Reflecting on his time at Chapter, Andy said: “It’s been a privilege to lead Wales’ premier arts venue for eleven years. Chapter is an extraordinary arts organisation that effortlessly balances support for artists, creatives and contemporary voices in the local community. Few other arts organisations have achieved this. I leave Chapter with a great staff and board team in place to take the organisation into the future”.  

Chapter’s Chair, Kami Lamakan, paid tribute to Andy’s work: “Andy has steered this unique place through times of unprecedented change in society. His desire to delight audiences, alongside his shrewd business acumen, has led Chapter into its fifth decade. He leaves the organisation with an optimistic future for which we are hugely thankful”. 

Times of change also bring great opportunity, and so we’ll be taking our time to reflect and consult with audiences, customers, artists and stakeholders, so that we can understand how we might better serve them and all of our local community for the next 50 years!  

Whilst we do this, we have appointed interim Co-Directors, Hannah Firth who is currently Deputy and Artistic Director, and Sharon Stone who is Director of Finance and Resources. Between them they have extensive strategic and operational experience, clear artistic vision, and a passion for ensuring that Chapter is a welcoming space for everyone. 

Speaking of the announcement, Hannah and Sharon said: “Chapter is an extraordinary organisation and we are hugely excited and optimistic for the future. Our approach really aligns Chapter with its original core values – centring art and artists, encouraging them to take risks, and reducing barriers to attendance so that our venue is a safe and equitable place for everyone to enjoy the arts. We can’t wait to get started and look forward to leading an incredibly dedicated and creative team.” 

Hannah and Sharon take up their posts as Interim Co-Directors on 1 July 2022.