Susie Newbery appointed as new Executive Director
Susie joins Complicité from the Exhibition Road Cultural Group, where she is currently Director. Exhibition Road Cultural Group is a partnership of the leading arts, culture and science institutions in South Kensington. Working with 22 member organisations – including the V&A, Natural History Museum, Royal Albert Hall, Science Museum and Imperial College, London – she leads collaborative projects including festivals and events, and creative, sustainability and placemaking programmes designed to promote and develop the district and improve access by bringing the best of arts and culture to everyone. Prior to this Susie held a senior leadership role at the National Theatre as Head of Executive Projects.
Susie joins Complicité at an exciting phase, as the company looks ahead to its major remount of Mnemonic at the National Theatre in the summer. She will coordinate Complicité’s relocation as part of Arts Council England’s NPO-Transfer Programme, and lead the transformation of its business model, ensuring the company can continue to create world class theatre and arts long into the future.
Susie will take up the position of Executive Director from April 2024 following the departure of Complicité’s current Executive Director, Amber Massie-Blomfield.
Susie commented: “Complicité is a company that has been formative to my love of live performance and its transformative possibilities and it is a privilege to join the team. I’m looking forward to working to deliver Simon’s extraordinary vision, taking on the energy and passion Amber has brought to the company, to ensure that Complicité continues to thrive creatively, operate sustainably and bring its ethos of internationalism, inventiveness and adventure to the widest possible audience. With the global climate emergency and threats to the ecosystem of our industry presenting just two urgent challenges, there is no company better placed to continually rediscover what stories we tell, how we tell them, and who we share them with.”
Complicité Artistic Director, Simon McBurney said: “It is a joy to welcome Susie as she joins our team. Her experience in cultivating relationships and fostering collaboration among arts, culture and science institutions resonates deeply with Complicité’s collaborative spirit and our work across diverse art forms. In these times where we bear witness to unspeakable damage and destruction, the need to gather, create and catalyse change has never been more pressing. Amber’s dedication to centring our commitment to combat the Climate and Ecological Emergency has been outstanding, and I look forward to working with Susie as we persist in this essential work.”
Chair of the board, Tom Morris said: “Complicité has a fortunate track record in recruiting outstanding candidates to the role of Executive Director. After 3 brilliant years with Amber Massie-Blomfield we are delighted to welcome Susie Newbery to the company. In a highly competitive recruitment process, Susie stood out to the board for her passion for the company’s work and her analytical and strategic thinking. At a time when many in theatre are having to reimagine their ways of working, Susie is brilliantly equipped to frame the company’s future with Simon, Tim and the team. We’re excited by what she will achieve and look forward to the extraordinary work the company will create with her at the executive helm.”
© Paul Flannery