<img src="http://www.kennedy-center.org/education/vilarinstitute/fellows/images/sansom.jpg" alt="" />
<small> Bruce Sansom from the website of the
Vilar Institute of Arts Management</small>
This is quite a coup for Rambert. Bruce Sansom’s 2-year period in the US learning about arts administration which will have included raising money from the corporate and high-worth individual sectors, which is a little developed art over here with a few notable exceptions. For instance Pacific Northwest gets less than 10% of its funding from public sources, as opposed to the 40-60% which is typical for the larger companies here. The new Rambert AD Mark Baldwin said in our interview with him that stronger development and fund raising was one of his goals for Rambert, in order to finance new work more easily.
In addition, having a Head of Development who has strong name recognition, as Sansom does, must be a bonus.
From Sansom’s point of view the post also seems a good choice as it gets him back to the UK in a senior position in one of the most important dance companies here. It is interesting that he has applied for a post which does not involve direct contact with the creative dance process. In some ways I am reminded of the career path followed by Kevin O’Hare of Birmingham Royal Ballet after he left the Company.
So congratulations to both Rambert and Bruce Sansom. It should be an interesting year.
<small>[ 08-28-2002, 10:39: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>