Award-winning Wigan-based theatre company ThickSkin has announced a series of exciting new appointments, alongside a significant £40,000 award from the Jerwood Foundation.
The funding will support ThickSkin’s Associate Artist Placement programme, offering vital opportunities for emerging and mid-career artists to develop their craft within a dynamic and future-facing theatre environment.
Lara Wardle, Executive Director and Trustee of the Jerwood Foundation, said, “I am delighted that Jerwood Foundation will be funding this talent development initiative, and enabling ThickSkin to offer a longer placement for Associate Artists. This two-year support for emerging and midcareer artists underlines Jerwood’s commitment to emerging talent in the UK.”
The first Jerwood Associate Artist to join the company is Manchester-born Anna Berentzen (Leave No Trace, Buxton Opera House; All I Want for Christmas, Royal Exchange Theatre). Berentzen, who co-founded Hawkseed Theatre and has worked with the RSC and Factory International, will collaborate closely with ThickSkin’s Artistic Director on upcoming productions.
Anna Berentzen commented, “I’m thrilled to be joining ThickSkin over the coming 6 months. This is such a unique experience to learn from a vibrant theatre company in the North West, whilst being an active member of the artistic team. The Jerwood Associate Artist role also allows me a paid opportunity to develop my own work and practice – something that is incredibly rare in this country. I’m very grateful to be part of the team and so excited to get started!”
Also joining the team is Iain Christie as Head of Marketing & Audiences. Christie brings over 25 years of experience from Liverpool’s Royal Court Theatre, where he helped grow the venue from a 300-seat comedy club to a 1,000-seat theatre attracting over 180,000 visitors annually.
Iain Christie said, “ThickSkin are a really exciting company that are growing fast and this is a brilliant time to be joining them. I hope that the experience that I have gained from my time at the Royal Court will help their important, high-quality work reach more people up and down the country. We want to work together to make a theatre company that Wigan can be proud of.”
Additional appointments include Steph Connell as Senior Producer, Cath Cullinane as Technical & Facilities Manager, and Louise Fazackerley as Project Manager for Wigan’s Place Partnership, supported by Arts Council England.
Laura Mallows, Co-founder and Executive Director of ThickSkin, said, “We’re thrilled to be expanding the ThickSkin team at such an exciting time for the company. As we grow our artistic programme in Wigan and increase our touring work, Iain’s appointment as Head of Marketing & Audiences brings invaluable knowledge and experience to help drive our ambitions forward. I’m really looking forward to collaborating with him to deepen our impact both locally and nationally. It’s a real pleasure to welcome Iain and all our new team members to the ThickSkin family.”
Artistic Director Neil Bettles added, “I’m delighted that Anna is joining our team as our first Jerwood Associate Artist, supported by The Jerwood Foundation. Her role will be fully immersed in the work that we do at a time of growth, having recently launched our own space in Wigan and with a range of exciting projects coming up. It is very important to me that we continue with our commitment to nurture the next generation of theatre makers and creatives.”
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
