Deputy Artistic Director and Co-Artistic Director for 2021, Justine Themen will leave the Belgrade in 2022.
Today we announce that Justine Themen will step down from the Belgrade in May 2022, following 18 years of innovative artistic work, having decided not to apply for the role of Creative Director. Her final contribution to our body of work will be a show about mixed heritage identities, completing our Coventry UK City of Culture 2021 programme.
Justine’s long association with us began in 2003, when she was appointed to a senior manager role. Her excellent artistic work has spanned the professional and community spectrum, including Under the Umbrella, Red Snapper, Like There’s No Tomorrow, and more recently This Little Relic.
She held particular responsibility for our work in Diversity, Engagement, Participation and Talent Development, growing this into an underlying ethos for the Belgrade. She has been a key figure in building our reputation as one of the leaders in the field.
Back in 2017, Justine represented Coventry in our successful bid to become UK City of Culture 2021, and went on to direct its opening ceremony, Coventry Moves, in May 2021.
She was appointed a Co-Artistic Director for 2021 with Corey Campbell and Balisha Karra to develop our City of Culture programme of work, continuing to embed Diversity and Engagement considerations in Programming decisions.
“I have enjoyed my long association with the Belgrade, in particular with the communities and artists that it serves. I am pleased that the pioneering work we have been doing on Diversity, Participation, Talent Development and New Work is to be embedded in the new integrated post of Creative Director and hope that this work will go from strength to strength. I am excited to explore new opportunities for promoting Diversity and Artistic Excellence in the Cultural Sector at a time when this is urgently needed.”
“We thank Justine for the contribution she has made to The Belgrade over many years and we wish her well for the future.”