SENIOR leadership numbers at the Opera House fell even further yesterday, with the confirmation of a fresh resignation from the theatre’s board.
After this newspaper revealed on Tuesday that interim chair Cyril Whelan had stepped down after 13 years on the board but less than eight weeks in the top post, it emerged yesterday that Bruno Santos-Costa became the fourth individual in three months to step away from a senior role at the historic theatre.
Mr Whelan’s predecessor Dave Chalk and interim director Andy Eagle also left in April, just weeks before the venue was due to reopen for its first show – a Liberation music concert – since its multi-million refurb.
Mr Santos-Costa, who owns The Watchmaker wine bar, was recruited as one of five new non-executive directors in October 2023.
He said he was stepping away to focus on raising his 11-month-old child and preparing to open a new eatery in the Central Market.
Although there has been no official correspondence, Jersey Opera House Ltd has confirmed on its website that Laura Robertson, a former non-executive director, has been appointed as a replacement interim-chair, with Ryan Williams promoted to vice chair.
Former Chief Minister Deputy Kristina Moore is now the only other non-executive director now on the board, following her appointment last July.
Earlier this week Deputy Moore told the JEP “there is still work to be done” but emphasised the she believed the theatre “is going in the right direction”.
A consultant has been recruited to direct the theatre’s management following Mr Eagle’s departure – the costs of which have not been made public.
The company also confirmed that a recruitment process to find a CEO is due to begin soon, but a timeline has not been provided.
Leadership recruitment and retention has not been the only challenge facing the Opera House this year. The Performing Arts Development Group claimed in February that, despite the £12.7m refurbishment, the venue would not be usable for many types of show due to technical limitations.
However, Ministers strongly refuted this with the Chief Minister pointing to an audit report by consultants Lighting Plan.
Later released following a request under the Freedom of Information Law, the report said that the current fixtures were perfectly capable of lighting a wide variety of presentations including drama, dance, opera, musicals, comedy, and conferences”, but described their use as “unethical” due to their age and heavy electricity consumption.
Jersey Opera House Ltd and Deputy Moore were approached for comment following the Mr Santos-Costa’s departure. No responses had been received at the time of writing.
