Key appointments at Perth’s Black Swan State Theatre Company of WA

The Black Swan State Theatre Company of WA has announced the appointment of former Screenwest executive Ian Booth as its new Chief Executive and Kate Champion as its new Artistic Director.

Describing the leadership appointments as coming at a time “ripe for invigoration (following) “prolonged introspection”, Black Swan Chair Francois Witbooi commented “Kate is an acclaimed and highly regarded global arts leader bringing an eagerness and energy to embrace and expand the artistic vision of our Company.

“Ian is a highly respected WA entertainment executive with impeccable commercial experience and a track record of growth and innovation.”

The appointments follow the recent death of Black Swan founding Artistic Director Andrew Ross.

Champion is an internationally acclaimed director and choreographer with more than 30 years’ experience across theatre, dance, opera, musicals, film, and circus.

She was the founding artistic director and chief of world-renowned Sydney-based company Force Majeure, which had a strong focus on presenting home grown productions, from 2002 to 2015.

Champion has directed plays for top Australian companies, including Belvoir Theatre, Melbourne Theatre Company and Ensemble Theatre.

She worked on Black Swan’s original co-production of Tim Winton’s Cloudstreet with Belvoir in 1998.

Chief Executive of Screenwest from 2007 to 2017, Booth has worked in Western Australia’s creative industries for more than 20 years.

During his leadership, Screenwest helped bring Red Dog, Bran Nue Dae, Cloudstreet, Mystery Road, Paper Planes and Who Do You Think You Are to the screen.

Booth is on the board of the Australian Children’s Television Foundation and director of companies in the film and TV sector, including production company Indian Pacific Pictures and Home Fire Creative Industries, which is involved in the “market-led proposals” process with the State Government to build and operate a major film studio facility in WA.

He also served as a non-Executive Director on the boards of national screen agency Ausfilm, Awesome Arts and the Spare Parts Puppet Theatre.

Commenting on his appointment, Booth stated “Black Swan has a strong history and place in the landscape of the WA arts sector.

“To lead this talented team, working with inspirational WA storytellers and performers at Black Swan, is both a personal honour and a professional privilege.”

Black Swan board member Professor David Shirley said Ross, who died after a battle with cancer at age 74 in March, was “enthusiastic” about the appointment of Champion as Artistic Director, advising “Andrew said Kate’s appointment will herald a new era for the company enabling a combination of new and innovative work as well as established classics.

“Her experimental capacity will bring new insights to text-based theatre along with her reputation and skill for devising and developing highly innovative new works that combine theatre, movement and dance.”

Image: Black Swan State Theatre Company new Artistic Director Kate Champion and new Chief Executive Ian Booth. Credit: Black Swan State Theatre Company.