Gwen Van Spijk
Gwen Van Spijk
Gwen is a Producer, Project Manager, Consultant & Mentor working across the full breadth of the live performance sector.
After working in the commercial sector in the USA and UK, Gwen moved into arts management. She was Administrative Director for Motionhouse Dance Theatre 1992 - 1997 after which she embarked on a career as an independent working with artists including: Russell Maliphant, Carol Brown, Rosemary Butcher and Nigel Charnock. One-off projects that Gwen has produced include: Where The Land Meets the Sea, a Big Dance 2006 project performed by a cast of a 100 on Brighton beach; and Destino, a co-production between Dance United and Sadler’s Wells for a cross generational cast of 130 performers with live music from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Gwen has ongoing roles as Executive Director of Lone Twin, for whom she produced and project managed The Boat Project, one of the highlights of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad; and as Manager and Producer for New Art Club and Hetain Patel .
Gwen has undertaken consultancy projects in the realm of organisational review and development and business planning for clients including: Retina Dance UK, Arts Council of Wales for the National Dance Company of Wales [with Vanessa Rawlings Jackson], Wired Aerial Theatre, Company Chameleon and Wet Picnic; and she has facilitated events and processes for South East Dance, Arts Council England and Fracture West Midlands. Gwen has also delivered training for a range of organisations and institutions including: IDMN, Arts & Media Training, Purple Monster [for the National Union of Students’ management teams]; has mentored independent artists and managers within schemes run by The Place Artists’ Development and Dance UK; and has lectured on cultural policy and management at the Universities of Surrey, Coventry and Northampton.
Gwen served as Chair of the Board of Stan’s Cafe Theatre for 5 years; was Chair of the Board of Dance 4 for 5 years; and was Chair of IDMN [Independent Dance Managers’ Network] 2006 - 2010. Gwen is currently Chair of the Management Committee of the Mill Arts Centre, Banbury.
