THE Opera House board has announced five newly appointed non-executive directors, with the chair of the board describing it as “humbling” that so many Islanders “were prepared to give their time for free as volunteers to support the Opera House’s re-opening and new adventures going forward”.
A total of 26 applications were received for the five NED positions, which interim director Andy Eagle said was “an indication of how cherished” the performance venue was and “how missed it has been”.
Opera House board chair Dave Chalk said that the standard of applicants was “quite exceptional”. He explained that the board also took the decision to appoint a board trainee position, describing it as “important to bring the new generation of NEDs through the ranks”.
“We are delighted with all the appointments and can’t wait to get working with them,” added Mr Chalk. “These are exciting times for the Opera House.”
The new NEDs are:
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Bruno Santos Costa – owner of The Watchmaker and Estrela Travel.
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Louise Ashworth – IOD-qualified strategic marketer.
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Ryan Williams – senior HR professional who is currently head of the Performing Arts Development Group, which represents the local performing arts community.
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Christine Jasper – trained singer who worked as an artist manager at a leading classical music concert agency.
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Laura Robertson – lawyer with a lifelong love of theatre who has served on numerous boards across the arts, heritage and sports sectors.
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Hayley Routier – founder of social enterprise Dancing in Jersey and production lead at Reel Creative. She joins as board trainee.
The renovation of Jersey’s Opera House started in September following an £11.7 million investment from the government.
The renovation works are scheduled to be completed towards the end of 2024, with the first public events planned for early 2025.
