After a decade in charge, including a £10m redevelopment of the Music Hall and steering the charity through the pandemic, Jane Spiers will leave in spring 2022.
Jane Spiers, chief executive of Aberdeen Performing Arts, is to stand down in the spring of 2022.
Jane's time in charge of the cultural charitable trust has been one of great highs and lows. Perhaps the biggest project in her time was the £10m redevelopment of the Music Hall. Her team also launched three city festivals: True North, Granite Noir and the Blue Light youth arts festival, all bringing new cultural opportunities to the city.
Of course the Covid-19 pandemic was a huge challenge for the former book publisher. She worked tirelessly to make sure that APA remained solvent and to safeguard jobs. It reopened its venues in recent weeks, and it's great to see it in a relatively healthy state.
She spent a great deal of time as chief executive working to increase diversity, both in the work shown on stage and in community engagement. Her work to further engage with the city's varied communities has been hailed by Aberdeen City Council culture spokesperson, Marie Boulton. She said, "Jane's commitment to inclusivity in the arts is exemplary. She has significantly increased the range and diversity of people we reach through education and community programmes."
In 2019 Aberdeen Performing Arts was named Business of the Year at the AGCC Northern Star Awards. Furthermore, Jane Spiers became the first woman to win a Lifetime Achievement Award.
If I listened to my heart, I'd never leave Aberdeen Performing Arts
On announcing that she was moving on, Jane seemed torn on the decision. She told us, "If I listened to my heart, I'd never leave Aberdeen Performing Arts, but after a lifetime working in the arts, my head is telling me it's time to step away. I've lived my dream job for the last ten years and it will be hard to say goodbye to my wonderful work family, especially after what we've been through together in the last 18 months."
Craig Pike, Chairman of APA, was keen to point out her leadership skills. He said, "She has been an inspirational and compassionate leader, never more in evidence than during the pandemic, tirelessly advocating and fundraising to keep us solvent, safeguard jobs and always with the welfare of her work family in mind."
Aberdeen Performing Arts will now begin the search for Jane Spiers' replacement. If you'd like to know more about their recruitment process, check out the APA website.
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