Eleanor Lang Named Cheek By Jowl's New Executive Director

Cheek by Jowl today announces that Eleanor Lang has been appointed the Company's new Executive Director - she takes up the role in January 2016. Lang, now the Executive Director of Free Word, has spent ten years working for a number of arts organisations including the Donmar Warehouse, Y Touring Theatre Company, BAC and the Bush Theatre, as well as working as a freelance producer. Most recently, she has worked with Rose Fenton, running Free Word, the UK's only centre for literature, literacy and freedom of expression. She is on the board of Rose Bruford College and Tonic Theatre.

Lang takes over from Cheek by Jowl's current Executive Director, Beth Byrne, who joins Southbank Centre as Executive Producer in December. Eleanor Lang said today, "I am delighted to be joining Cheek by Jowl. I have been an admirer of Nick and Declan's work for many years, and of their commitment to producing work of the highest quality and touring it both nationally and internationally. I am looking forward to working with them and supporting their ambitions for the company."
Cheek by Jowl Artistic Director Declan Donnellan added, "We are thrilled to be welcoming Eleanor on board, although Cheek by Jowl's loss in Beth's departure is certainly Southbank Centre's gain. Eleanor's values are very much aligned to those of Cheek by Jowl with her strong focus of working across cultural and geographical borders. As we embark on our new production of Shakespeare's Winter's Tale over an ambitious two year worldwide tour during what will, no doubt, be a challenging economic climate, we are confident of her dynamic lead to enable Cheek by Jowl to continue to flourish."

Chair of Cheek by Jowl's Board of Directors, Richard Philipps commented, "Over the last four years, Cheek by Jowl's international perspective has advanced and been strengthened by home-producing work in Russian and French as well as in English. We are confident that with Eleanor's extensive experience in the arts -both in the UK and abroad - we will continue grow our international work and extend Cheek by Jowl's reach to a global audience."

Cheek by Jowl was founded by Artistic Directors Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod in 1981. Since its inception, it has toured to almost 400 cities across the world, performing in English, French and Russian. Its recent production of Measure for Measure played to a sold-out theatre at its Barbican home, and rehearsals are currently underway for a world tour of Shakespeare's Winter's Tale.

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