Board member with limited arts experience takes key Black Swan role

The abrupt announcement that board member Danielle Norrish will replace Natalie Jenkins as Executive Director of Black Swan State Theatre Company has shocked the sector.

Black Swan Chair, Nicola Forrest. Image supplied.

Black Swan State Theatre Company has announced the abrupt replacement of Executive Director Natalie Jenkins with a sitting Board member, Danielle Norrish, promoting questions around transparency and appropriate governance at the company. 

Norrish, whose background is in marketing and advertising, joined Black Swan’s Board in February and has no prior experience running a Major Performing Arts organisation or theatre company.

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Richard Watts is ArtsHub's National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM, and serves as the Chair of La Mama Theatre's volunteer Committee of Management. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, and was awarded the status of Melbourne Fringe Living Legend in 2017. In 2020 he was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize. Most recently, Richard was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Green Room Awards Association in June 2021. Follow him on Twitter: @richardthewatts