Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Gawain Hewitt announced as new Festival Director

GREENBELT FESTIVAL

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Gawain Hewitt as the new Festival Director. Gawain will start his new position at Greenbelt in February 2010.

GawainPicture_smallGawain said of his new appointment: “Having always admired Greenbelt I am delighted to be appointed as Festival Director. It's a fantastic event and I am looking forward to working with Greenbelt's team to continue its success over the coming years."

Gawain Hewitt is currently Creative Director and Events Organiser at Community Music, a charity working with young people, underprivileged children and adults. In 2003 he helped set up an educational social enterprise company – Skillz – and has developed this as Director over the past seven years.

Greenbelt Trustees, who made the appointment, considered Gawain to be a strong communicator, an engaging manager, commercially aware, yet driven by the satisfaction gained in helping people realise and fulfil their potential through engagement with the arts. He has led initiatives in engaging individuals in this area which have been driven by his personal passion for social justice, and has a successful track record in the planning and organisation of numerous live music events.

Gawain Hewitt succeeds Beki Bateson, who left Greenbelt in September 2009 after nine years in the role.

Andy Turner, Chair of Trustees, is excited at the appointment and is looking forward to working closely with Gawain over the coming years: “Greenbelt is a festival like no other. Of significance to many people, assembled by an eclectic group of staff and volunteers, with a diverse and growing audience. Finding the right person with the vocation and that astonishing mix of skills, experience, vision and ideas to take us forward as Festival Director was always going to be a challenge. I'm therefore really pleased that following an exhaustive process, involving some excellent candidates, we have been able to appoint Gawain Hewitt as the new Festival Director. With an active Christian faith and a passion for justice and the arts, in Gawain we have appointed someone sensitive and astute, an entrepreneur who will lead Greenbelt, helping us to deepen our artistic vision, widen our community of volunteers and supporters, broaden our audience and nurture that important distinctiveness. With a background in charities and enterprise, Gawain is well placed to work with staff and volunteers to grow ambition. This is an exciting and challenging time for Greenbelt. I’m looking forward to Gawain starting, and the opportunity to work with him on the task ahead.”

The next Greenbelt podcast will feature an interview with Gawain, so if you want to find out more, come back in two weeks time.