Following a period of reflection, imagination and future planning, today Watershed announces a change in its leadership as it looks forward to the next part of its ongoing Bristol story. From 1 August 2018, Clare Reddington will take over the role of CEO, leading the organisation alongside Executive Director Miriam Randall.
Miriam Randall says: “Watershed is open, fearless and inclusive; a world leader and a local icon. This is thanks to the exceptional vision and passion of Dick, Clare and the team and the rich partnerships they have forged in Bristol and beyond. I’m thrilled to be working with them to take this special organisation into the future.”
Over the last ten years, Watershed has achieved substantial and sustained growth, including growing cinema audiences, the creation of the Pervasive Media Studio and Rife, and an increasing international profile. Bristol’s high growth cluster is highlighted in the Creative Sector Deal and we are shortlisted for both a Channel 4 Creative Hub and AHRC Creative Clusters.
To capitalise on this unprecedented moment of both stability and growth, Watershed’s current CEO Dick Penny will take on leadership of Watershed Ventures, a new subsidiary with a focus on managing Watershed’s plans to increase capacity and developing new ways of contributing to creative growth in the Bristol City Region.
After 20 years leading the Watershed, Penney said of the changes in structure “This is a great moment to refresh our leadership team and to create focus on the future. It’s a personal joy to see colleagues emerge as respected cultural leaders and it gives me the opportunity to indulge my passion for our city by putting more time into extending Watershed’s role in the City Region”.
Clare, who joined Watershed in 2004 and established the organisation’s Creative Technology and international programmes, will continue as Creative Director alongside her new position of CEO. Miriam, who joined Watershed a year ago as Executive Director, with a focus on resource development, will ensure that Watershed continues to strike the appropriate balance between cultural and financial resilience.
Clare Reddington says “It has been a great joy to work alongside Dick Penny in this uniquely collaborative organisation for the last ten years. I am equally excited and humbled to be taking on a new challenge within an organisation I love, but have every confidence that Miriam and I are more than ready to work with our excellent team on the next stage of Watershed’s journey.”
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