

Le Roux says in looking back and to the future:

I am enormously grateful to Mr Michael Maas, who retired as CEO last year, for his guidance and support. I so appreciate the confidence shown to me by my colleagues - staff and award winning technical teams - as well the Artscape Council chaired by Prof Somadoda Fikeni. I believe together we can keep the arts alive in a centre for all people with exciting, meaningful work alongside local and international artists and organisations as we have done in the past. With the huge development of the foreshore precinct, the new Chris Barnard Hospital, the extension of the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) and Artscape's extensions we plan to accommodate thousands of people who will be visiting and working in the area with exciting projects and facilities all year round. We have a theatre centre like no other in the southern hemisphere.

After matriculating at Bergrivier Secondary School, Le Roux graduated with degrees and diplomas from the University of Cape Town, the University of the Western Cape and the University of Stellenbosch. Her dissertations included writing on policy and development, education, music, management and leadership.

Le Roux has been recognised locally in many awards programmes, receiving the Shoprite/Checkers Woman of the Year Award in the Art Category (1998); the Desmond Tutu Legendary Award (2001); the Mayor's Medal in the Cultural Affairs Category (2011); and The Mkodaba Award from the National Department of Arts and Culture for making theatre accessible to all and for new works developed that contribute to nation building (2014).

Le Roux's globally achievements span many countries for her significant projects where the arts have been used as a means for social cohesion and for promoting artists with disabilities. She was awarded the Chevalier des Ordres et des Lettres, a French Knighthood in the Performing Arts (2002); the Ordre National Du Merite from the French government (2012) and the Deutschen Afrika Preis from the German Government for work done in disadvantaged and minority areas (2012). The Flemish Government awarded her commitment to developing, affirming and advocating indigenous languages such as Afrikaans and IsiXhosa in 2014.

Le Roux has been acting as CEO at the Artscape for the past year.

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